Ngurek Keris: The Trance Ritual with the Kris Dagger in Bali
Ngurek keris is a Balinese trance ritual in which a participant, possessed by a spirit, presses a kris dagger into the body. Visitors who search for ngurek keris are often curious about the trance itself and the protection that is believed to surround it. The ritual is a sacred act within Balinese religious life, held at temple ceremonies as an offering to the spirits, not as entertainment.
Ngurek keris: the trance ritual with the kris dagger in Bali
In ngurek, a kris is pressed or thrust against the chest and other parts of the upper body. The participant is in a trance state, and the community understands the act as a sign of spiritual power rather than of self-harm. The same practice is also called ngunying in some accounts, so you may hear either word on the island. Names for the ritual can change with the place and the local custom.
Ngurek is not a stage act. It belongs to the religious calendar and to the temple, and the people who take part are doing so as part of a community observance. A visitor who sees it should expect a setting that is shaped by prayer, offerings and the rhythm of the ceremony, rather than by a planned performance with a fixed running order.
The link to the wider trance traditions
Ngurek is part of a wider family of trance practices in Bali. Trance and possession appear in several village rites, and each has its own rules about who takes part and how the trance begins and ends. Because these traditions differ from one village to the next, the most useful way to understand any one of them is to learn about the particular ceremony you plan to see rather than to assume a single pattern across the island.
The kris trance is often discussed alongside the barong and rangda figures. The barong is a protective figure who appears in ritual dramas, and the rangda is a fearsome figure associated with disorder. Visitors who know something about these figures will recognise them in the procession, and that background makes the ceremony easier to follow. Each of these traditions belongs to the island’s Hindu-influenced ritual life, and the links between them are part of how the ceremonies are understood by the community.
Ngerebong in Kesiman: the best-known setting
The best-known setting for ngurek is the ngerebong ceremony at Pura Agung Petilan in Kesiman, Denpasar. The rite is held about eight days after Kuningan, one of the major celebrations of the Balinese calendar, and it takes place within the temple grounds. Participants who are possessed by the spirit take part in the stabbing, and the day follows a sequence of prayers and processions before the trance begins.
The ceremony is recurring rather than fixed to a single date. Reports describe it as taking place about every six months, always eight days after Kuningan. Because the Balinese calendar shifts from year to year, the calendar date changes too, so anyone planning a visit should confirm the day locally rather than relying on an old date from a guidebook or a website.
Because the Kesiman ceremony is so well known, it is often used as a reference point for ngurek elsewhere. A visitor who learns about the Kesiman rite will have a clear picture of the sequence and the pattern of trance, even if the event they later see is in a different village. Each community still has its own arrangements, so treat Kesiman as one example rather than as a template for every ceremony.
The trance and what the participants experience
The trance is the centre of the ritual. Participants are believed to be possessed, and the community reads the signs of possession as proof that a spirit has entered the body. The community treats the trance as the result of a ceremony that calls the spirit in before the stabbing begins, so the trance is not something that happens by chance.
The kris is pressed into the body in several places, and participants are generally described as not being hurt by it. Local accounts say the blade does not injure the chest, and the community reads this as divine protection. For a visitor, the lesson is not that the act is safe to imitate. It is held within a ritual frame that the community takes very seriously, and the people who take part have been prepared through that framework.
Once the ceremony moves on, the participants come back to their normal state. Those in trance return to normal as the rite continues. You should not try to help a participant who appears to be in trance unless a member of the temple community asks you to do so.
Ceremony settings and what a visitor may see
Ngurek takes place at temple ceremonies such as the ngerebong at Petilan. The setting is the temple grounds, where the community gathers, the sacred figures are brought forward, and the participants make their way into the trance. The crowd and the ceremonial order of the day shape the atmosphere, and the rhythm of the rite can change quickly as the procession moves on.
What a visitor may see depends on the village and on how the community chooses to open the ceremony to outsiders. Be prepared to see only part of the ceremony, and to accept that the community may ask you to leave a particular area at any point. Large crowds gather for this kind of event, so it helps to arrive early, to plan your route in advance and to stay with your group.
The atmosphere at a temple ceremony is shaped by prayer and procession as much as by the trance. Many people present are taking part in their own community’s observance and may be more focused on the offerings and the order of the day than on visitors. Keep that in mind and behave as a guest rather than as an observer looking for a show.
How to behave as a visitor at a ngurek ceremony
Dress respectfully. Traditional Balinese dress, meaning a sarong and a sash with the shoulders covered, is the expected choice at a temple ceremony. Keep a distance from the participants and the figures, and do not touch the performers, the kris or the offerings. Stay back when the ritual is in progress, and follow any instructions from the temple community.
The bali temple rules page sets out the general courtesies at temples, which apply here too. If you plan to attend, arrive early enough to find a place away from the main path of the procession, and be ready to leave quietly if the community asks you to move. Ask permission before you take photographs. A flash can be disruptive during the rite, and the community may not want the moment of trance photographed. If you are asked to put the camera away, do so. Keep your voice low and avoid pointing or laughing at the participants. If someone in trance comes near you, step aside calmly and let them pass.
- Wear a sarong and sash, with covered shoulders, and dress with care.
- Keep a clear distance from the performers, the kris and the sacred figures.
- Ask before photographing, and put the camera away when asked.
- Follow the temple community on where to stand and when to move.
Plan your day around the ceremony rather than squeezing it between other activities. Eat before you go, bring water and keep your belongings close, since the crowd can be dense near the procession. If the ceremony runs longer than you expected, that is normal; ritual time follows its own order, not a timetable set for visitors.
Related Balinese dance pages and the wider context
Ngurek belongs to the broader range of Balinese performance, which mixes dance, music and ritual in ways that are not always easy to tell apart. The Balinese dance overview on this site sets out the main forms and where a visitor is most likely to see them. It is a useful starting point if you want to understand where ngurek fits within the island’s dance traditions.
Two related pages add context on other trance and dance forms. The kecak page covers a chant dance, and the sanghyang page covers trance dance in more detail. Reading them alongside the text above will help you see how the trance traditions differ from one another, and why each community treats its own ritual with its own rules.
Questions visitors ask about ngurek keris
Is ngurek a show? No. It is a religious ritual held at temple ceremonies, and the community treats it as sacred.
Is it dangerous? The safest course for a visitor is to stay back and never imitate the act.
Can visitors watch? At some temple ceremonies, yes, with respectful behaviour and a willingness to follow the community’s direction. Ask locally before you go.
Is there a fixed date? No. The ceremony follows the Balinese calendar, so the date changes from year to year and differs between villages.
Related guides: ngurek, pengelukatan purification ritual, kerauhan trance, Rangda.