Ceremony offers new hope for Balinese people, businesses

Rita A. Widiadana, And I Wayan Juniartha, Kuta, Bali

The Oct. 12 Bali bombing has had a massive impact on the lives of most Balinese people, but Friday's cleansing ceremony have given new hope to them,

I Dewa Made Oka Wijaya, a resident of Kuta, followed the ceremony attentively at Kuta beach on Friday morning along with thousands of other Hindu believers.

"We really hope that this ceremony will open a new chapter in our lives," said Dewa, a member of the organizing committee. He was tasked specially with preparing the animals to be scarified during the ceremony.

Dewa, who also owns a small art shop on Jl. Legian, Kuta, said the bombing had affected his business badly, and he hoped that the ceremony would revive business in Bali as a whole.

Ni Wayan Suciati, a food vendor on Kuta beach, also hoped that more visitors would soon visit Kuta again after the ceremony.

"The beach is deserted, only two or three people coming here every day. Nobody buys my cookies or my nasi campur (rice mixed with spicy chicken and vegetables)," she said after praying.

While waiting for tourists, Suciati works to clean up the beach. "I sweep the sand and the garbage away so that the beach is nicer and cleaner," she said.

The chairman of the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI), I Gde Wiratha, was optimistic that the ceremony would bring about a brighter future for Bali's tourism industry.

"As a Balinese and Hindu, I truly believe in the existence of the supernatural world. These ceremonies have restored the balance between our world and the spirit world, and given peace to those who were killed in the bombings. All the bad things caused by the bombings will disappear," he said.

Wiratha is the owner of Paddy's, which was destroyed by one of the bombs. He also operates four hotels in the Kuta area, including the Bounty and Villa Rumah Manis.

Indications of a brighter future, Wiratha added, had already emerged. Some hotels, including his, had already secured bookings for the New Year holidays of up to 70 percent of their rooms.

"It's definitely not as good as last year. But it's certainly much better than what most people had predicted. I believe that other establishments in Kuta are also experiencing a similar surge in room reservations," he said confidently.

I Putu Agus Antara, the chairman of the Bali Tourist Board (BTB), on the other hand said that the bombing of Kuta had taught the Balinese people and their compatriots around Indonesia a valuable lesson.

"This is a blessing in disguise. The bombing of Kuta has united the entire people of Bali, and Indonesia as well. More importantly, people are now aware of the importance of tourism and security in Indonesia," he said.

Bali's tourist industry used to generate around Rp 70 trillion (US$7.7 billion) a year for the national economy.

"After having conducted the ceremony, let's work hand in hand to restore our tourist industry and other sectors in order to lift our country out of the ongoing multi-dimensional crisis," said Putu, the owner of Bali's largest garment factory, Mama Leon, and a director of the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park.

He further said Bali needed a quick and integrated response. Security, he said, was the first priority.

"We have to convince our business partners, especially overseas, that we are serious about security," he said.

A public relations campaign was badly needed to improve the shattered image of Bali and Indonesia in general, he added.

Bali Governor Dewa Baratha insisted the island would recover from the blasts. "The world feels Bali's tears and will pray for Bali," he said.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla added, "This tragedy is indeed a major catastrophe, but we don't want to keep crying ... Bali should be the temple that radiates light." Friday's Hindu ceremonies, to coincide with the full moon, end Bali's mourning period.

The island of three million people was united in holding the rituals, called Pamarisudha Karipubhaya or "the ceremony cleansing the danger of outside enemies". Hundreds of villages sent holy water to be poured on the bomb site.