THE BANDJAR

Like the desa, the bandjar is ruled by a kliang bandjar, elected 'w the members, with the choice approved by the gods through consultations with mediums. The kliang of the band jar is not remunerated for his difficult work, except for the honour attached to his position and certain insignificant concessions like extra rice it banquets, a small percentage of the fines collected, and presents from members who receive special services, like part of the reward offered for lost cattle, for surveys, for assistance in marriages, and so forth. He cannot decline to serve and can be deposed if found unsatisfactory.

The bandjar has considerable property: It owns its meeting halls, the bale bandjar, a club-house without special religious significance, with its drum-tower to call to meetings. The bale bandjar is provided with a kitchen and with all sorts of cooking-implements: pots and pans, chopping-blocks, knives, etc., which are lent to members who require them. The bandjars also own the village orchestras and the dancing-properties - costumes masks, and head-dresses - which are stored in a gedong, a brick building where they are safe from theft or fire.

The men spend most of their spare time in the bale bandjar. gossiping, trying out their fighting cocks, watching a rehearsal of a play or of the orchestra, or just sitting. If the bandjar is prosperous, it takes great pride in giving elaborate banquets with music and entertainment. These may happen at the great national festivals, at the anniversary of their little bandjar temple, or at the inauguration of a new roof, a new orchestra or dancing -group. But also the private festivals of the members become bandjar affairs, and bandjars like Belaluan, where we lived, celebrated feasts with staggering frequency.

Only the men may prepare banquet food, and often we were awakened in the middle of the night by the kulkuls calling them to kill the turtles and the pigs for a feast. Banquet food takes long to prepare and the animals have to be slaughtered in the middle of the night to ensure the freshness of the meat and of the sauces in the difficult climate of Bali.

After two in the morning before a feast everybody was busy; the men chopping meat, cooking, scraping coconuts, building sheds and altars; the women carrying water, making offerings cutting out ornaments of palm-leaf or wrapping individual pack ages of sirih and betel for the guests.

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