Mapag Toya Ritual, Invoke Rain to Overcome Drought
Prolonged
drought this year has made farmers in Tabanan difficult to get water.
To invoke the abundance of water, farmers in Tabanan held a mapag toya
or fetch water ritual. It is a tradition of farmers conducted to invoke
water in the East Selemadeg subdistrict taking place on Wednesday (Oct
15) at Bedugul Temple of Subak Aseman IV. The Regent of Tabanan, Ni Putu
Eka Wiryastuti, was also present at the ceremony.The ritual officiated over by Ida Begawan Sekar Taman from Jelijih, East Selemadeg, was the first held at subdistrict level. Meanwhile, for each subak had become a regular agenda and held each year before the planting season.
Secretary of the Subak Aseman IV, Made Wijana, explained that mapag toya ritual was intended for invoking holy water in relation to the rain invocation. Started with saying prayers at Aseman Temple, the procession was resumed to Bedugul Temple of Subak Aseman. Other than praying to invoke holy water, it was accompanied with the implementation of small-sized pecaruan exorcism rite. “We have faced drought for nearly eight months. Although we got the assistance in the form of corn seeds, fertilizers and pesticides from the government, due to the prolonged dry season, we suffered substantial losses,” he said.
Subak Aseman IV posed one of the six groups in the Subak Aseman spreading across the area of East Selemadeg. Of the 2,340 hectares of paddy field at Subak Aseman, Subak Aseman IV had an area of 140 hectares with 230 members. But since the drought, most farmers preferred to let their land be vacant without being cultivated.
Drought issues in Tabanan got the attention from the Regent of Tabanan, Ni Putu Eka Wiryastuti. According to her, the drought was a common problem that should be addressed. One of them was by asking for guidance to God in order it could rain immediately with the mapag toya ritual. “God is the Creator. It is only to Him we are asking for help. Do not ever stop because God will always hear the people’s prayers,” she convinced.
She hoped that such an activity could also be implemented in all other subdistricts. At the end of the event, the regent along with the farmers of Subak Aseman held joint prayers at the Bedugul Temple of Subak Aseman IV. (BTN/kmb)www.bali-travelnews.com
