Galungan, a victory of goodness over wickedness

Galungan, a victory of goodness over wickedness

Jagadhita, Contributor/Denpasar

The Hindus in Bali recently observed Galungan, a day of
introspection to celebrate the victory of righteousness over
wickedness. Just like the Hindu Silence Day, Galungan, which fell
on Wednesday, is an important religious holiday.

Hindu scholar, I Ketut Wiana, said that Galungan, or sometimes
referred to as Dungulan, is derived from an ancient Javanese word
that means to win or to fight.

Historians have found it difficult to trace the exact the
origin of the Galungan holiday and when the people in Indonesia,
especially outside Bali, started to celebrate the holiday. A
former director-general of Hinduism and Buddhism at the ministry
of religious affairs, I Gusti Agung Gede Putra, believes that the
Hindus outside Bali had long observed the holiday before those in
Bali. This was based on a holy manuscript called the Kidung Panji
Amalat Rasmi that was written in ancient Javanese script on a
lontar (palm leave). It is not clear, however, whether the Hindus
outside Bali also called the holiday Galungan and when they
started to celebrate it.

But another holy manuscript that was also written on a piece
of lontar, called Purana Bali Dwipa, mentioned the Hindus in Bali
observing Galungan for the first time in the fourth month of
Budha Kliwon Dungulan, in the year of 804 according to the Caka
calendar, which equates to the year 882 on the modern calendar.

"Since then the Hindus in Bali continued celebrating Galungan
cheerfully. But after three centuries, in the year of 1103
according to Caka calendar, during the rule of King Sri Ekajaya,
the celebrations were stopped. But there was no clear reason
behind this," Wiana said.

The king's successor, Sri Dhanadi did not celebrate Galungan,
either.

"During the time when Galungan was not observed, disasters
occurred continuously. The life expectancy of officials of the
kingdom was relatively short," he said.

After Dhanadi was replaced by Jayakasunu in the year of 1126
according to Caka calendar, the people started to celebrate
Galungan again.

Wiana said that the absence of the Galungan celebration was
mentioned in a holy manuscript written by Jayakanusu. He wrote
that he was surprised that his predecessors and officials in the
kingdom always had a short life.

In order to understand the reasons, Jayakanusu meditated in a
temple called Pura Dalem Puri, not far from the popular Besakih
temple in Karangasem regency, East Bali. During his meditation,
which was called Dewa Sraya, he was approached by the Goddess of
Durga, who told him that the life of his predecessors and the
officials was short because they did not observe Galungan.
Therefore, the goddess asked Jayakanusu to mark Galungan on a
certain day in accordance with the past traditions. Besides, she
also suggested that all Hindus installed penjor (bamboo poles
adorned with some colorful decoration) a day before Galungan.

The essence of the celebration was to conduct Byakala, a
ceremony that was aimed at releasing the negative influences
(Buta Kala). A day prior to Galungan, the Hindus slaughtered a
pig as an offering. But the real meaning behind this was to kill
the animal instincts in a human being.

After Jayakanusu received the divine call, the Hindus in Bali
started to celebrate Galungan again solemnly and cheerfully.

"Galungan also serves to remind people ritually and
spiritually to always enforce dharma (good deeds), to enlighten
the spirit in order to rid the mind of chaos," Wianta said.

Therefore, the essence of Galungan is the combination of a
clean soul and clean mind, as the manifestation of dharma in
oneself. The chaotic mind is the manifestation of adharma or the
darkness.

"According to Sunarigama holy manuscript, the concept of
Galungan is to celebrate the victory of dharma over adharma,"
Wiana said.

The day after Galungan is called Manis Galungan (Sweet
Galungan), when the people celebrate the beauty of the victory of
dharma. They usually express their happiness by visiting parks
and enjoying nature's beauty. The last part of the whole
celebration is called Kuningan, which falls on the 10 days after
Galungan -- on Aug. 21 this year.

The Sundarigama manuscript tells the people to conduct the
ceremony in the morning and to avoid doing it at noon. Why?
Because at noon, the gods and goddesses are believed to leave the
earth for heaven.