'Ogoh-Ogoh' parades conjure up demons

'Ogoh-Ogoh' parades conjure up demons

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar

Traffic congestion in Denpasar is often the result of erratic
activities.

This includes occasions when the telephone, electricity and
sewerage agencies take it in turns to dig huge holes at precisely
the same location, or of artistic endeavors, such as when the
municipality organized the largest Ogoh-Ogoh contest on the
isalnd on Feb. 20 and 21.

During those two days, not even a seasoned traffic policeman
could navigate his way through thousands of people who flocked
all available open spaces and streets around the city's landmark,
Caturmuka, the statue of the four-headed Brahma right at one of
the main city interections.

Some 99 Ogoh-Ogoh, papier-mache giant dolls, from various
banjar (traditional neighborhood associations), Desa Adat
(traditional villages) and other traditional institutions
participated in the contest.

The contest was divided into two categories: traditional and
new creations, and offered total cash prizes of Rp 28.5 million.

The participants turned the contest into a colorful and
inspiring event filled with new artistic and surprising technical
accomplishments.

For instance, the Ogoh-Ogoh of Banjar Yangbatu Kangin, which
depicted the ogre warlord of Kumbakarna succumbing to an attack
of hordes of monkey warriors, for instance, mesmerized the
audience with its artistry presentation.

Dozens of children dressed in monkey costumes danced
animatedly around the effigy. It was also technically
accomplished: Gravity seemed to have no power upon the giant doll
that lurched sideward while smaller monkey dolls hovered around
the giant's limbs and torso.

The Ogoh-Ogoh parade is usually held on the night of
Pengerupukan, which falls one day before the Hindu's new year
day, Nyepi.

On the morning of Pengerupukan, Balinese hold the grand
sacrificial rituals of Tawur Agung Kesanga to appease the
destructive forces of nature and demonic spirits.

Later in the evening, they will parade around their respective
villages, carrying burning bamboo torches, sounding the gongs and
carrying the scary-looking Ogoh-Ogoh in a noisy ritual aimed at
scaring away the demons.

"Ogoh-Ogoh were not originally part of the Pengerupukan
parade. It is the fruit of our youths' creativity that has been
incorporated into the parade ever since the early 80s," said
Hindu scholar I Ketut Wiana.

That creativity soon transformed itself into an established
tradition and since the 1990s Ogoh-Ogoh have become a prominent
feature of the Pengerupukan parade instead of just a side show.

The Ogoh-Ogoh ares usually made by the Sekeha Teruna Teruni
(STT), the youth organization of each banjar. Members of the
banjar raise the necessary funding to make the dolls, which can
be as much as Rp 10 million.

"The activity (of making Ogoh-Ogoh) has a positive impact on
strengthening the cohesion of the youth organization, to teach
the members the values of cooperation and teamwork. It also
provides the youths with an appropriate activity to express their
artistic side and to fill their free time," Balinese scholar I
Ketut Sumarta said.

On the other hand, it has apparently also had several
negative, side effects. The tradition of creating and parading
Ogoh-Ogoh has, for years, been associated with the increase in
alcohol-related disturbances.

An increasing number of Balinese youths have treated the event
as an excuse to get drunk, usually with the help of traditional
alcoholic drinks, tuak and arak. The intoxication usually leads
the youths into various acts of delinquency, the most common of
which is inciting street brawls with rival youth associations
from neighboring banjar or villages.

"It usually begin with members of one youth association
ramming its sanan (a structure of bamboo poles used to carry the
Ogoh-Ogoh) into the sanan of its rival in an effort to topple its
Ogoh-Ogoh. Soon, punches will be exchanged in a burst of anger
that will continue days after the parade has ended," Komang
Awidya, a Balinese youth, said.

An avid arak-lover, Komang has may stories to tell about these
street brawls.

"They can be triggered for serious reasons -- a long feud from
time immemorial between two banjars -- or due to something
trivial -- a youth from a rival banjar stealing the girlfriend of
one of our youths. Most of the time the brawls are brief and not
intense, with no serious injury or hard feelings," he explained.

Incidents such as these were the main reason why Denpasar
municipality recently issued a regulation that specifically asked
all the banjar and traditional customary villages of Desa
Pekraman in Denpasar not to involve Ogoh-Ogoh in the upcoming
Pengerupukan parade on March 10.

"To provide an outlet for the Ogoh-Ogoh lovers, the
municipality organized the two-day Ogoh-Ogoh contest. Hopefully,
this year Balinese Hindus in Denpasar can celebrate Pengerupukan
and Nyepi in a peaceful atmosphere without having to worry about
their youths parading Ogoh-Ogoh and getting drunk in the
streets," municipality spokesman Erwin Suryadharma said.

Komang was not so sure.

"In fact, after the contest we have stored our Ogoh-Ogoh in a
safe place so we can take it out and parade it once again on the
Pengerupukan. This year we will be able to show off our creation
to the public not once, but twice.

"We will be back -- by popular demand," he grinned.