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| one of dozens of Ogoh-ogoh on the street of Sangsit village, Buleleng, Singaraja, Bali 2018 |
Balinese Hindu People believe in Yadnya
which is the sincere sacrifices. Then, Yadnya
is divided into five major parts which now known as Panca Yadnya / Five Yadnya.
Dewa Yadnya; the yadnya offered to the Gods.
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| (courtesy of Google Image) |
Pitra Yadnya; the yadnya offered to the ancestors.
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| Ngaben or Funeral ceremony (courtesy of Google Image) |
Rsi Yadnya; the yadnya offered in the priest inauguration.
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| (courtesy of Google Image) |
Manusa Yadnya; the yadnya offered in the life cycle rituals of
human beings.
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| (courtesy of Google Image) |
Butha Yadnya; the yadnya offered for the underworld creatures.
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| (courtesy of Google Image) |
The gigantic monster dolls a.k.a Ogoh-ogoh are symbolizing the
underworld creatures which in the Yadnya
division come from Butha Yadnya part.
This Ogoh-ogoh parade is held one day
before the silent day (Nyepi day).
The fun fact is that:
1. Ogoh-ogoh
is Balinese expression that goes from 'Ogah-ogah'
then becomes 'Ogoh-ogoh' meaning
'being shaken' because in the parade, these dolls are being shaken while
they're carried on around the village.
2. Ogoh-ogoh
actually is a new tradition in Balinese Culture. It's started in 1980's. Ogoh-ogoh is meant to represent the
underworld creatures or spirit. But many make ogoh-ogoh in deities form and it's wrong in the basic concept of
the silent day belief.
3. Ogoh-ogoh
is also symbolizing the seven drunkenness characteristics that lead mankinds
into the darkness.
Physical
appearance
Wealth
Intelligence
Heredity
Youth
Alcoholic
drinks
Bravery
4. On the Silent day, the airport is close for any
departure and arrival flights, UNLESS for emergency situations. Hospitals are
open and available when people need any medical help.
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| some forms of Ogoh-ogoh (courtesy of Google Image) |
The Silent day (Hari Nyepi)
is celebrated by Balinese Hindu people in order to celebrate the new year of
Saka Calendar. Meanwhile, the people also apply their original calendar, which
is Balinese calendar.
So that, Balinese people always associate both calendars and
acknowledge that the silent day always fall on the day after the dark moon (Tilem) of the ninth month of the
Balinese calendar.
In addition, these people also believe that in this day/period, is a
good season with good hopes as the sun, earth, and moon are in a straight line
in the universe.
In the Gregorian calendar this year, 2018, the silent day falls on
17th of March, 2018.
The main aim of the silent day is that to clean and purify the
microcosm (human beings body aspects) and macrocosm (environmental / universe
aspect), in order to achieve the balance between them. As well as balancing the
two opposite binary worlds; Sekala,
the visible world and Niskala, the
invisible world, in order to welcome the coming new year and create the peace in life.
Moreover, the basic process of the silent day is:
1. Melasti / Mekiis / Melis ceremony
2. Tawur Kesanga ceremony (Mecaru) / pengerupukan ceremony
3. The silent day
4. Ngembak Geni
Melasti / Mekiis / Melis ceremony is held several days
prior the silent day in order to physically and spiritually cleanse the
microcosm aspects. The people will also carry the images, figures, weapons, or
any sacred stuffs with them from a temple to the closest ocean or water
resource. The people pray to God Baruna, the God of ocean, for the blessing in
the form of holy water / Tirta. The
people believe that in general water functions as the cleaner of any dirt. In
Balinese Hindu rituals, water is one of the main important aspects of the
offering.
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| (courtesy of Google Image) |
Tawur Kesanga ceremony is done one day before the silent day.
This functions to neutralize the negative aspects of the microcosm (human
beings body) and macrocosm (universe) to gain the harmonious and balanced life,
to welcoming the New Year of Saka calendar. Ogoh-ogoh
parade is a part of this ceremony. Those ogoh-ogoh
are carried on around a village by many people, usually boys and usually ending
in a cemetery, and burnt out there. This functions to return the Butha Kala (underworld creatures or
spirit) to their own world, so that they won't disturb human beings on the
silent day as well as in the coming year.
"In Bali, the position of mankind is one between good and evil,
or more appropriately stated, in a state of coexistence with them. Mankind's
job is not to destroy evil. Nothing in the teachings of Balinese Hinduism
requires or even mentions this. Evil is a part of the whole, and good is a part of the whole. Neither can exist
without the other. Instead, the life of any Balinese is devoted to maintaining
a balance between these opposing forces." (Fred B. Eiseman, Jr.)
How people celebrate the silent day? Bali Hindu people will do some kinds of fasting on that day. They are called as Catur Brata Penyepian, is four fasting on the silent day. In order to keep everything running well, quiet, in peace as well as providing helps if there is something emergency, such as a sick person needs to go to a hospital, there are some men who are called as Pecalang. On the silent day, they will be tasked to be like security of the village or area. They usually wear Balinese traditional attire and can go around the village in order to keep everything safe and making sure if the people are doing the four fasting on the silent day.
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| (courtesy of Google Image) |
How people celebrate the silent day? Bali Hindu people will do some kinds of fasting on that day. They are called as Catur Brata Penyepian, is four fasting on the silent day. In order to keep everything running well, quiet, in peace as well as providing helps if there is something emergency, such as a sick person needs to go to a hospital, there are some men who are called as Pecalang. On the silent day, they will be tasked to be like security of the village or area. They usually wear Balinese traditional attire and can go around the village in order to keep everything safe and making sure if the people are doing the four fasting on the silent day.
They are sworn in the temple that they are willing to do their task
well and obey the rules of the silent day. When they find people who are not
following the rules, they will get them ticket or fine. The form of the fine is
usually the mistaken people should pay some money and/or should pay the fine
with some kilogram of uncooked rice, some packs of cement, or other things
utilized to build the temples or the banjar
(a space or building where the people of a community will get together and
discuss some religious and cultural matters). And the next day, the names of
the mistaken people are announced to the community that they made mistakes on
the silent day and would pay for the fine. It is a kind of moral punishment
besides paying for the fine. This makes people do not want to break the rules,
as if they did, they would feel embarrassed afterwards because it is announced
in the community.
Catur Brata Penyepian / four
fasting of the silent day (obligatory).
Amati Geni : no fire, also meaning no motorized and
non-motorized vehicles, no cooking and no electricity.
Amati Karya : no visible work.
Amati Lelungan : no going out of the compound.
Amati Lelanguan : no entertainment, also meaning no loud
musics. Keep everything quiet.
However, this kind of fasting is exceptional for some special
conditions. For example, if in a family there is a baby and/or sick people who
need light to do their treatment.
Fasting with no eating and talking (monabrata) are optional.
On the Silent day, people can do yoga and meditation, more about
self-reflection.
Ngembak Geni day, a day after the silent day. Ngembak means to start, and geni means fire. The silent day starts at 6 a.m. on 17th of March and ends at 6 a.m. on 18th of March where people can start running their electrical devices, cooking, and other routines. Balinese Hindu people will also do greetings and making a new peaceful chapter of life with other family members and neighbors. It is known as Dharma Santi.
The silent day this year has a unique thing, It is the first time happening. Mobile internet access is restricted, however optical internet access is still working (concerning to any urgent and medical needs, such as airport, hospitals, etc.).
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| Pecalang on the silent day and pecalang warns tourist in Kuta, Bali (courtesy of Google Image) |
Ngembak Geni day, a day after the silent day. Ngembak means to start, and geni means fire. The silent day starts at 6 a.m. on 17th of March and ends at 6 a.m. on 18th of March where people can start running their electrical devices, cooking, and other routines. Balinese Hindu people will also do greetings and making a new peaceful chapter of life with other family members and neighbors. It is known as Dharma Santi.
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| Dharma Santi activity to the elders (courtesy of Google Image) |
The silent day this year has a unique thing, It is the first time happening. Mobile internet access is restricted, however optical internet access is still working (concerning to any urgent and medical needs, such as airport, hospitals, etc.).
Another note of the Bali Hindu silent day in environmental benefit, is that it decreases much air pollution especially in Bali sky and also saving more energy used for electricity and fuel, petrol, or crude oil. As an additional information, a big worldwide organization named as WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) whose headquarter in Gland, Swiss is also having an environmental program called as Earth Hour where they campaign to save the energy by turning the lights off for an hour in a particular day they choose. On the silent day of Bali Hindu people practically the people in the island do not use electricity for 24 hours or one day sharp, from 6 a.m. till 6 a.m. the next day. Hopefully there will be many more awareness to treat our old earth better, the place where we live in, the place where we are growing a good life for our offsprings in the future.
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| The night Bali sky and Milky Way on the silent day (courtesy of Wayan Suyadnya) |
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