'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.