NGABEN
(Cremation Ceremony )
Ngaben is derived from the word "abu "mean ash. Cremation is only the
climax of a series of ceremonies, pengabenan, and there must always
follow a second, complementary series of ceremonies in which the
now-released soul is returned to God. A Balinese Cremation is a big and
dramatic event, and almost none of it has anything to do with a dead
body.In Bali, the body is nothing more than an impure, temporary cell,
having no significance, except as the container of the soul and its anchor
to earth. At the time of death, all thoughts are concentrated upon the
spirit and its passage to heaven. The body is just there to be disposed as
quickly as possible. Instead of grieving, the Balinese prefer cremating the
dead body in order to hasten its soul to oneness with God. In the
Hindu-Balinese cosmology, the body of man is a microcosm of the
universe. It is made up of the same five elements: air, earth, fire, water,
and space. These constitute, temporarily, a place for atman, the immortal
soul. After the body death, this soul, according to the principles of
samsara (reincarnation), will find a home in another form. It might go
through a kind of hell( neraka) spend some time in heaven, surga, or even
ascend to a state of ultimate oneness with God, moksa. But the soul of
someone who dies can not immediately leave the body. Only after the
body
's five elements have been returned to the macrocosm by burning
can the soul
completely detach itself from the body. The series of
ceremonies that are
involved with returning the five elements, panca maha
buta is called
Pengabenan or Cremation.
The Galungan
and Kuningan Day
Galungan and Kuningan Holy
Days are significant sacred days for Balinese. This sacred day that falls each
six months or 210 days on the Hindu’s calendar, this time being will fall on
Wednesday, 14 and 24 January. Hindu members celebrate Galungan as anniversary of
dharma’s victory against adharma, the
goodness victory on evilness.
On Galungan day, a merry nuance will
tinge in Bali Penjor, a bamboo pole decorated with yellowish coconut
leaf, rice and fruits, set on in front of the house and street border. Penjor
symbolizes the mountain, holiness, fertility and prosperity. Penjor is set as a
grateful sign to God who contributes life and prosperity existence
resources.
Besides its religious aspect,
Penjor is also spouts the esthetic aspect. Penjor setting on the street border
on Galungan day make Bali’s nuance.
Before, Penjor was only set at the time of Galungan nadi, which is
Galungan that falls on the full moon.
Now, Penjor is set on each Galungan day, because Galungan is a special
day.
The day before Galungan, which is Tuesday is named Penampahan or Nampah
day. Nampah means slaughtering the
animal, usually pork and small animals such as chicken and ducks. The
slaughtering activity is carried out in-groups of about 20 persons or more, or
individually at their own homes. This meat, besides being a sacrific to God, can
also be consumed at parties or enjoyed with relatives and family. People who
don’t slaughter animals, can buy meat for Galungan preparation.
On Galungan the
Balinese Hindu offers the offering at the family temple, Pura Desa ( Village
Temple ), and other great temple in Bali, the praying execution held sacredly.
The next morning is called Umanis Galungan, when Hindu members visit their
relatives or relax at tourist places. Children’s entertainment centers are
usually crowded on Umanis Galungan day, full with children wearing their new
costumes, as a part of Holy day’s cheerfulness.
Ten days after
Galungan, on Saturday Kliwon wuku Kuningan, Hindu members also celebrated
another sacred day called Kuningan day, which is the series of Galungan Day. On
Kuningan Day, the members also prays and travels to tourism spots, but not as
crowded as Galungan.
An interesting habit on Galungan or
Kuningan day, especially for village children, is watching barong dance around
the village.
This Barong dance is usually danced
a special sites on temple or stages. However, on great day like Galungan, the
dance is danced in their front of the house or small shop on the street. This
dance called Ngelawang, which is regularly performed for about 5 – 10 minutes,
from one place to another, and paid by the owner of the house, the cost is
around Rp. 5000,-.
The significant point of Ngelawang
is not the mount of payment and performance duration, but an entertainment that
symbolizes an effort to purify the village area. Year ago ngelawang was held to
purify the village territory and tranquilize villager’s feelings and spirit
after a disaster took place. Ngelawang on this connotation was held in Kuta,
Legian, after the bomb-blast 12 October 2002. If there are no significant
incident, ngelawang becomes an entertainment and the continuation of arts
tradition.
HOLY DAYS RELATED TO GALUNGAN
The following are some holy days to be celebrated before, on and
after Galungan Day on Wednesday.
Sugihan Jawa and
Bali
There are two kinds of Sugihan Holy
Day, which are for both physical and spiritual purification. Firstly, Sugihan
Pangenten (Sugihan Jawa),which will be celebrated on Thusday,8th
January 2004, is a day of purification of bhuwana agung (universe)
and sacred sites (temple, ancestral merajan temple, and houses) by
offering sesajen,usually flowers, to honor deities and ancestors.
Secondly, Sugihan Bali is celebrated on Friday,9th
January 2004, by holding a ritual and asking for tirtha penglukatan (a means of cleansing) given by a
‘pemangku’(priest)
Penyekeban
On this day, all
implements needed to celebrate Galungan Holy Day are prepared, by performing a
process to mature fruits and starting to cook variety of food and delicacies
dedicated to Galungan Holy Day.
Penyajahan
This event, inviting Hindus to master or subvert physical cravings
towards promoting vigilance, patience, holiness, and closeness to Ida Sang Hyang
Widhi (God Almighty)
Penampahan
Penampahan Galungan, which
falls on Tuesday, is a busy occasion to survive against Sang kala Tiga Amangkurat, the dark power trying to provoke the human
spirit. On this day, people are to slaughter pigs, nampah celeng, for sacrifice,
The meat is then used to make sesaji foods such as lawar chopped mead and satay.
In the evening, maprayascita and Bhuta Yadnya rites are carried out by placing the
sesaji in courtyards and houses and beside weapons
or daily-work tools. A penjor is then placed in of
houses.
Galungan
Galungan is the peak event, falling on Wednesday. It
reflects the victory of Dharma (Truth) in fight against Adharma (Evil). The prepared sesaji is dedicated to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi,
followed by common prayer in the ancestral temple, merajan or pura. The philosophical value of Galungan is to uphold Dharma with day-long prayers
and pesantian, reading or melodically citing sacred
songs, taken from the wiracarita sacred verses, Mahabharata and Ramayana. By
interpreting the sacred verses, Hindus people receive guidance towards keeping
Dharma (virtue) through the ups and downs of
economic and political crises.
Manis
Galungan
Manis galungan day people visit others, usually family
members, before 12.00 o’clock. Some people, mainly young couples, spend time and
tourist attractions.
Pemaridan
Guru
Pemaridan Guru, is a day of self-purification both
physically and spiritually, followed by nyurud or asking for yadnya in the from of Guru’s rice cone as a
gesture of gaining bestowal from Bhatara Hyang Guru
deity.
Ulihan
Ulihan day when deities go back to their
respective site in Heaven, while the following day Monday 19th
January 2004 is characterized as Pemacekan Agung, aimed to let Sang Bhuta Galungan’s spirit and entourage go back to their site
of origin.
Kuningan
Friday is the day of
Penampahan Kuningan, an occasion when Balinese again prepare
Sesaji for Kuningan Day. People believe that
during Kuningan Holy Day, often called Tumpek Kuningan, Dewa and Pitara gods again bless people, animals, and the
natural environment, with waranugraha award both physically and
spiritually.
Buda kliwon
Pahang
Wednesday
is a day of Buda
Kliwon Wuku Pahang
or Buda
Kliwon Pegat
Wakan,
the end of the Galungan celebration series. It is a day when Balinese are busy
with post galungan and Kuningan waste material, including uprooting of penjor
poles, to restore a clean and orderly environment are burnt and buried in the
sacred yard of houses or merajan