ngusaba-tegenIn preserving the customs and culture, thousands of people of Kedisan, Kintamani, held a unique ritual named ngusaba tegen. In contrast to the ceremony in general, the ingredients used in the ngusaba tegen ritual was cake or fish that should be boiled or grilled.
Thousands of people were walking side by side while bringing the ritual paraphernalia in the form of offerings. Male residents carried the offerings of tegen-tegenan on carrying pole, while women carried an offering named gebogan. They left the village for the local Dalem Praja Pati Temple, the venue of ngusaba tegen ritual.
According to Chief of Kedisan Customary Village, it was an ancient tradition of rural society of Kedisan as expressed in Shiva Purana palm-leaf manuscript. Actually, it had been carried out for generations since the Kedisan Village was established.
Content of this tegenan offering included a variety of agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, fish and others. All items in the contents of carrying oblation consisted of twenty pieces. These carrying oblations would be presented by all men living at Kedisan Village. However, it was not allowed to use fried cake or fish. Instead, the cakes or fish should be grilled or steamed.
Other uniqueness of usabha tegen procession was the implementation of census tradition throughout the community by collection of perforated coins. The census was intended to get the amount of the entire Kedisan Village community. Then, the perforated coins obtained from the census were backfilled in the courtyard of the local temple. It was intended to inform the deity abiding in the Dalem Temple about the total number of local community. Based on the amount of coins collected, it was then known the number of Kedisan villagers, namely 2,992.
Usabha tegen ritual was held annually in the third month of Balinese calendar falling around August or September.