Gianyar, Regency

I Wayan Kamasan Writing “Lontar”

I Wayan Kamasan (72) of Batubulan is used to writing lontar ancient manuscripts. Mr. Kamasan has been accustomed to write or translate holy songs from Indonesian into Balinese, using the Balinese alphabet. “I am not able to make poems into lontar, I can just copy texts into lontar as an amateur,” he told Bali Travel News at his home in Banjar Buitan. He has been the head of the Banjar since 1972 and also plays the gamelan.

The craftsmanship in writing or translating lontar became part of his everyday activities when he became head of the gong ensemble, chief guard of rice harvest and chief of harvesters in the rice field. These duties have also led to him being busy with secretarial work.
Kamasan, who won a lontar competition arranged by The Museum of Bali in 2001, started by writing lontar on separate leafs, but then began putting collections of lontar leafs into bonds. Consequently, he has to buy blank lontar leafs in bulk from the Balinese Hindu priest’s house known as ‘Griya Pendem of Karangasem’.
He has written a variety of lontars containing awig-awig desa adat traditional law and prasasti manuscript, including lontars of Adi Parwa, Udyaga Parwa, Bhisma Parwa, Wirata Parwa, Asrama Wasa Parwa, Moksala, Prastamika, and Swarga Rohana Parwa. Kamasan, winner of the Wijaya Kusuma Prize of Gianyar, has also written ‘kekawin’ of ‘Arjuna Wiwaha, Bharatayuda and Sutasoma.
According to Mr. Kamasan, it usually takes up to one or two hours each day to complete each lontar, although that depends on his physical condition, he added that he does not have a set fee, it is entirely up to the customer. (sana)