'Ogoh-Ogoh' -- from evil symbol to hot business commodity
'Ogoh-Ogoh' -- from evil symbol to hot business commodity
I Wayan Juniarta
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Nyepi, the Hindu day of silence, comes
next Tuesday, but ogoh-ogoh fever has already hit the majority of
Balinese.
Ogoh-ogoh, big dolls shaped as fierce creatures to personify
evil spirits, will be the stars in the upcoming parades along
major streets throughout Bali a day before Nyepi.
People will flock to the city streets carrying torches to
watch their favorite dolls pass by. After the parade is over,
people will burn the giant dolls.
The burning of ogoh-ogoh is a symbolic way to expel any bad
omens or negative elements in the life of the Balinese and to
purify the land before they enter Nyepi, the new year holiday
according to the Caka calendar, said Ketut Wiana, a religious
leader.
For two weeks, members of a banjar (a village community
group), teenagers and children from across the island have been
busy making their best ogoh-ogoh.
Nyoman Gde Sugiharta, a cultural expert, observes the process
of creating ogoh-ogoh as heavily packed with social and cultural
substance.
"It is a great time for all the members of each community in
Bali to closely interact with each other," Nyoman said.
Everybody, regardless of their age and social status, feels
the shared responsibility of making an ogoh-ogoh with utmost
effort.
"On workdays, we rarely meet although we live in the same
neighborhood," said Kadek, a Denpasar resident.
Some members provide cans of colorful paint, while others
bring wood and cloth. Female members are ready with delicious
homemade food and cups of hot coffee.
Children are busy and rejoice with their own ogoh-ogoh
projects.
"Because of modernization, this warm and friendly atmosphere
is beginning to disappear within the Balinese society," explained
Nyoman.
In the past, ogoh-ogoh were made in the form of Kala, a
ferocious giant with a frightening face painted in red or black
and dressed in a traditional Balinese costume. Now, it has become
contemporary pop art or a high-tech product.
Look at the one made by teenagers downtown at Jl. Imam Bonjol.
Their ogoh-ogoh are punk rockers decked out with leather jackets,
boots and colorful hair, he said.
In a nearby banjar, Steven Spielberg's Tyrannosaurus Rex
inspired the villagers to make savage dinosaurs as their banjar's
trademark.
During last year's parade, an American-style biker ogoh-ogoh
riding a wood replica of a Harley Davidson motorcycle also
appeared on Denpasar's streets.
Knowing that ogoh-ogoh is very popular among the Balinese,
businessmen have smelled money in it. The value of ogoh-ogoh has
begun to shift from the religious to more secular purposes.
A large number of companies are using ogoh-ogoh as walking
advertisements. They give money to villagers to make ogoh-ogoh
and then put their companies' name and logo on parts of the
doll's body.
Some luxury hotels organize ogoh-ogoh parades to entertain
their affluent guests.
For those who don't want to spend their time and energy to
make ogoh-ogoh, several companies are ready to take your order.
Gaseh (Gajah Sesetan) company sets the price of a doll between Rp
1 million and Rp 1.5 million.
Despite the shift of meaning, ogoh-ogoh still play a very
significant role in the life of most Balinese who are eager to
wait for the big fiesta next Monday night.