'Barong' gathering strengthens spiritual bond

Ananta Wijaya, Contributor, Tabanan, Bali

Black cloud blankets the Pucak Padang Dawa hills in Baturiti village, Tabanan. Soon, heavy rains are likely to deluge these hills south of Denpasar. Bali.

The inclement weather does not deter the congregations of Hindu parading toward the main temple of Pura Luhur in the Pucak Padang Dawa hills on the morning of Oct. 31 or Buda Kliwon Pahang according to the Balinese lunar calendar.

Male visitors mostly wear white clothes and headdresses, while the women and children dress in their best ceremonial attire -- colorful traditional blouses, kebaya, teamed with beautiful kain panjang long clothes.

In the afternoon, the temple is crowded by thousands of people from nearby villages celebrating the anniversary of the temple (piodalan).

I Wayan Purnayasa, head of Baturiti's Parishada Hindu Dharma (Hindu Council), explains that this year's temple anniversary is particularly special.

"The anniversary falls precisely on Buda Kliwon Pahang which also coincidences with Pujawali Ageng. This event may only occur every 100 years," said Purnayasa.

The anniversary, held every six months in the Bali year or every 210 days, had already started in June. The peak of the ceremony, which aims to create harmony in the universe, was held on Oct. 31 and ended on Sunday, Nov. 11.

One of the highlights in the ritual was Sangkep Barong (mythical dragon-like figures) or the Barong Gathering. During the ritual, as many as 43 barong, taken from several temples around Badung, Denpasar, Tabanan and Gianyar, are taken to Pura Pucak Padang Dawa to hold a "cleansing" ceremony.

"We take our Barong to this temple because it originated here," said low-priest Mangku Abdi from Pura Paruman in Batannyuh. "This Barong was made and purified in Pura Pucak 10- years ago."

Pura Pucak Padang Dawa was considered the center for barong, primarily as the area surrounding the temple was previously filled with raw materials for creating barong. Abundant parasok woods were cut to make the torso and hairs of barong.

"I remember in the l970s when I was still a kid, I used to cut parasok wood to make a barong's hair," recalled Wayan Mandi, one of the visitors.

But it was an old story. As the route to the temple was upgraded, local authorities destroyed almost all the parasok trees to make way for the road. The need for parking areas also claimed a number of parasok.

Pura Pucak Padang Dawa was also believed a center for obtaining magical or spiritual powers or taksu.

"We believe that Sang Hyang Siwa Pasupati reigns here in the temple," maintained Mangku Abdi. Sang Hyang Siwa Pasupati is the god which gives magical powers to various objects like weapons.

For most Balinese people, barong is thought to spiritually guide them.

Rationally, people outside Bali, would likely question the "guidance" provided by a barong. Citing an example, in the l960s, villagers of Tegal Ubung cut pule wood to make a barong, but left the wood in a cemetery area for a couple of days. Suddenly, a strange disease attacked the village affecting the entire community. A message from the spiritual world demanded the people immediately move the wood from the cemetery, which was considered a "dirty area".

Barong is considered a sacred creature and therefore all materials used to make it should firstly be purified. After a cleansing ritual, the strange disease disappeared.

During the Sangkep Barong ceremony on Nov. 1, no visitors would dare stand.

As a parade of barong were taken to the temple's altar, the atmosphere was serene and mystical. The sound of lelambatan and baleganjur gamelan traditional orchestral music added a more upbeat mood.

As the barong were purified in the temple, a number of people were in a trance.

After the ceremony, lightning and heavy rains lashed the temple. "It is Ida Batara Bayu (the god of the wind) accompanied the barong from Ubud," said Nyoman Wina, a member of the committee.