DENPASAR, BALI, September 15, 2026 (Voice of Indonesia): Hindu women play a pivotal role in the execution of yadnya in Bali, from preparing ritual paraphernalia to ensuring the smooth conduct of religious ceremonies. Yadnya, a term in Hinduism, refers to sincere and selfless offerings or sacred sacrifices made as a form of reverence to God, fellow humans, ancestors, and nature. A Hindu religious counselor at the Gianyar Regency Ministry of Religious Affairs Agency, Ni Wayan Sumetri, said this role is also integral to the life of Hindu families and communities. Sumetri explained that, in the Hindu worldview, women hold a noble status and are one of the keys to family harmony. “Women are considered the key to a family’s harmony. They are seen as the light that illuminates the family,” she said on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. According to her, women also have a role in upholding values, including in building and educating the family. “A woman must be courageous in managing the household and raising children.”

In Balinese Hindu society, women bear significant responsibility in carrying out yadnya, particularly in preparing various ceremonial requisites. Sumetri noted that Hindu women are expected to be skilled in activities such as mejahitan and metanding banten, both are the processes of making offerings. “A woman’s position has a very important role and status in Hindu religious teachings; in fact, women are the pillar of yadnya,” she explained. This role spans from the preparation stage through the actual performance of a yadnya. The skill of mejahitan is typically passed down through family and community environments. “The learning process for mejahitan actually occurs naturally, because every girl born into a Hindu family faces certain expectations,” said Sumetri. She added that these skills can be introduced from an early age by having children assist their mothers with light tasks. This tradition constitutes one form of intergenerational transmission of Hindu knowledge and culture.

More at source.
https://rri.co.id/voice-of-indonesia/art-and-culture/2731625/hindu-women-named-pillars-of-yadnya-in-bali-ceremonies

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