Gianyar, Regency

Auction in Climbing Competition

Once a year, exactly on 17 August, the Astina Park, Ubud, will fill by human overflows from the morning until dark. The morning event is the flag displayed ceremony. The entire students without any exception start from elementary, junior, until senior high school, will fill the park that usually used as football field. ice and planting jarak tree, he quit.

The flag post is stuck down at the west part of the park and student rows stands at the east side. The south side filled by official ceremony troops, while the teacher’s row, administration officer and the other invitation stands at the north side. That’s about the ordinary picture of each year Independence Day celebration.
Later on about 14.00 pm, the people who live in and around Ubud district will return and fill the Astina park to watch over the tug-of-war final round. Is it only for a tug-of-war final? The reason is this sport has a special and unique attractiveness. The participants not only rely on their sekala strength (the real muscle strength), but also collide of niskala power (the unseen magical power).
The magical strength is always related with few things that consider contains of asserted power. One of it is “pis bolong” (ancient Chinese coin), which contains an animal picture such as “pis gajah” (elephant illustrated), “pis jaran” (horse illustrated). The contestant believed the coin distributing a power of illustrated picture. Believe it or not, watch it directly at Ubud.
After the tug-of-war game, proceed with prize transferring to the winner of each event competitions. Soon after, the people change their attention to the areca tree that stuck on the center of the park. It was not an ordinary areca tree, but it is special in kind because it fills with much stuff like kitchen toll, clothes, electronic stuff, and other interesting tools. For the radio, it usually turned on so the sound will hear from down the tree.
The hanging stuff that considers harmless such as push bike, etc, will store on the desk. It hangs only the code number that can replace by the stuffs on the desk. The hanging stuff is belongs to anybody who succeeds in climbing the tree.
It is not easy to get those hanging things, because the tree already burnished by oil or other slippery liquor. Almost no body by them selves can climb the tree, so they need to cooperate. Therefore, before climbing some contestant will act as the group leader. They who interest on it will join and try to reach the hanging stuff.
This event always crowded with the audience’s shout. The contestant’s body will full of dirt by the oil splash on the tree. The slick of the tree makes the contestant spent the time up to 2 hours to get the hanging stuffs. When they reach at the top, they can only pick one of stuff, not more. It is not rare that they fell down and the stuff collapse from the hand.
When the things are totally reached by the contestant, then the game is over. For the equity, the stuff will sell in auction and the money distributed with the same amount to each group member. Then, they return home with a dirty body. (BTN/031)