The Ritual of Belonging

“Would you like to come to tomorrow’s ceremony with us?” This was Dina’s question, my host, as we sat together with her family, eating. It was my first time travelling alone in Asia, and all I wanted was to become part of the place.

The preparation for the ceremony had already begun at home, where I was given clothes that would allow me to enter the temple. From that moment on, the journey to the temple felt almost like an initiation.

As we walked through the jungle, we encountered women carrying offerings on their heads. Slowly, our small group grew. By the time we reached the place of the ceremony, we had become a group of five to seven women. Dina and I were the only ones who could communicate through words, but I felt that I was able to connect with the others through smiles, gestures and small moments of recognition. :)

At the temple, I met more women, many of them caring for their children. Once again, we understood each other without words.

I started to understand how important ceremonies can be in keeping a community together. Within the repetition of these rituals, conversations happen, relationships are built, questions arise, and people remain connected to one another.

While the women were busy preparing the offerings, the children were occupied with what they knew best - playing.

The ceremony began, and that was the only moment I was unable to photograph. I had been invited to take part in the entire process.

We began by praying, sitting on the ground, each of us holding a white flower to pray. Then we used the coloured flowers, placing them in our hair, before a man, who I assumed was the priest, sprinkled us with water.

“How did you feel?” Dina asked me afterwards.

I remember telling her that I felt integrated and peaceful.

And perhaps that was the greatest thing I could have experienced while travelling alone, the feeling of belonging, even if only for a short moment, because at the end of the day I tried to be more a traveler than a tourist.

Rituals. How much do we need them in our lives? To quiet our minds. To connect us to a community. To give us purpose, rhythm and structure.

I am more than grateful that, that for a brief moment, I was allowed to become part of their story.