Karangasem, On the Wallace Line

Gusti Ketut Merdhu An Expert in ‘’Lontar ‘’

This is a figure of an old artisan of lontar (holy script) who despite being old still enjoys writing lontar. He now owns more than 25 collections of lontar that are stored in a keropak (wooden box) and Cakepan (a shield made from bamboo).

Lontar is a palm tree that usually grows in dry areas like Karangasem. In Bali, the leaves of this tree can be used as material for literary works that has an everlasting capacity. The famous lontar writer Gusti Ketut Merdhu, lives in Banjar Prasi Tengah, Pratima, Karangasem. This village is about 7 km from Candidasa or 8 km from Amlapura. Gusti has trained many now famous and talented students of lontar writing and has received many accreditations for his work.
His love for lontar writing, which is written in Balinese and Makakawin, started from when he was young. “Since a young age I have been really fond of lontar writing and interested in life philosophy and religion,” said this old grandpa who has followed in the footsteps of his ancestors in his appreciation of lontar.
Gusti Ketut Merdhu was born in 1922. In 1929 he studied in a Dutch school up until 5th grade. Although he wished to study in Lombok his parents would not permit it. After he graduated from school he began a job as a secretary for Timrah, the headman of Karangasem.
Seeing his skill as a lontar letterman, Anak Agung Gde Putu, a royal member of Puri Gde Karangasem, made Gusti a lontar letterman and the king’s secretary. He spent a long time in Puri Gde Karangasem, until finally in 1939 he returned to his own village and developed his lontar writing there. In World War II in 1942, he was taken by the Dutch Government, and was employed as a Nipon employee. As he gained such a good reputation over ten years, Puri Bagus Candidasa Hotel trusted him as lontar letterman, pinisepuh of Puri Bagus, and also as a Pemangku for the hotel. Many villages in Klungkung, Gianyar, Bangli, and Karangasem turn to him for nyurat (writing) and awig-awig (norm). According to Gusti Ketut Merdhu, writing lontar is not just any job. It must consist of a ceremony or sesaji (offering) which takes place at the family temple which is followed by self-purification and then the writing or reading of the lontar. When Gusti Ketut Merdhu writes lontar, he always wears a special Balinese costume because the literary works or holy letters have taksu (vibrations) and power. Before starting to nyurat (write), he always prays and gives thanks for guidance to Dewi Saraswati as the goddess of letters and knowledge.

Lontar making process:

1. Start with taking the sheets of old lontar leaves.
2. Mesisit (separating lontar leaves from their ribs).
3. The lontar leaves must be dried for 2 weeks.
4. After the drying process, the lontar must be boiled. Put dry corn in the water if the corn seed is destroyed, it means that the lontar is ready.
5. Put in the sun until dry.
6. Cut to the correct size.
7. The common size are 55, 50, 40, 35, 30, and 25 cm. The length size of lontar depends on the kind of literary work that is being made.
8. A small hole for rope is added to each top and middle part of the lontar leaves.
9. A pengerupak (knife for writing lontar) is blacked by candlenut charcoal, so that the writing will emerge.
10. This writing is then cleared by using sifted refined soil.
11. The finished lontar is stored inside a keropak or a cakepan.
    Almost all of the cases that belong to this active old man are filled with lontar that was written by him. The time taken to write lontar depends on the length of the story. Usually, in one day he can finish 4 sheets of lontar. It is important to be careful when writing lontar, a small mistake could lead to the wrong meaning or misinterpretation. (Ketut Darmawan)