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.