‘‘Lontar’’ Writing and “Nyastra” Tradition in Bali

“Reading and singing wirama written in the Balinese alphabet on palmyra leaves seem to be very firmly grounded and bring spiritual calmness,” said I Ketut Sika and I Nyoman Rukeg, members of Sekaa Pesantian (Chorus Group) of Banjar Tangkeban, Desa Batuyang, Gianyar Regency. The chorus groups which sing literary (sastra) verse, known as nyastra, have rapidly flourished on this island during the last five years. .

ince Bali TV started broadcasting with the motto “Sun from Bali” (“Matahari dari Bali”), this kind of choral singing has become more popular with the airing of “Gita Shanti” which shows groups from various sites in Bali. The public enjoys this program because of its concept of ‘’Melajah Sambilang Magending” (Learning combined with Singing), conducted with a Balinese musical melody (geguntangan), resembling an “Arja” theatrical performance.
The contents of literature do not only go to air in songs, but are also studied for their relevance to moral values and daily life. In addition to the TV program, there is “Interactive Kidung”, whereby the TV public can hear Balinese songs with greater attractiveness than of the TV program.
Another element of the program of great value has been the additional competitive content such as guessing the kind of songs presented in its captions, or the books containing the songs. Winners get prizes. Radio broadcasts throughout Bali transmit similar programs from the morning hours until late night. Consequently, the Balinese atmosphere is full of magical sounds coming from literature lovers bringing peaceful thoughts and satisfied listeners during the airing of ‘Gita Shanti’.
The Balinese have managed to preserve the ancestral custom of nyastra and the Balinese alphabet written on lontar leaf, amid the growth of a highly sophisticated technology. It has been a specific advantage and source of pride for those Balinese who can concentrate on literature and read and write ‘lontar’ containing various spiritual teachings. Members of Sekaa Pesantian (Chorus Groups) have accrued more self-confidence when airing various spiritual songs (wirama) during ceremonies both in temples and at the homes of people arranging rituals.

Writing on ’‘lontar’’ Leafs
The writing of various stories such as Ramayana, Mahabharata, Tantri Kamandaka, Chronicle (Babad), inscriptions and various teachings on ethics in the Balinese alphabet has started to flourish. The development in this area has not been as intense as that made in book printing on paper but the writing of scripts on lontar leaves has become a measure of how Bali still loves its ancestral cultural heritage and preserves it well. Karangasem Regency has many centers of lontar script copying, such as those of Tenganan, Sidemen, and Budakeling villages.
Other centers are located in Denpasar, while the regencies of Badung, Gianyar, and Klungkung are still starting out and limit works to those for personal needs or to specific orders. This is because this delicate work takes a long time to finish, according to Drs. I Wayan Sukayasa, a Balinese literature scholar now teaching at the Institute of Hindu Dharma in Denpasar.
The tradition of lontar writing has been preserved because Balinese communities in the Desa Adat traditional village have to have a written Awig-Awig regulation to preserve peace and order in the village. The law is promoted and inaugurated in a Pasupati Awig-Awig religious ritual, attended by all members of the Desa Adat and local officials, from regent to village chiefs and public figures.
The Awi-Awig village law appears during the ceremony placed on a jempana bearing, beautifully decorated, during a mass parade conducted by the beleganjur musical troupe. In this way, the village law is brought to public eyes. The Balinese tend to be more submissive to this rural regulation in comparison to the law applied by the higher authority of the

Republic. This is because the role of Awig-Awig in punishing villagers is not only physical and material, termed in Balinese as sekala punishment, but also magical or niskala, in the form of ritual and spiritual suffering as dictated by the law of Karma Phala.
In line with the development of tourism in Bali, there has lately been a new zest for writing a variety of stories complete with pictures of their characters painted on lontar leaves in form of souvenirs for tourists. One can find lontar scripts showing tales of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Tantri Kamandaka on sale in art markets, art shops and at tourist attractions.
Lontar scripts can be kept for two centuries on condition that they are treated and stored well. Old scripts are copied so that knowledge is not lost and can be passed down to further generations.
It would be great if you purchase a souvenir in the form of lontar or a CD or cassette of a pesantian group as a souvenir of your visit to this Island of Thousand Temples. (Ketut Sumadi)

Tangkeban ‘‘Pesantian’’ Group to Keep Bali Peaceful

Sekaa Pesantian team of Banjar Tangkeban (Desa Adat Batuyang, Batubulan Kangin, Gianyar Regency) is one among many Pesantian Groups never ceasing of performing the unpaid activity of ngayah both in individual home and commonly owned temple engaged in religious rites. Senior team members of five men alternately cite songs (ngewacen) and translate (negesin) phrases of the holy books of Ramamayana, Mahabharata, Sarasamuccaya, or Tantri Kamandaka, written in Sanskrit, during one up to three hours.
Balinese call such an activity as mamutru, which sometimes completed by profound discussion on values contained in the books’ texts, which have to be practiced in daily life. They even often voice social criticism for the sake realizing responding practices in daily life concordant to holy book’s teachings. The team of five more over have to develop, direct and train junior members of the ‘pesantian’ group consisted of housewives. The juniors are to sing kidung-kidung warga sari verses to accompany pemangku lower-ranked priest in offering sesajen.
“We are not only voicing verses of holy book text but also using the ‘pesantian’ as means of clarification to community, especially on question of religiousness, ethics, or daily moral guidance, said Nyoman Surasman, the youngest among the group members. The ‘pesantian’ activity depicts a spiritual ascend by community and a model of its indirect building. By this way, “we are gaining spiritual advantage, while similar gain also goes to wider social circle by the verse reading and by listening nice melody coming out of the spiritual songs we are singing,” said Sika, proved as to be truthful by Nyoman Rukeg dan Tjokorda Istri.
Such a fact in relation to members aged averagely between 30 – 45 years, has reasonably shown that they are entitled to become what Balinese called “dharma duta”, social devotees enthusiastic in guarding perseverance of Balinese culture. Those being core members of the ‘pesantian’ group are active in life profession of carver or statue maker. In present day economic sluggish move and tourism business crisis, they have admitted of encountering blockage in marketing their works.
Nevertheless, they remained enthusiastic in citing spiritual songs (mewirama) having effect of easing themselves to maintain happiness during encounters with other community members. “Our life has certainly had dual aspects of enlightenment and darkness, righteousness and viseness, provoking us to decide how we should pose ourselves properly toward the reality in order to start living peacefully,” said Surasman, who is fathering a son, flanked by Rukeg, who has four sons.
The Sekaa Pesantian of Banjar Tangkeban has often met with their colleagues from other ‘banjars’ of Desa Batuyang in ngayah voluntary performance in ‘Pura Kahyangan Tiga’ temple, even during ngayah in larger temple of Pura Kahyangan Jagat, such as that of Besakih, Uluwatu and Batur. This ‘pesantian’ group of Batuyang has ever shown themselves on Bali TV screen,” Surasman disclosed. He acknowledged TV media should attentively open its door to Balinese arts and culture because of the media strategic position in driving spirit and enhancing self-confidence of ‘pesantian’ groups.
Members associated with this ‘pesantian’ group have also performed ngayah works in other villages or temples in person upon invitation sent by colleagues because of friendly relationship as pesantian groups’ members toward strengthening the ties, according to Gung Aji Mangku Rai, a respected pesantian member in Batuyang Village.
It seems that people associated in ‘pesantian’ groups have persistently developed solidarity in promoting friendly relations by common performance of ngayah as shown by their action of uttering spiritual songs to preserve peace in Bali.
Ketut Sumadi
Lecture at “STAH Negeri Denpasar” (Denpasar College of Hindu Studies) He is chairperson of the “Sari Kahyangan Indonesia” Foundation.

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