Bali's Melukat ritual: From sacred purification to tourist commodity?
Traditional Balinese purification ceremony Melukat is increasingly being marketed to tourists, with concerns that it is losing its spiritual significance and becoming a commodified religious experience. The practice, once reserved for locals seeking cleansing from negative energy, now often involves paid packages and staged performances. This shift reflects broader tensions between cultural preservation and tourism-driven commercialization in Bali.