In Bali’s Demon Parade, Plastic

Jakarta Globe, Nadia Bintoro, Mar 20, 2015

The artist Made Bayak wants to raise awareness about the unsustainable
 use of plastic in Bali, through his project to build an ogoh-ogoh for Nyepi
the traditional way. (JG Photos/Nadia Bintoro)

As Hindus in Bali prepare to mark the sacred day of Nyepi, or the Day of Silence,  that falls this Saturday, myriad spooky-looking monster effigies, known as ogoh-ogoh, have begun popping up in  villages across the island.

Nyepi marks the start of the New Year in the Balinese Saka calendar, and as such is the most important religious celebration for the island’s Balinese faithful. The celebrations leading up to the day begin with the purification ceremony of Melasti, which takes place three to four days before in a temple by the sea, culminating on the eve of Nyepi with the burning of the ogoh-ogoh.

A representation of evil spirits, ogoh-ogoh are larger-than-life effigies of demons, symbolizing negative elements or malevolent spirits. During the Bhuta Yajna ritual, on the night before Nyepi, the ogoh-ogoh are paraded around each village and then set alight, in a symbolic act of vanquishing all negative elements and restoring the balance between the gods, mankind and nature.

It represents a total cleansing before welcoming Nyepi, a day reserved for self-reflection, when all activities that may hinder such purpose are prohibited. As such, there is no lighting of fires, no working, no entertainment activities and no traveling during Nyepi, with Bali’s airport shut down for the day.

In the past, ogoh-ogoh were made from bamboo and paper. In recent years, though, the artisans who make them have increasingly turned to the more pliable medium of Styrofoam — a choice of convenience, but one that goes against the meaning of Nyepi as a day for getting back in balance with nature.

Local artist Made Bayak is leading a small revolution to take the ogoh-ogoh back to its environmentally conscious roots. He does this by constructing his ogoh-ogoh from plastic waste, to symbolize the true evils that have engulfed the resort island in recent years.

An artist-cum-environmental activist, Bayak hails from Banjar Sakih ward in Gianyar district, and studied at the Indonesia Institute of Arts in Denpasar.

In his third year there he began experimenting with art using plastic as his medium. He went on to exhibit the resulting works in a show titled “Plastiliticum,” an indictment of the “age of plastic” in which he says mankind has mired itself.

“I believe that after the megalithic and paleolithic, mankind is entering the new era of Plastiliticum,” Bayak says.

“If we continue consuming plastics like we do, archaeologists in the future will only dig up plastic as the remnants of our civilization.”

Bayak’s “Plastiliticum” expanded over the years and is now a project titled “Plasticology,” which the artist has been working on for the past five years.

The project has yielded numerous works of art, from paintings to statues, that employ plastic waste and other castoffs that Bayak collected himself from landfills.

To mark Nyepi this year, Bayak is challenging himself to extend the “Plasticology” theme by incorporating an important cultural celebration into his art to create an even bigger momentum in his push for greater awareness.

 “Creating this ogoh-ogoh along the youngsters in my village is my way of campaigning against the trend of making ogoh-ogoh using Styrofoam,” he says.

“It is also a way of educating the youngsters on the dangers of Styrofoam, which releases a toxic smoke when it burns. Even during the sculpting process, the fine Syrofoam grains can be very dangerous if inhaled by the artists.”

Through his ogoh-ogoh, Bayak is also declaring war on the culture of instant gratification that pervades life in Bali in the contemporary age.

“It seems everybody in Bali nowadays is so caught up with the instant lifestyle. They want everything to come quick and easy, and forget about the real essence of the making of ogoh-ogoh,” he says.

“Ogoh-ogoh is essentially a symbol of Bhutakala or the bad traits that people possess. During the Tawur Kesanga ceremony on the night before Nyepi, when people burn the ogoh-ogoh, there’s a term, ‘nyomia,’ which is about turning the traits of Bhutakala into God’s traits.

“So it’s about salvation and how to make something that’s bad good again. This is what I want to achieve with the use of plastic waste in making this ogoh-ogoh. It’s recycling through culture, as I believe Styrofoam and plastic are just another form of the evil Bhutakala.”

With the help of his four nephews and local youths, Bayak is rushing to finish his ogoh-ogoh before Nyepi. The frame is constructed out of bamboo, the body will be padded out with papier-mache using old newspapers, while plastic waste will be used for the outer embellishments and for adding color.

“The challenge was to find the right plastic rubbish to create the artistic coloring that I envision for the surface. I had to visit a lot of landfills in Bali to dig up these treasures,” Bayak says.

He says he hopes this practice of re-using plastic waste will catch on among the people who turn out to watch the ogoh-ogoh parade and the subsequent burning tonight.

Bayak also continues to hold regular exhibitions of plastic-waste art, as well as workshops for local schools and communities, where he teaches children how to make dolls and paintings using plastic waste.

 “These projects are all still self-financed, but I believe art is a useful and effective method to raise awareness of this issue, especially among the kids. It’s important to plant the seeds of reuse and recycle in these little minds,” Bayak says.

In Malang, Celebrating Nyepi With a Javanese Infusion

Jakarta Globe, Dyah Ayu Pitaloka, Apr 06, 2014

The various ceremonies that make up the Nyepi ceremony for Hindus in Malang,
 East Java, are a colorful blend of Balinese and Javanese culture. (JG Photo/
Dyah Ayu Pitaloka)

Malang. Rice cakes wrapped in palm leaves, or ketupat, is a usually a treat reserved for the Islamic holiday of Idul Fitri, but for Hindus in Malang, East Java, ketupat serves as a customary dish in celebrating Nyepi, the day of silence.

Ketupat and lepet, a similar type of rice cake, but mixed with coconut gratings and other ingredients and packed into an elongated shape rather than the boxy bulk of the ketupat, symbolizes the phallus and the womb — the two primary elements of conception.

Last week, 33 educational institutions and temples in Malang participated in a ceremony on Balekambang Beach to celebrate one of the biggest holidays in the local Hindu calendar.

The ceremony, called Jala Nidhi Puja, is held before Nyepi and it beautifully displays the diversity of Indonesia. In Sanskrit, “jala ” means sea, “nidhi ” means sanctity and “puja ” means ceremony.

(JG Photo/Dyah Ayu Pitaloka)

Dance of virgins

For years, thousands of Hindus in Malang have been meeting at Balekambang Beach in their worship dress. The women typically wear a kebaya and batik sarong with white head scarves. Others put on traditional Malang dresses.

On this particular Friday, nine teenage girls in colorful kebayas moved to the rhythm of the Javanese gamelan, dancing in a circle around a dancer in the instantly recognizable black and white Balinese sarong. The dance, called Nata Muda Karana , is considered as a sacred gesture to the gods, and may only be performed by virgins.

“Before we dance, we have to fast and follow a vegetarian diet for three days,” said Risa Sinta Dewi, one of the dancers. “We practice the dance for about three months.”

Risa goes to Tri Murti, a junior high school in Pakisaji, Malang, where the dance has been taught from generation to generation. According to Tri Murti’s dance teacher, Sri Wahyuni, the dance is usually performed in the middle of the first ceremony.

“This dance was created in 1973, combining elements of Bali with gending Java” — a type of gamelan music — “and the Vedas,” the oldest scripture of Hinduism, Sri Wahyuni says. “I am the second generation to pass it on to my students.”

(JG Photo/Dyah Ayu Pitaloka)

A different offering

Apart from the use of ketupat and the Javanese gamelan, Hindus in Malang also decorate their offerings differently from their better-known counterparts in Bali.

Every offering contains five mandatory elements: leaves, flowers, fruits, water and incense.

Suharsono, the chairman of the Indonesian Hindu Association (PDHI) in Malang, said that they customized their offerings according to the things that flourished in their hometown, but staples like yellow rice, bananas and yellow palm fronds were a common element.

Another way their offerings differ from those in Bali is that the bananas aren’t sliced thin, but rather offered up whole.

“We can’t decorate our offerings as beautifully as Balinese offerings,” Suharsono said, “but its religious function is the same.”

These offerings are served in a purification ceremony called Utuhnya . Each participating institution arranges its own offering and puts them in a palanquin, which they set loose at sea after the communal prayer.

(JG Photo/Dyah Ayu Pitaloka)

The Majapahit touch

Ismoyo Temple, which stands majestically in the center of the Ismoyo Island, has for years been witness to the Jala Nidhi Puja procession, and last Friday it did so again.

The roof of the temple, which was built in 1985, resembles a set of tapered stairs, in the style reminiscent of a typical Majapahit building. Even so, other ornaments that are carved on the temple reflect architectural and cultural influences from Bali.

“The building combines elements of Bali and Java, but the worship function is the same as in Balinese Hinduism,” Suharsono said.

Acculturation between Hindu and Javanese traditions has occurred since the time of the Majapahit, running from flourished from 1293 to around 1500 CE, when Hindu spread rapidly along with the might of the Majapahit.

Following the collapse of Majapahit kingdom in the 16th century, Hinduism spread to various places and blended with the local culture.

Dwi Cahyono, an archaeologist at the University of Malang, said there were various relics that reflected the cultural mix: layered roofs that first appeared during the Majapahit era are now commonly seen in mosques, such as the Mosque of Demak.

(JG Photo/Dyah Ayu Pitaloka)

Ogoh-ogoh

Taur Agung Kesanga , the second ceremony before Nyepi, took place at Karang Tengah in Malang’s Glangang Pakisaji subdistrict last Sunday, a day before Nyepi.

Some 1,500 villagers, 850 of them Hindus, built their own ogoh-ogoh , or papier-mache monster statues, to represent evil spirits.

It is customary to burn all ogoh-ogoh before Hindus start fasting during Nyepi, as a symbol of cleansing and starting the new year afresh.

“By burning down ogoh-ogoh, we invoke to the gods or negative elements in the universe not to bother us during Nyepi,” said Sucipto, head of Karang Tengah village.

After Taur Agung Kesanga, residents immediately went home. Nyepi started at the stroke of midnight on Sunday, and ran until Monday afternoon — again, differing from the Balinese observation of the holiday, which runs from 6 a.m. on the day of Nyepi to 6 a.m the next day.

But like their Balinese counterparts, Hindus in Malang are not allowed to engage in any worldly activities during this time and are encouraged to meditate.

The roads along Karang Tengah look darker than usual. Adults usually stay indoors all day, while teens meditate in temples. Only mosques and churches keep the lights on.

“Our Muslim neighbors also turn off the lights and do not hang out in the road, out of respect for Nyepi,” Sucipto.

The series of observations concluded on Tuesday with a ceremony to rekindle a fire and spirit called Ngembak Geni .

For this ceremony, worshipers usually head to the temples of Badut, Kidal and Singosari.

On Tuesday morning, people came from far and wide carrying trays of crops and food as a form of homage to their ancestors and a symbol of hope for abundant blessings in 1939 Saka year.

The Javanese influence is also strong here, and Ngembak Geni has adopted a lot of the traditions from the Idul Fitri celebration.

For one, those celebrating it go around to the homes of their relatives and neighbors to seek forgiveness.

“The kids will also get sangu ” — pocket money — “from relatives and neighbors, just like during Idul Fitri,” Suharsono said.

And so, for another year, the Hindus of Malang marked Nyepi in their own unique way — one rich in tradition and proud of its pluralist roots.

The Thinker: Honoring the Quiet Wisdom of Our Ancestors on Nyepi

Jakarta Globe, Ketut Suasti, March 16, 2010

With the passing of another Nyepi in Bali, we might take a moment to consider the holiday not only in its spiritual and psychological light, but also for its environmental significance.

On the day before Nyepi, or the Day of Silence, Hindus in Bali have a tradition of cleaning up both private and public places. This cleanup is twofold, addressing both the physical and spiritual realms. Physical cleaning naturally involves keeping the environment healthy, while spiritual cleansing addresses the darker elements of the human condition, casting out these elements to preserve the holiness of the Day of Silence.

The burning of o g oh- o g oh , or ogre effigies, after a cheerful parade has multiple messages for our modern lives. It symbolizes burning the bad traits of our human selves, warning us to avoid negative emotions and to control our greed, especially in terms of our income. The Balinese believe modern society has forgotten the wisdom of this old tradition, leaving many among us trapped in mental illnesses that have contributed to the rise in suicides, drug abuse and physical ailments such as hypertension and heart disease. If an unbalanced life leads us away from happiness, Nyepi is a reminder to return the balance.

To exercise control over mind and body, Nyepi imposes four rules: not to make fire (which includes not turning on lights or using electricity), not to eat or drink to excess, not to go anywhere and not to work. Following these rules is expected to spiritually affect the individual, but beneath that there are also some hidden messages for the environment.

First, by not making fire or turning on lights, energy is saved, be it in the form of electricity, LPG, kerosene or wood. If every Balinese family of means usually consumes 0.2 kilograms of LPG per day, some 2,700 kilograms of LPG will be saved on Nyepi. That number does not include the island’s hospitality industry, which consumes much more energy than ordinary families.

The lack of fire also means there is no carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as the result of burning. Air pollution in Bali, especially in Denpasar, is now at tragic levels. WWF Indonesia ranks Denpasar as the seventh most polluted urban area in Indonesia.

Bali is also freed from the noise pollution coming from the array of TVs and stereos at the many bars, cafes and karaoke establishments across the island.

By consuming less food and drink, less garbage is produced, especially the plastic packaging supplied by almost every food and drink seller. Bali produces 750 tons of plastic garbage every day, so the earth can be given a break for one day at least.

By not leaving the house, a fantastic amount of energy can be saved in the form of fuel for cars, motorbikes, airplanes and boats. There are more than 15 million vehicles in Bali — 85 percent of them motorcycles. If a motorcycle uses one liter of gasoline a day and a car uses five, then as much 24 million liters of gasoline can be saved. And this number doesn’t even include fuel used for industry.

Because offices across Bali are closed, most air-conditioners are also turned off, producing less CFCs.

If we picture Bali as a machine, then Nyepi is its annual overhaul, helping it to support the lives of its inhabitants more efficiently. The Balinese believe that if the mutual relationship between humans and the environment is properly maintained, the environment will contribute more to sustain our lives. Moreover, Balinese treat the environment as their mother and put it in the highest position of respect. They have to express their feelings of gratitude by controlling the exploitation or abuse of the environment, especially on Nyepi.

Thus, our ancestors were thinking about how to conserve the environment long before the endless rounds of worldwide conferences on saving the planet. The idea of “going green” in Bali is not merely a slogan but a long-held tradition.

The Balinese concept of Tri Hita Karana — maintaining harmony between God, human beings and the environment — is seen in many aspects of daily life, but it takes on special significance on the Day of Silence. Going green, even for just one day, contributes to a healthier planet. And it shows us that traditional beliefs contain no little wisdom in shaping our behavior to achieve a better quality of life, even if in this modern age they are sometimes forgotten.

Ketut Suasti is a Balinese writer and the manager of a recruitment agency on the island.

Hindu followers stop activities during Nyepi in Bali

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 03/16/2010 9:04 AM

Hindu followers observed the Day of Silence or locally known as Nyepi on Tuesday, stopping all activities from 6 a.m. for the next 24 hours.

Kompas.com reported that Hindu followers were prohibited from leaving home and turning on lamps at night.

Each village was guarded by security officers. Should someone need to go to hospital, he or she could leave home with the consent from local leaders.

Related Article:

Secluded

The Jakarta Post, Tue, 03/16/2010 4:53 PM

Secluded: Two pecalang (Balinese Hindus traditional guardsmen) patrol in a desolate Kuta Beach in Badung regency, Bali, due to the celebration of Hindu's New Year 1932, or also known as Nyepi (Day of Silence), which falls on Tuesday this year. Balinese Hindus celebrate Nyepi by refraining from light, work, partaking in leisurely activity and traveling outside their family compound. JP/Stanny Angga

Balinese Tiptoe Into New Year

Jakarta Globe, Ashlee Betteridge, March 14, 2010

Women returning to shore after sprinkling sea water on temple sculptures to purify them. (JG Photo/Ashlee Betteridge)

It’s 6 a.m. on a Saturday at Bali’s Sanur Beach. A handful of tourists strike poses on the sand as the sun slowly creeps up from behind the horizon. Today, however, the seaside strip isn’t just the domain of revelers and the hawkers that closely follow them.

Droves of Balinese are arriving at the beach. They are in a procession, dressed in traditional garb and accompanied by the sound of gamelan music. Women are carrying offerings on their heads, men are holding tall, curved bamboo poles called penjor and colorful tedung umbrellas used to decorate temples.

Some arrive by foot, others by motorcycle. More come, literally, by the truckload, having traveled from inland villages in the early hours. The large trucks park a few blocks away from the beach and at least 50 to 100 people start piling off each vehicle, using rickety plastic chairs for ladders. The children, elderly and gamelan gongs are passed from one helping hand to another.

The pilgrimage part of Melasti, one of the rituals held in the lead up to the Saka New Year, which is celebrated by Bali’s predominantly Hindu population. Melasti is a purification ceremony where temple instruments and holy symbols are brought to the ocean or river to be immersed in the waters.

“It’s about making sure that the sacred objects are free of impurities before the new year,” says Putu Sunari, a local resident of Sanur. “It’s about cleansing the spirit and starting anew.”

Melasti is usually held three days before Nyepi, a day of silence that falls on the Lunar New Year. However, some groups conduct the ceremony four or five days earlier in an effort to avoid overcrowding and traffic jams.

Along the vast stretch of beach at Sanur, makeshift altars are set up at close intervals and motorcycles and trucks continuously vie for parking space. The ceremonies and processions continue in shifts until late in the afternoon.

While Melasti is marked by all Balinese Hindus, customs vary in different areas of the island. In parts of eastern Bali, for example, it is not uncommon for villagers to make the long journey to the sea by foot as a show of faith, sometimes enduring a 12-hour return journey under the heat of the sun, carrying heavy temple sculptures of deities on their shoulders. Traffic police clear the way and — in something unusual for Bali — drivers seem to lay off from honking their horns despite the delays.

Even though the colorful processions might be distraction enough for drivers, there is another curious phenomenon on Bali’s street sides during this time of year — giant structures of bamboo and papier mache or cloth over the last few weeks have gradually evolved to become full-fledged, brightly-colored monsters.

Known as ogoh-ogoh , the large effigies symbolizing malevolent spirits and demons usually take about a month to complete. They range from traditional depictions of scenes from the Hindu epic Ramayana, to the more modern wild-haired demons riding surfboards, jetskis and motorcycles. In Padangbai on Friday, Dede, a Balinese man, was perched on a plastic stool under a tarpaulin on a side street. He was putting the final touches on a blue devil ogoh-ogoh riding a fierce straw-maned lion. He has been working on the project with his partners for about three weeks.

“Each year, we want to make them better and better. It’s very creative,” he says.

On the day before Nyepi, the ogoh-ogoh are noisily paraded through the main intersections of cities and villages. They are later burned, a process designed to purge the island of evil spirits.

After all the noise and commotion comes complete quiet. On Nyepi, which this year falls on Tuesday, the entire island of Bali descends into silence. Devotees follow four strict principles on this day: no working; no fires or light; no traveling; and no entertainment.

Starting at 6 a.m. on Nyepi, for 24 hours the airport is closed and the streets are left empty except for traditional security guards on patrol. Tourists are advised to remain inside their hotels, and the island becomes shrouded in darkness.

In a place where the bustling tourism industry is the main bread-winner, some hotels and resorts have tried to capitalize on the holiday by offering special packages for guests, including meals and yoga classes during the lock-in period.

But as Nyoman Suwidjana, the vice chairman of the Bali Tourism Board explains, the day quite simply has “nothing to do with tourism.”

“It is tradition,” Nyoman says. “It’s to recognize the beginning of everything. As Balinese, we take time during this holiday to reflect and think about whether we’ve been saying the right words, doing the right deeds and the right actions.

“In the beginning, we came from darkness and nothingness. Through Nyepi, we recognize this and welcome the new year in quietness. We don’t do it for tourism and we would always do [the day of silence] any way we could, whether there are tourists here or not.

“I think the international community respects our traditions and we respect theirs, and tourists that are here can enjoy the quiet with no shops open.”

Even though visitors cannot go out on the day of silence, Nyoman says that they are welcome to observe the celebrations in the lead up to Nyepi, especially the colorful ogoh-ogoh parades, which are held all over the island.

“Just ask around to find out where,” he said.

Bali Governor Sends Letters Flagging Airport Closure For Nyepi

Jakarta Globe, February 01, 2010

Balinese people carry statues during the " Melasti" purification ceremony at Padanggalak beach, in Sanur, Bali, which occurs before Nyepi. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika has sent letters to four ministers in relation to the closure of the island’s Ngurah Rai International Airport and four boat ports for the Nyepi holiday, which will fall on March 16, in order to ensure there is no confusion on the Saka New Year.

“The letter, dated December 29 was sent to the communications minister, foreign minister, home affairs minister and information technology minister,” the head of Bali’s communications and transport agency, I Made Santha, said in Denpasar on Monday.

Information about the airport and port closures had already been circulated to all airlines and sea transportation companies in Indonesia and overseas, as well as tourist offices, government and private agencies, Pastika wrote.

“All travel agencies and those marketing tour packages overseas need to spread knowledge of the meaning and significance of the Nyepi holy day for Hindus,” Made Santha said.

The Day of Silence for Nyepi will begin at 6 a.m. on March 16 and lasts for 24 hours. The Balinese Hindu ritual proscribes complete quiet and puts prohibitions on worldly distractions such as work, travel, entertainment. Tourists are advised not to leave their hotels during the day.

Antara