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'Ogoh-Ogoh' parades conjure up demons among Bali's youths

I Wayan Juniartha The Jakarta Post/Denpasar

Traffic congestion in Denpasar is often the result of erratic activities.

This includes occasions when the telephone, electricity and sewerage utilities take it in turns to dig huge holes at precisely the same location, or during cultural celebrations, such as when the municipality held one of the largest Ogoh-Ogoh contests ever on the island on Feb. 20 and 21.

During those two days, not even a seasoned traffic policeman could navigate his way through the thousands of people who filled every available open space around the city's most famous landmark, the Caturmuka, a statue of the four-headed Brahma at one of the city's main intersections.

A total of 99 Ogoh-Ogoh, giant papier-mache dolls, from various banjar (traditional neighborhood associations), desa adat (traditional villages) and other customary institutions participated in the contest.

The competition was divided into two categories: traditional and new creations, and offered total cash prizes of Rp 28.5 million.

The participants turned the contest into a colorful and inspiring event filled with new artistic and surprisingly technical accomplishments.

For instance, the Ogoh-Ogoh entered by Banjar Yangbatu Kangin, which depicted the ogre warlord, Kumbakarna, succumbing to an attack by hordes of monkey warriors, for instance, mesmerized the audience with its artistic presentation.

Dozens of children dressed in monkey costumes danced animatedly around the effigy. It was also technically accomplished: is seemed to defy gravity as it lurched from side to side while smaller monkey dolls hovered around the giant's limbs and torso.

The Ogoh-Ogoh parade is usually held on the night of Pengerupukan, which falls one day before the Hindu new year, Nyepi.

On the morning of Pengerupukan, the Balinese hold the grand sacrificial rituals of Tawur Agung Kesanga to appease the destructive forces of nature and demonic spirits.

Later in the evening, they parade around their respective villages, carrying burning bamboo torches, sounding gongs and carrying fearsome-looking Ogoh-Ogoh in a noisy ritual aimed at scaring away demons.

"Ogoh-Ogoh were not originally part of Pengerupukan parades. Their inclusion is instead the fruit of our young people's creativity and they have been incorporated into the parade ever since the early '80s," said Hindu scholar I Ketut Wiana.

That creativity soon transformed itself into an established tradition and since the 1990s Ogoh-Ogoh have been prominent features of the Pengerupukan parades instead of just sideshows.

The Ogoh-Ogoh are usually made by the Sekeha Teruna Teruni (STT), a youth organization that has branches in each banjar. Members of the banjar raise the necessary funding to make the dolls, which can cost as much as Rp 10 million.

"Making Ogoh-Ogoh has a positive impact on strengthening the cohesion of the youth organization, and teaching members the value of cooperation and teamwork. It also provides young people with an appropriate way of expressing their artistic sides and passing their free time," Balinese scholar I Ketut Sumarta said.

On the other hand, it has apparently also has had several adverse side effects. The tradition of making and parading Ogoh- Ogoh has, for years, been associated with an increase in alcohol- related disturbances.

An increasing number of Balinese youths treat the event as an excuse to get drunk, usually on traditional alcoholic beverages tuak and arak. Intoxication often leads youths to become involved in various acts of delinquency, the most common of which are street brawls with rival youth associations from neighboring banjar or villages.

"It usually begins with members of one youth association ramming their sanan (a structure made of bamboo poles used to carry the Ogoh-Ogoh) into the sanan of a rival group in an effort to topple its Ogoh-Ogoh. Soon, punches fly and the violence can continue for days after the parade has ended," Komang Awidya, a Balinese youth, said.

A dyed-in-wool arak drinker, Komang has may stories to tell about street brawls.

"They can be triggered for serious reasons -- a long feud dating back since time immemorial between two banjar -- or due to something trivial -- a youth from a rival banjar stealing the girlfriend of one of our boys. Most of the time the brawls are brief and not too serious, with no serious injuries or hard feelings," he explained.

Incidents such as these are the main reason why Denpasar municipality recently issued a regulation that specifically asked all the banjar and traditional villages of Desa Pekraman in Denpasar not to include an Ogoh-Ogoh parade in the upcoming Pengerupukan celebrations on March 10.

"To provide an outlet for the Ogoh-Ogoh lovers, the municipality organized the two-day Ogoh-Ogoh contest. Hopefully, this year Balinese Hindus in Denpasar can celebrate Pengerupukan and Nyepi in a peaceful atmosphere without having to worry about their youths parading Ogoh-Ogoh and getting drunk on the streets," municipality spokesman Erwin Suryadharma said.

Komang was not so sure.

"In fact, after the contest was over we put our Ogoh-Ogoh in a safe place so we can take it out again and parade it for Pengerupukan. This year we will be able to show off our creation to the public not once, but twice.

"We will be back -- by popular demand," he grinned.