Also known as Perang Pandan, this ancient two-day ritual ceremony takes place once a year on Sasih Kalima (the fifth month in the Balinese calendar), usually in June or July, and is a fascinating and important part of the Sasih Sembah ceremony, the largest religious ceremony in the Bali Aga village of Tenganan.  Celebrated in homage to Indra, the god of war, whom the villagers recognize as their supreme deity, the bloodletting ceremony takes place in the village hall and involves all the young men of Tenganan who are all obligated to participate. Dressed shirtless only wearing traditional Pegringsingan woven sarongs, gloves (kamen), sashes (saput), and headwraps (udeng) the participants are also armed with bunches of thorny pandan and rattan shields.  After a blessing and tuak (palm wine) drinking ritual, two combatants face off in a 5 x 5m 'ring' and upon given the signal from a 'referee' launch into each other, grappling and trying to inflict as much scratchy damage with the pandan leaves upon each other's backs, all in good fun to the fast paced beat of the local gamelan orchestra.  After the ritual, wounds are treated with a special herbal remedy made from turmeric, galangal and vinegar and the men convene together with food and drink for a closing camaraderie gathering called Megibung.