Bali attempts to cleanse island of evil spirits

Rita A Widiadana and I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Kuta, Bali

Thousands of people commemorated on Friday the bomb blast that claimed nearly 200 lives at the tourist resort of Kuta, marking an end to their one month of mourning and a fresh start to their lives.

Many climbed atop charred vehicles, cracked cement slabs and piles of rubble as men chanted prayers, children danced and women prepared offerings of food, flowers and sacrificed animals.

"The sadness of Bali is the sadness of the world," Coordinating Minister for Peoples' Welfare Jusuf Kalla told the worshipers. "Terrorism on Indonesian soil is a clear and present danger."

Kalla, who represented the Indonesian government, led a minute's silence to pay homage to the deceased, which was observed nationwide.

Smaller ceremonies led by Balinese Hindus were also held on Friday and Saturday at the site of the World Trade Center attack in New York and also in London, Sydney, Toronto and San Francisco, the Associated Press reported.

At about the same time, every family in Bali also conducted a small purification ceremony at their respective family shrines.

All roads heading to Kuta beach, usually flocked by tourists, were quiet. Lines of arts shops and boutiques were closed. Only a few restaurants remained open.

"Everybody wants to participate at the Tawur Gentuh ceremony on the beach," said Made Kadi, a security officer at a hotel here.

The mass ritual, Pemarisudha Karipubhaya, was aimed at cleansing the island of evil spirits that inspired the bombing and to guide the victims' souls to the afterlife in peace.

The main ceremony took place simultaneously at two separate locations -- the blast site and the outer court of the Segara temple, Kuta beach.

Amid scorching sun some 6,000 Balinese flocked to the blast site alongside the husband of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Taufik Kiemas, 10 Cabinet ministers, 13 consuls and nine ambassadors, who included Ralph Boyce of the U.S. and his British counterpart, Richard Gozney.

Megawati, who was expected to participate, was absent.

The ceremony was also attended by some 51 relatives of the Australian victims and Minister of Health Kay Paterson.

Chief of the police joint inquiry team Insp. Gen. I Made Mangku Pastika, Bali governor I Dewa Beratha and Badung regent Tjok Ratmadi attended the ceremony in full traditional Balinese costume.

Representatives of religious leaders of four other major religions were also present.

Security was very tight during the ceremony, with plainclothes officers equipped with metal detectors standing at each entry point to the blast site.

Dozens of uniformed Army soldiers holding rifles were seen guarded the VIP section.

"With the completion of the ceremony, we expect that everything will be in harmony. What's more important, the ceremony could become a gateway for us, the Balinese people and Indonesian citizens, to bring back our sense of humanity and brotherhood, which have been lost from our lives," Ida Bagus Wijayakusuma, head of Badung's religious affairs office, said.

Five Hindu high priests, pedanda, presided over the ceremony. They comprised Ida Rsi Bujangga of the Waisnawa sect, Ida Pedanda Budha of the Bodha sect, and from the Siwa Siddhanta sect Ida Pedanda Gde Bhaskara, Ida Pedanda Gde Oka Timbul and the ceremony's yajamana (supreme guide) Ida Pedanda Putra Bajing.

The priests intoned prayers, holy water was sprinkled on crowds at the scene of the blast and animals were ferried out to sea to be drowned during the purification ritual near Kuta beach.

Attendants, clad in white or in white T-shirts with the bilingual slogan "Bali loves peace," watched at Kuta beach as fishing boats carrying sacrificial animals were pushed out through the surf.

The sacrifice ritual, Tawur Gentuh, was the peak of the ceremony, aimed at sending the disturbed souls into a peaceful "place."

"The bombing claimed so many lives. Their unseen forces and spirits were still hanging around the atmosphere of Bali. The ceremony will send their souls to the sea," Wijayakusuma said.

Referring to the animal presentation and slaughter of dozens of animals, which has drawn criticism from animal activists, Ida Bagus explained all sacrifice rituals were meant to "satisfy " the evil spirits that cause both small and large problems for humankind.

"The animals are symbolically presented as 'gifts' to the butha," he said, referring to evil spirits.

Indonesian police have in custody only one suspect in the bomb attack, a 40-year-old former mechanic, identified only as Amrozi, who confessed to providing the minivan used in the Sari Club bombing.

Regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, allegedly linked to al-Qaeda, is reportedly seeking to impose a pan-Islamic state in Southeast Asia, and has emerged as the prime suspect in the blast.

Bali Governor Dewa Baratha insisted the island would recover from the blasts, which crippled the tourism industry.

Added Jusuf Kalla: "After introspecting ourselves, regretting the mistakes that have been made and condemning the blatant act of terrorism, now let us think of necessary steps that we have to take for the better life of Balinese and the Indonesian people in general in the future",