Ritual to ward off evil lives on

Cleansing ritual: A number of men stand in front of a fire in the middle of the Pura Agung temple’s yard in Sidetapa village. Through the Briyang Agung ritual, they cleanse their weapons in a ritual to ward off any evil spirits. JP/Alit Kartarahardja

It was a cold and misty night at the old village of Sidetapa, 40 kilometers northwest of Singaraja, the capital of Buleleng regency in North Bali.

Hundreds of villagers, however, were enthusiastically taking part in a rare ceremony called Odalan Karya Ngerebeg temple anniversary, also referred to as the Briyang Agung ritual, observed every three years.

Donned in their best traditional costumes, the village women carried large and colorful offerings on their heads. Fathers and children helped bring other ceremonial paraphernalia walking in a long procession.

The Briyang Agung ritual, which celebrates the visit of the gods to the commemoration of the founding of their village’s major temple, is usually observed on Purnamaning Kedasa, the Full Moon in the tenth month of the Balinese Hindu calendar.

“The essence of the ritual is to pray to the Creator and welcome the gods, while at the same time fight evil spirits,” explained Nyoman Parna, a leader of Sidetapa.

Before Briyang Agung, all members of the village performed a series of mini-rituals including the Melasti purification procession to the nearest river Tukad Sidetapa. The procession involved 100 noted members of the community, with participants dancing and some going into a trance.

The Balinese believe trance dancers are mediums who can transmit god’s word during any ritual process. Going into a trance might also be a proof of gods’ presence.

The next ritual performed was Sesayutan and Wayon to greet the deities. The day after the procession, all male members of the village took part in a deer hunting or meboros kidang.

Sidetape village was once surrounded by lush forests, home to wild deer and boars. As a result of rapid population growth, the forest became a residential area.

“At present, it is very difficult to find deers in the forest,” said Wayan Artha.

Deers and pigs were used as the main offerings.

“Believe it or not, we have always found deers somewhere when the time came to perform the ritual. It must be the gods’ will,” Artha said.

The peak of the commemoration is called Briyang Agung. Families brought their sharp weapons, kris (daggers), swords, spears, lances, and others to the Pura Agung mother temple.

A number of men set fires in the middle of the temple’s yard. The villagers then carried their weapons inside the temple, to the sound of gamelan music. Numerous women also performed ritual dances to accompany the sacred weapons.

The cleansing ritual of the weapons is intended to ward off any evil spirits. For residents of Sidetapa, the ritual also honors their warrior ancestors.

Based on the folk story, Sidetapa was once home to royal warriors of the Buleleng Kingdom.

“These sacred weapons were believed to possess magical powers. Their forefathers used the weapons to fight against the Kingdom’s enemies including the Dutch colonial troops in the early 19th century,” explained historian I Gusti Putu Teken.

Parna added that in 1999, the village did not hold the ritual.

“Our village was then ‘cursed’ by many calamities,” he added.

The Briyang ceremony was a medium to renew their ties with the gods and to reinforce communal bonds with each other during the elaborate ritual preparations.

Source : The Jakarta Post