Non-Hindu gamelan players at pura<\/p>\n
By Putu Wirata<\/p>\n
DENPASAR (JP): It may be the first time in Hindu history that
\nworshipers of Pura Natarsari in the Apuan village, Tambanan
\ndistrict, consisted of non-Hindu gamelan players, who volunteered
\ntheir services. The piodalan (holy day) ceremony of Pura
\nNatarsari on July 16 was not only enlivened by more than 40
\nbarong (mythological dragon) and Rangda (mythological wicked
\nwidow), but also by thousands of members of the Hindu community,
\nwho came to pray, and by the sounds of gamelan lelambatan (soft
\nbeating sound accompanying praying rituals), as well as Balinese
\nclassical dances. This was a contribution from the Sekarjaya, a
\ngamelan group founded 16 years ago, and whose members are
\nAmericans.<\/p>\n
It is quite astonishing indeed for a non-Hindu gamelan group,
\nfrom a secular country such as the United States, to be received
\nand accepted at Pura Natarsari. Here, the group dressed in
\ntraditional Balinese costume (a piece of cloth, long-sleeved
\nshirt and headdress), their appearance at once reserved but
\nfriendly. They shared meals from one dulang (rice container), in
\ngroups of four or five people. The 45-member gamelan group also
\nfollowed the prayer, following the panca sembah (five prayers)
\nsystem of the Hindu Bali community, and they drank Pura Natarsari
\nnunas tirta (holy water), all to the utter amazement of some in
\nthe Hindu community.<\/p>\n
"I am quite moved by your respect for religion and Balinese
\nculture," a priest said, sprinkling holy water on the Sekarjaya
\ngamelan group.<\/p>\n
Before volunteering their services, the Sekarjaya group
\nperformed at the 17th Cultural Festival of Bali in Denpasar. They
\nalso demonstrated their expertise in drum beating at the Museum
\nof Classic Art Painting of Nyoman Gunarsa in Klungkung. In the
\nBungkulan village, they held a fund-raising drum beating session
\nto build temples and places of worship.<\/p>\n
"It has nothing to do with religion. We see it from a cultural
\npoint of view," Wayne Vitale, 38, the leader of Sekarjaya, said,
\nelaborating on the readiness of his colleagues to pray in Pura
\nNatarsari. He only smiled when asked about the religion of his
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
I Made Wianta, a painter born in the Apuan village, brought
\nthe group in contact with the management of Pura Natarsari.<\/p>\n
"This should be seen as a cultural phenomenon. To pray in the
\nPura, they don't need to be Hindu. Every religion proclaims that
\nGod is everywhere. It is a matter of knowing and because the
\nAlmighty is there, it needn't become an issue," Wianta said.<\/p>\n
Wianta refused to go deeper into the matter. "I don't know
\nanything about Hindu laws. But, to me, painting is like a divine
\nworship. Drum beating, if done on a voluntary basis, is also
\nworship. And as you can see, the people here don't mind at all.
\nThey are, instead, pleased. A tourist beating the drum," he said,
\nlaughing hilariously.<\/p>\n
Wianta drew attention to the importance of the Hindu ritual at
\nthe Pura from a cultural point of view. While at the upper most
\npart of the Pura, called jeroan (inner), services of worship were
\nbeing conducted, festivities were held in the farthest corner of
\nthe Pura grounds, called jaba (outer). As well as street vendors
\nand groups of people chatting and sipping coffee, there were also
\ngamblers playing dice games, and people playing chess and ball
\ngames.<\/p>\n
"They (the worshipers) were not disturbed when other people
\nentered the Pura. But, if you ask me if the Hindu religion allows
\nor forbids this, I won't be able to answer you," Wianta said,
\nstill laughing.<\/p>\n
Ketut Wiana, deputy secretary general of Parisadha Hindu
\nDharma in Indonesia, said on a separate occasion, "If they were
\nnot forced to do so, the Hindu community would not mind it. The
\nAlmighty is everywhere and they would certainly pray according to
\ntheir beliefs," he said lightly.<\/p>\n
The Hindu worshipers of Pura Natarsari became upset when they
\nlistened to the Sekarjaya gamelan group play.<\/p>\n
"They won't be able to become one with Balinese gamelan, but
\nthey are very good," Nyoman Hartanta, a gamelan player from the
\nvillage Jelantik, who witnessed the group's performance, said.<\/p>\n
"Tourists playing gamelan, eh? I am touched," he said in
\nwonder.<\/p>\n
The audience also applauded, something that would not have
\nhappened if the players had been from Bali.<\/p>\n
"We are embarrassed if you exaggerate the story. What we are
\ndoing here is just a small offering," Wayne said in the local
\ndialect. Then, whether he was saying it out of courtesy, or
\nmaybe not, he added, "We are trying to imitate Bali's banjar
\n(neighborhood organization), which is based on cooperation. It is
\nnot easy because in America we live far apart and we have
\ndifferent jobs," Wayne said.<\/p>\n
Putu Suasta, a young intellectual from Bali who follows
\nSekarjaya's process as a creative group, admitted: "They are
\ntrying to apply the banjar system in a strict capitalist culture.
\nThat's extraordinary. They live a long way from the practice
\ncenter, it takes at least one hour for them to get there, and
\nthat's what they do," he said.<\/p>\n
The Sekarjaya members have various professions, from employees
\nof business firms, to lecturers and students.<\/p>\n
"We established a Balinese gamelan group because we love
\nBalinese culture," Wayne said, smiling.<\/p>",
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