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.