Bali Update

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• This Saturday, November 15, 2003, is a special day to honour all types of tools or machinery called Tumpek Landep. When you go out to the street you will see gegantungan (an offering made of coconut leaves and flowers) hanging on the cars or motorcycles. At a Balinese home, the family conduct a prayer in their family temple and also put offerings in the tools like knives, sickles, daggers and spades. Tumpek Landep is another pawukon-based ceremony that takes place every 6 months (210 days). The word landep means “sharp” as in knife or machete. In the old days, the offerings were devoted to honour sharp sacred weapon, such as kris (traditional wavy double-bladed dagger) and tombak (spear). The people believed that those weapons had pasupati (a spiritual power that protects the sacred weapon) and they especially honour the Hyang Pasupati, a manifestation of God, which symbolises sharpness. They hoped that Hyang Pasupati blessed them with sharpness in mind and heart. The Tumpek Landep concept has somehow extended to more modern day tools. Their offerings are not limited to kris and tombak but any other iron-based inanimate objects such as cars, buses, rifles, television, computer, and digital camera. The messages, however, are still the same that is to maintain the pasupati power, so these tools can continue help people to work in their daily life.

• This Saturday (November, 1) is an important moment in appreciation of knowledge in Bali. You can witness a religious ceremony called “Piodalan Saraswati” or the Saraswati Day, the day to worship God in His manifestation as the master of all knowledge. Every six months according to the Balinese calendar called pawukon (from Balinese word “wuku” which means week) on Saniscara Umanis Watugunung, Balinese Hindus give their greatest honour to the knowledge. Most of the students in Bali will be busy performing the ceremony at schools, colleges and their houses. At home, they arrange books, magazines, dictionaries and everything related to the physical representation of knowledge, put them on the altar-like table. Special offerings called canang Saraswati and some other offerings are presented. They would not touch and read their books from morning until evening. Any activities that harm, burn and scratch books are considered as a betrayal of knowledge. There are two important days that considered as the preparation day, called Petegtegan and Pangredanan, which fall on Wednesday (October, 30) and Friday (October, 31). Both Petegtegan and Pangredanan remind us to be aware constantly, to do self-introspection, to face all the worldly temptation by holding the purity of knowledge.Goddes Saraswati, an icon of knowledge In every ceremony, Balinese Hindus always come up with their imaginary symbols. They symbolise Saraswati or Ida Sang Hyang Aji Saraswati, the goddes
  of knowledge as a beautiful woman with some attributes. She has four hands, riding on a white swan among water lilies to tell humanity that knowledge is like a beautiful woman, very enchanting. Her hands hold a palm leaf; a lontar (a traditional book that usually written in Balinese letters); a genitri (a chain with 108 pieces of small ball) symbolises that knowledge is never ending and has an everlasting life cycle; and a guitar or wina (musical instrument) symbolises that science develops through the growth of culture. The swans symbolise prudence, so that one’s knowledge may distinguish between good and evil. The water lilies or lotuses are the symbols for holiness. Some people prefer not to sleep all night, they perform some activities that have relationship with Saraswati day, like mekidung or mekekawin (singing a holy song) and meditation. Banyu Pinaruh On Banyu Pinaruh, which falls on Sunday(November, 2), is a moment to reinvent yourself. People go to beach, lake or river and have a swim or wash to purify their mind, body and soul.

  Some people take a bath with toya kumkuman (water mixed with flowers) and they will drink loloh (traditional medicine made from various leaves which is very good for our health) then pray together with their family begging for pure knowledge and wisdom. The series of ceremonies to celebrate Saraswati Day indicate the importance of knowledge has to human life. The more knowledge people have, the wiser they should be in speech, thought and deed.

• Pagerwesi Day, which falls on Wednesday (November, 5), is the third most celebrated holidays in Bali after Galungan and Nyepi Day. Balinese Hindus celebrate Pagerwesi every six months (210 days) according to the pawukon calendar systems. Pagerwesi derived from words “pager (fence)” and “wesi (iron)”, simply “iron fence”, is a day to strengthen one’s fortification against evil. Pagerwesi is dedicated to honour Siva, the God manifestation as Hyang Pramesi Guru (the main Guru), and has a very close relationship with Saraswati day. It falls three days after Saraswati day, and there’s continuity meaning between them. In Pagerwesi people honour the main Guru (God or Siva) that transferred knowledge during Saraswati day. It also means that the knowledge must be protected from bad influences and misuse. If we are looking back to the roots of Hinduism in Bali, which was originated from India, there is a similar ceremony called Guru Puja or Guru Purnima. The Indians, however, celebrate it in a very different way and day. They celebrate Guru Puja on Purnama Kasa or the first new moon every year. Pagerwesi reminds human to be wise and more aware to the function and power of knowledge.