The unique water drop offering ceremony of the Ba Na people in Gia Lai province

For the Ba Na people, the water drop offering ceremony is not only an agricultural ritual to pray for a good harvest but also a way to express people's deep gratitude to nature - the endless source of life in the great forest.

Amidst the modern pace of life that is rapidly spreading to every village, the water drop worshiping ceremony of the Ba Na people in Gia Lai is still preserved as an important ritual, closely associated with traditional life and beliefs.

This is not only an agricultural ritual to pray for a good harvest but also a way to express people's deep gratitude to nature - the endless source of life in the great forest.

In the Ba Na people's concept, water is not simply a material for daily life but carries the soul of the Yang (gods). The first drop of water is considered the essence of heaven and earth, determining the harvest, human health and the prosperity of the whole village. For a long time, the Ba Na community has formed the custom of worshiping drops of water to express respect to the water god, the forest god and the invisible beings who govern their living land.

Performing rituals of the Water Drop Offering Ceremony. (Photo: Khanh Hoa / VNA)

Solemn and distinctive ceremony

The water drop worship ceremony is usually held in March-April or October-November to thank the gods for clean water, pray for favorable weather, bountiful crops, community health, and to avoid epidemics and water accidents, and for all things in the village to flourish.

Offerings to the gods include a pole, a 2m long bamboo pole, a water bottle, a dried gourd shell, a jar of wine, chicken, pig, sticky rice, banana leaves, etc.

Before the water drop worship ceremony, the village elders held a meeting at the communal house to inform the villagers of the date of the worship ceremony, mobilize contributions, and assign tasks to each family to prepare for the ceremony. Women were responsible for cleaning the village roads, alleys, and clearing the area where the water drop worship ceremony would take place. Young people went into the forest to cut bamboo and weave them into arches to set up a pole at the worship ceremony area. The elderly prepared traditional costumes and the prayers for the water god worship ceremony. In addition, the village's gong and xoang dance teams also practiced to perform on the day of the water drop worship.

The time to perform the water drop offering ceremony is usually early in the morning. The young people in the village bring the pole to the ceremony site to be planted. Offerings include a roasted chicken, a banana leaf jar of wine, a large pot of water, pre-prepared dishes, a bamboo tube to scoop water, etc.

The water offering ceremony began, the young men spread banana leaves, placed a jar of wine in the center of the pole, and placed food and chicken around it. The village elder began to pray to Yang to bless the villagers with good health, favorable weather, and bountiful crops. Water flows all year round, so that people can cross rivers and streams without drowning or drowning, and have no accidents on the road, praying for safe travels.

After finishing the prayer, one by one, starting with the village elder, all the villagers went down to collect water in jars and bottles. Then, people used water to wash their faces, hands and feet, and splashed it on each other to receive the luck that Yang bestowed.

After the offering, the village elder steps forward to place the drum, holds the drumstick and beats it for a while, then shouts loudly, the sound of gongs and drums rises, the villagers hold hands and unite to dance the xoang dance in a circle around the pole, drink wine, and wish each other good luck.

Performing rituals of the Water Drop Offering Ceremony. (Photo: Khanh Hoa/VNA)

After the ceremony, the festival is bustling with the solemn sound of gongs - a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. People gather around jars of rice wine, dance xoang, and sing folk songs until nightfall. The atmosphere is imbued with the breath of ancient culture, expressing optimism, solidarity, and respect for nature.

Preserving and promoting unique cultural features

In the context of urbanization, many water ports have been affected by modern water supply systems. However, in Gia Lai and many other Central Highlands regions, the water drop worship ceremony is still being restored by the government and the community, becoming a unique cultural tourism highlight.

Some localities have built experiential tours such as visiting the water wharf; enjoying rice wine; dancing xoang with villagers; learning about folk knowledge about water. Thereby, traditions are preserved by the vitality of the community, without being distorted or commercialized.

The traditional rituals of the Ba Na people have made an important contribution to the preservation and promotion of traditional cultural values. This is not only a unique festival but also creates strong community cohesion./.

The water drop offering ceremony represents the community cohesion of the Ba Na people along with the hope of a new, favorable and bountiful crop season. (Photo: Khanh Hoa/VNA)

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/dac-sac-le-cung-giot-nuoc-cua-dong-bao-ba-na-tai-tinh-gia-lai-post1071945.vnp