In today's edition, this little gem unveiled itself, both amusing and sad at the same time (Sad for the cow) and shed a little more light on the belief's and cultures in Bali.
Villagers from Julah in Tejakula, Buleleng, towed a pregnant cow behind a boat into open sea as part of a local traditional ritual.
The cow, which was five months pregnant, was thrown out into the sea about 3 kilometers from land on Monday. The villagers believed the animal was impregnated by a village elder.
During the ritual the man, who was caught red-handed having sexual intercourse with the cow two months ago, joined the boat trip in order to throw away his clothes to to symbolize him discarding his sins.
Julah customary village head Ketut Sidemen said the ritual, called gamya gamana, or freak weeding, had been conducted there for generations. The decision to perform the ritual was agreed at a local residents meeting.
In line with customary regulations, the perpetrator, identified only as PS, 70, was sanctioned to fund the expensive ceremony, which aimed to cleanse him of any bad influences.
Luh Ketut Suryani, a professor and activist, deplored the sancation against PS.
She said drowning a cow was baseless because sexual intercourse between a human being and an animal could not cause pregnancy due to the different chromosomes and genes of the two.
"The cow is not guilty, why should it be drowned? Why don't just use a symbol like what was done by the perpetrator?" she said.
Suryani said she was concerned with the financial situation of the owner, who lives below the poverty line.
"The cow, which has a high price, had to be thrown away. It will be a pity for the owner, who is already poor and is now forced to lose his priceless belonging."
What gets me about the whole sordid affair was:
a) They have a ceremony for people who have been caught and found guilty of bestiality.
b) What happened to all the beautiful women that Bali is supposed to have?
Certainly one of the stranger ones this year!
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