'Makepung' a contest between paranormals

N Jagadhita, Contributor/Denpasar

If one is in Jembrana regency in Bali between June and December, there will be a good chance to see a unique traditional buffalo race called Makepung.

Buffalo races, held by farmers to celebrate a good harvest, have now become a tourist attraction. Despite the dwindling farmland due to development activities, the race remains popular.

The event was adapted from an old farmers game. The farmers, while hauling their rice, would race each other.

As the saying goes, "time is money" and so it was during harvest time. The farmers would load up as much rice from the paddy onto a cikar, a wooden cart pulled by two buffaloes. The faster they got to their destination, the better, because this meant that they could repeat the process more often throughout the day during the crucial harvest time.

So they would do all they could to make the carts light and efficient -- literally built for speed. Soon, they realized it was quite an enjoyable competition to see who had the fastest cart and the race was born.

Later on, the race became more popular and was then organized as a proper event called the makepung. The two buffaloes that pull the cart are called pepadu and they are usually males.

The racers now not only keep the wheels of the carts well- oiled and as light as possible, but also give the racing buffaloes extra special treatment. A few days before the race, they train with the buffaloes and provide them with eggs mixed with honey and a commercially available energy drink from local shops. They also give them the highest quality food.

Besides the physical treatment, the buffaloes also receive "blessings" from the supernatural world, according to Ida Bagus Kade Edenay, a pepadu owner who is also a pemangku (religious leader) for makepung enthusiasts club of Ijo Gading Timur.

He said that a ritual laden with magic spells is held for his buffaloes a day before the race to calm them and to make them stronger. It is also thought that a good spell will make other buffaloes fear them, so that the other one loses confidence before the race even begins. Many buffalo owners are also known to ask their local shaman to cast a powerful spell.

So, one can imagine how serious the event becomes, as it is not just a competition among buffaloes, but also one between the various magic men and women in the area to determine who has more power.

A pemangku holds a religious ceremony for the buffaloes prior to and after the big matches with many special offerings presented. It is quite similar to the treatment of heroes before they go off to war and when they return.

The night before the match, the buffaloes sleep near the racetrack. They are diligently guarded by the owners, who expressly forbid anyone to touch them or to treat them with anything but the utmost respect. The owners also protect the buffaloes against supernatural attacks by erecting "magic" fences around them.

On race day, the buffaloes are adorned with colorful, decorative horn ornaments, as well those for the neck and the tail. The cart is also elaborately adorned. The ornaments and flags glitter in the morning sun on the day of the big match.

The owners of the buffaloes do not necessarily ride their own carts anymore like the old farmers, as it is sometimes better to hire a lighter, more experienced jockey for the task.

Each match will involve two groups from different areas. The team from the western part of Jembrana -- west of Ijo Gading river -- is called Ijo Gading Barat, and their big rivals to the east is called Ijo Gading Timur.

There are a number of categories in any given match, from beginner to advanced. Each team will run buffaloes for each category. But unlike a motorcycle racing or the Olympic 100-meter dash, the buffaloes do not start at the same time. After the first pepadu reaches a certain distance, the second pepadu will be released.

The jury will raise a flag to decide who wins or loses.

In order to make the buffaloes run faster, the jockey usually shouts, and at times whips them with a rattan stick with nails in it that creates gashes and lacerations all over the buffaloes' after a race.

Even though it is bloody, the people believe that it is better to hit the animals with sharp nails rather than with a blunt stick because the wounds will heal faster. They maintain that if the buffalo is beaten black and blue, then it will be difficult for the animal to recover.

The ones that win will be given even more special treatment, usually with a victory party.

Makepung races usually take place in Delod Berawah, Mertasari, Banyubiru and Brawantangi. There are three main districts in the provincial level competition, in which the participants vie for the Regent's Cup, the Governor's Cup and the Perancak Cup.