Heavenly Fighters

Cockfighting is a very old tradition in Balinese Hinduism, the Batur Bang Inscriptions from the year 933 and the Batuan Inscription dated 944 on the Balinese Caka calendar disclose that the tabuh rah ritual has existed for centuries. In Bali cockfights known as Tajen, are practiced in an ancient religious purification ritual to expel evil spirits. This ritual, a form of animal sacrificeis called tabuh rah (“pouring blood”). The purpose of tabuh rah is to provide an offering (the blood of the losing chicken) to the evil spirits. Cockfighting is a religious obligation at every Balinese temple festival or religious ceremony.