Painting along 1 km, 500 to 1,000 local painters engaged

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Canvas along one kilometer will be spread in the area of Kebo Iwa Stadium to the area of Car Free Day, Gianyar Urban Park. The canvas will invite about 500 to 1,000 local painters to brush their colors on white canvas. It was revealed when some senior painters of Gianyar such as Ketut Budiana, Made Kedol Subrata, Tjokorda Gde Raka, Wayan Karja, I Made Supena, I Made Mertanadi and Pande Ketut Bawa gathered and discussed to enliven the anniversary of Gianyar town next April 2015.
The painting demo along 1 km would involve a number of potential painters of Gianyar and those having got their fame. All the participants were expected from junior high, high and vocational school students, alumni of the fine art vocational school, self-taught painters, painting studio and the disabled persons. The elements of the subdistrict Advisory Council & Development of Culture (Listibya) would also be involved to hunt painters in their respective region. “Participants of the junior high school are those having outstanding achievement, at least as champion in the subdistrict level,” said Committee Chairman, Nyoman Arjawa.
The paintings that would adorn the canvas would not be contested. If there would be no change, the painting demo would take place at Kebo Iwa Stadium Gianyar and surrounding areas coinciding with the Car Free Day, Sunday (Apr 12). “It is just the initial preparation, we’ll finalize it again in subsequent meetings,” said this former member of the Gianyar House.
Meanwhile, the Head of Gianyar Culture Agency, IGN Wijana, said the painting along 1 km was the idea of Gianyar regent aiming to raise the potential of Gianyar as the warehouse of the arts and empower the potential and senior painters. “This activity is not a show-off but rather aiming to provide space for painters to express their inspirations so that their works will be better known,” said Ngurah Wijana.
Similar expectation was also delivered by Made Kedol Subrata. The works to be produced later would reflect Gianyar as the town becoming the warehouse of the arts. “The works of the art come down from the heart. Thus, this event is not only a ceremonial one but actually produces the works with taksu (divine vibration) and it can be proud of,” he said. (dar)http://bali-travelnews.com

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Ngebek Widhi at Penataran Pucak Mangu

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Invoking Fertility and Increasing Crops  

As an expression of devotion and gratitude to God who has been bestowed welfare for universe, especially the fertility of plants at subak area, people organized a ceremony known as ngebek widhi at Penataran Pucak Mangu Temple, Tinggan village, Petang subdistrict, Tuesday (Feb 3). This ceremony was regularly held once a year coinciding with full moon in February. Other than attended by pilgrims from local village, it was also attended by Deputy Regent of Badung, I Made Sudiana, with Regional Secretary of Badung government, Kompyang R. Swandika and others.
According to Jero Gede Mangku Penataran Puncak Mangu, the meaning of the ngebek widhi temple anniversary was highly related to subak organization chiefly the subak abian or plantation. The ritual was intended that all plants could grow well and fecundly and give maximum yields to farmers. In addition, it was also an expression of gratitude for the grace bestowed upon all creatures..bali-travelnews.com

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Tihingan Village in Klungkung, the Center of Gamelan Craft in Bali

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Tihingan village is one of the villages in Banjarangkan subdistrict, Klungkung being renowned as the central producer of traditional gamelan musical instrument. On that account, the buyer or gamelan players from various regions in Bali, even outside the region, often come to this central producer of gamelan in Bali.
Chief of Tihingan customary village, I Made Soma Wandita, said the village was inhabited by 174 households with a population of 832 people. Of that number, about 90 percent was gamelan craftsman. The rest had profession as farmer, trader, carpenter, civil servant and police. Therefore, the majority of people chose to work at their home village rather than outside the area.
The profession of making gamelan instrument is carried out through generations. In general there are two groups of gamelan artisan, namely the group in charge of making and forming various kinds of gamelan instruments and those being competent in calibrating the gamelan tones.http://bali-travelnews.com

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The Distinctive Okokan and Tektekan Arts of Tabanan

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Tektekan and Okokan are two agrarian rooted, traditional styles of music, unique to Tabanan AKA the rice granary of Bali. Simple wood and bamboo instruments are used to create this music, which is still preserved as a living tradition and often performed for local and foreign travelers.
Okokan refers to a big cowbell made of perforated wood resembling a split drum that is struck with a palit or beater. Okotan performances include a musical instrument made of a used hoe that can generate a “teng-teng” sound when struck, as well as a kulkul or bamboo split drum used to repel birds. Played together these instruments create distinctive rhythms, known as Okatan.
The musicians who play Okonan traditional music are all farmers. Okokan born out of an agrarian tradition and preserved for generations is part of traditional peasant life -a way to kill time while waiting for the harvest season. In the past, elders made quite large Okokan instruments that were played to ward off plagues and pestilence. According to local beliefs, attacks of plague are caused by spirits that need to be driven away with a ngerebeg ritual in which this music is played.
Nevertheless, this music is also often featured in the parades of the Bali Arts Festival (BAF) and various festivals in tourist areas such as Nusa Dua, Sanur, Bedugul and others in Bali. Villages that are famous for their Okokan art include Baturiti in Kerambitan subdistrict and Mayungan, Bedugul in Baturiti subdistrict, Tabanan.

An Okokan orchestra usually consists of 30 pieces, 1 drum and 1 kajar. The number of people playing depends on the number of instruments. The Okotan songs that are played the most often sound a bit like Baleganjur gamelan music. Okokan music is also played with other Balinese gamelan instruments to make it sound more beautiful and to generate unique sounds such as those generated by the gong, drum, tawa-tawa and others.
Tektekan music was spontaneously created with the specific aim of expelling plagues and is usually played by 30- 40 farmers, who tap bamboo instruments. Etymologically, the word Tektekan is derived from the onomatopoeia of the “tek” sound emitted from striking bamboo. Because the bamboo is struck repeatedly we have the word “tektek”, coupled with the suffix “an” to denote a noun, giving us “tektekan”.
This art appeared when the villagers of Kerambitan experienced a grubug (plague). There was also one resident who was abducted and hidden by spirits (wong samar), so local people performed a nektek or ‘beating anything that could generate sound’. This nektek was meant to drive out such outbreaks in the community as well as to evoke a sense of embarrassment.
Later, people used a bamboo instrument made for this purpose, called a kulkul, which makes a “tek tek tek” sound. The nektek was carried out at nightfall and meant as an expression of gratitude to God Almighty because the plague had passed. Starting in 1965, the kulkul was incorporated into a kind of performance, which combines the tektekan played to the storyline of Calonarang, maintaining its purpose of expelling evil spirits.http://bali-travelnews.com

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Tumpek Krulut

Valentine’s Day of Balinese Gamelan Arts

Hindu community in Bali will celebrate a sacred festival known as the Tumpek Krulut on Saturday (Jan 31). This holyday is the embodiment of love for the gamelan instrument in Bali. The term Tumpek Krulut is derived from the name of wuku (seven-day week based on Balinese calendar), Krulut or lulut which means intertwinement.
Deputy Dean doubling as lecturer at the State Hindu Dharma Institute (IHDN) of Denpasar, Dr. I Made Surada, said that Tumpek Krulut was a holy day for worshiping God in his manifestation as Lord Ishvara. He was the god of the art being identical to sacred sounds, musical instrument that gave rise to a wonderful sense. “Tumpek Krulut is moment to express gratitude to him,” said Surada.
Tumpek Krulut, explained Surada, was interpreted as love because the word lulut itself meant ‘love’ and ‘compassion.’ Tumpek Krulut was celebrated every 210 days on Saniscara Kliwon. “This moment is one of the implementations of Tri Hita Karana involving yajña or sacrifice. Sacrifice is part of a sincere love,” he explained.
Balinese day of love has existed since ancient times. However, many people do not understand if it is a day of love. Typically, the art instrument consecrated belongs to traditional musical instruments such as gong, gender, angklung, flute, xylophone, holy bell, selonding and saron.
In harmony with the development of time, explained the artist of arja operetta from Keramas Gianyar, the musical instrument consecrated varied. Guitar, drums, piano, trumpet and other musical instruments were also consecrated. “This development does not affect the meaning. Precisely it enriches the nuance because both can mutually fill in and develop side by side in the form of a collaborative art,” he said.
In the celebration of the Tumpek Krulut devotees did not worship to musical instruments. But they prayed for them so that they could be useful in human life, both for the owners and the audience. “A traditional artist will invoke divine energy or vibration (taksu) on that day,” he said.
He explained that procession of Tumpek Krulut ritual was based on respective local tradition and situation. It was started with a self-purification better known as suci Laksana and resumed with the arrangement of gamelan instruments. After that, the gamelan instruments were sprinkled with holy water to eliminate impurities.
The offerings applied usually contained rice cone. A grandiose offering usually used bebangkit and should be officiated over by higher priest. Meanwhile, the regular offering consisting of peras, pengambean, ajuman and tipat gong was officiated over by temple priest. “In the celebration, the people are not allowed to play musical instrument carelessly. Moreover, the sacred ones should be played with beautiful tones that can generate langu or enjoyment.www.bali-travelnews.com

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Ngerebeg at Dalem Kahyangan Kedaton Temple

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A Symbol to Release Lust and Express Joy

Other than inhabited by population of monkeys and flying foxes, the Alas Kedaton tourist attraction also has a temple established around the 1800s. It is called the Dalem Kahyangan Kedaton Temple with a variety of uniqueness. One of them is the ngerebeg tradition always organized in the peak of the piodalan or temple anniversary falling on Anggara Kasih Medangsia.
Procession of the temple anniversary at the Dalem Kahyangan Kedaton may not last more than one day. It is a hereditary belief held by the supporting devotees. After the worship activity is ended before the sunset, the ngerebeg activity is commenced. This tradition is highly anticipated by residents, especially children.
Since the afternoon, children have been seen to prepare a means of the ngerebeg in the form of decorated tree twigs. They choose parading twigs because they are unable to bring along lelontek, bandrang, umbrellas and spear while running around the temple. After the barong sanctified effigy is taken out from long pavilion, children who join the ngerebeg tradition started cheering. Once the holy water is sprinkled, dozens of ngerebeg participants directly ran like a bullet whose trigger is pressed. After running around the temple for three times, the ngerebeg tradition comes to an end.
Chief of Kukuh customary village, I Gede Subawa, explained that ngerebeg symbolized the expression of joy because the whole series of ceremonies at the Dalem Kahyangan Kedaton had lasted perfectly. In terms of its meaning, ngerebeg stood for vivacity. Ngerebeg, said Subawa, posed a tradition having been inherited from generation to generation. “Ngerebeg also serves as symbol of lust release and expression of joy upon completion of the entire series of temple anniversary,” said Gede Subawa.
It was said the Dalem Kahyangan Kedaton surrounded by population of grey monkeys and thousands of flying fox had four entrances in the four directions of the compass. Then, worship at the temple was not allowed to use ritual means such as kewangen and incense and installation of penjor was also prohibited. Then, sweeping at the temple courtyard was not allowed to use a broom, but should use tree branches made into a broom.
Besides, the sampian festoon should be made from the leaves of gold banana. The use of red begina cake in the offering was not allowed, either. Another unique characteristic was that the innermost courtyard occurred in the lowest position. At the time of temple anniversary, all the processions including the prayers en masse should be completed before sunset.

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