A head full of flowers carefully prepared in the shape of a headdress. Once a year the young girls of the village carry it for a whole afternoon performing a slow dance.

It is called Rejang and it’s part of the Hindu traditional rites that Majapahit civilisation brought to Indonesia long time ago.

All these photos were captured in the villages of Karangsari and Santi in the Karangasem district of Bali, Indonesia.

The Rejang ceremony is an all day event. It takes place once a year and involves a long preparation that starts weeks before.

Rejang dance a slow procession following an older woman who leads the many laps around the temple perimeter.

Delicate, slow, oscillating with extreme grace and delicacy.

Up on the volcano slopes of Bali, being a young woman means learning to gracefully dance with your head full of flowers from a young age.

Parents, and the whole extended family look on. Boys, elders and the younger kids admire quietly.

The very young ones carry small items and learn to gracefully balance and dance this way. The girls line up and follow each other in a long and slow display of themselves and their gentleness.

The Pecalangs make sure that everything is running smoothly and coordinate with each other using a radio.

It’s a special day and an occasion like no other. The Gamelan orchestra’s acoustic percussions provide the rhythm.

Every village has a slightly different way of arranging dresses and head wear.

The Rejang dance itself is smooth and simple and very similar from village to village.

Experienced women show their style balancing burning incense and bigger offerings.

The whole village is present at the ceremony and they do check out the display. While the girls lap slowly till past sunset.

Published on non-profit magazine Fumes.