Dewa Maseraman: A merry gathering of gods

Dewa Maseraman: A merry gathering of gods

Made Jagra, Contributor, Klungkung, East Bali

Dozens of men carried seven huge bamboo coaches filled with
the figurines of seven holy gods and goddesses with a vast array
of ceremonial devices. The music of a gamelan tabuh bleganjur
orchestra echoed across the sky of the village of Timbrah,
Klungkung, 60 kilometers east of Denpasar.

The villagers were holding a special ceremony called Dewa
Maseraman on Kuningan Festival day, which fell on Jan. 24.

Hundreds of residents and visitors from outside the village
enthusiastically participated in the ceremony.

The Panti Temple was beautifully adorned with various temple
ornaments. The atmosphere was noisy and magical. The bearers of
the coaches shouted at each other and slammed the bamboo carts
playfully into each other.

According to Made Mustika, the low priest at Panti Temple,
Klungkung, some 55 kilometers east of Bali, Dewa Maseraman
ceremony is often mistaken by many people. This is a ritual of
Hindu gods believed to be residing in all the temples throughout
the island.

"This is the time when gods and deities have fun," the priest
asserted.

Maseraman means a jovial gathering or communion. The ritual
celebrates the gathering of seven gods and goddesses, namely Ida
Bhatara Putran Jaya and Ida Bhatara Manik Angkeran (or Ida
Bhatara Manik Botok) from Besakih temple, Ida Bhatara Gni Jaya
from Lempuyang temple, Ida Bhatara Kelod Kangin (or Ida Ayu
Swabawa), Ida Bhatari Dewi Danu, Ida Bhatara Manik Bining and Ida
Bhatari Manik Guman from Batur temple.

Every seven months (or 210 days according to the Balinese
lunar calendar) during the Kuningan Festival (this year fell on
Jan. 24), the deities are believed to hold a reunion.

The ritual began with a special prayer to ask for blessings.
The temple's congregations then ate a communal meal (magibung) in
the jaba (temple court yard).

They later held a procession carrying the symbols of deities
to the Sagening river, 500 meters from the temple, and purified
them by washing them with the river water. This purification
process was aimed at eliminating negative influences.

The people later carried the figurines and tried to make dance
movements symbolizing the divine gestures.

A number of children took part in the ceremony bringing spears
and banners. Little girls solemnly performed the sacred Rejang
dance. Older women chanted two specific words "suryak.. sari" in
an astonishing and melodious way. People believe that they can
only perform such a song during that event. When the ceremony is
over, these women miraculously forget how to chant that tune.

There were so many amazing things about this ritual. People
seemed so absorbed with all the processions.

The atmosphere was so peculiar. The sound of tabuh bleganjur,
traditional gamelan orchestra, filled the air. A large number of
people were in a trance-like state murmuring in tongues.

The figurines were brought back to the inner side of the
temple. People who carried these figurines were mostly in a
trance. The figurines were placed one by one in accordance to
their respective status.

"We have to be strict over the ancient rules, otherwise, the
ritual would be chaos," Mangku described.

Despite its vigorous acts and movements, no one involved in
the procession was hurt. When entering the narrow gate of the
temple, people squeeze push their way through.

Almost all people who carry the figurines were in a trance. To
bring them back to the here and now, friends must forcefully
wrest their keris, small daggers, from their chests.

Three days later, groups of girls perform the sacred Lente
dance to conclude the series of the ceremony.

This particular ceremony is actually held in a number of
villages around Bali especially in Karangasem, East Bali.

Historically, the ceremony started in Timbrah village in the
l9th century. At that time, the king of Karangasem sent 18
families from Timbrah and Bugbug villages to join a troupe from
the Klungkung kingdom.

The king of Klungkung rewarded them with a plot of land named
it after their original village of Timbrah. These people retained
their tradition of holding the Dewa Maseraman ceremony. This is
the reason why there are similar ceremonies in several villages
in Bali.

In Karangasem, the ritual is held once a year usually between
July and August. On the other hand, Klungkung holds the ritual
every 210 days.

The ceremony typically attracts a large crowd of both local
and foreign visitors. The Klungkung local government has cleverly
included the ceremony in its annual cultural agenda.

"There was an American visitor who came here for the sixth
time. He was so impressed by the dynamic yet solemn ceremony,"
said Mangku.

Another visitor from Australia said he had a "wierd
experience".

The first time he attended the ceremony, he felt so energetic
and absorbed with the magic of the festival, that he began to go
into a trance. Around seven months later, he returned here
bearing elaborate Hindu offerings and presented them during the
ceremony.