The Island of a Thousand Temples (16)
Determine the Shrines’Arrangement

Within the Hindu based Balinese culture, a religious nuance is reflected in almost the entire aspect of social existence. In other words, almost none of the Balinese existence aspects (Hindu) are totally secular or profanely characterized. However, it always consists of a religious nuance as the expression of equilibrium and harmonic totality of the relationship between human and God, the inter-human being, and nature – tri hita karana concept – to achieve an existence welfare within ones inner self and the outer world.

This harmonic and balanced relationship within human and God in tri hita karana, is called parhyangan (spiritual realm), between inter-human (pawongan/social environment), and between human and nature (palemahan/nature environment).
That concept is also reflected in determining the arrangement, size, and construction range – whether that of a dwelling house, business site, government office, and moreover for pelinggih (shrine), because all these activities are always accompanied by ceremonial rites. This rituality is just as pointed to oversee the harmonic interaction with spiritual realm that is expressed within the religious system, which covers the religious emotion and action/activity supported by facility and religious community.
Especially connected with the shrine, after the religious activity of ngeruwak is then continued with nyukat rite. Ngeruwak rite – as explained on previous writings – means changing the land’s status, whilst nyukat rite is functioned to determine the shrine’s arrangement. Nyukat – some also pronounce it as nyikut – means quantifying the range according to the stipulation of Hindu rites in Bali.
Site and dimension of shrine, according to the Hindu belief, has special determination in accordance with the literature guidance. For example, to determine the range between one construction to another, between penyengker (restraint wall), commonly using sikut telu (the three-measurement) from the quantification of Asta Wara. Asta Wara is the day based on wariga theory (Balinese traditional calendar) that begins with one (eka) until ten (dasa). Within the public society, commonly recognizes the seven days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday.
Asta Wara (Eight days) in wariga, which is Sri, Indra, Guru, Yama, Ludra, Brahma, Kala, Uma. To quantify the shrine’s range with penyengker, for example, takes the third aspect of Asta Wara, which is Guru. The surveyor tool in Asta Wara concept is using the size of palm of hand or sole of foot, which is influenced also by width or narrowing of the providing area.
The narrow area uses the palm of hand size that ngandang (stretched out) three times. However, for wider areas, the palm of the hand can be straight out, or can be used with the size langkat – alangkat, which is equal to one line straight disquisition of point finger and thumb. Using the three-measurements, means the disquisition is tripled. In theory, it sounds complicated. However, it is very easy in practice, because all of the surveyor’s tools exist within the human body.
For shrines, the range measurement should resign according to the Asta Dewa theory (the manuscript of shrine’s lay out). For the public building – such as occupying houses, business sites, offices and so on, – uses the Asta Bumi theory (a manuscript that determine the size/layout of the public building).
After certainty appears on the layout of rong tiga building (the three halls) Kamulan Taksu, which is as the main building of Pura Kawitan, it is standard to arrange the other shrine’s distance such as Padmasari, Taksu, Ngerurah or maybe Bale Piyasan.
After layout certainty, the next step is making the hole in each of the constructed shrines. After the hole is prepared, then find a dewasa (the good day) to execute the nasarin rite as the beginning process of physical construction. The Nasarin rite is the process of resigning the building foundation with a sacred ritual to unite the religious magical power of the universe with the holy intention of the family member who builds the shrines.
Nasarin rite is using banten (offering tool) in the form of tumpeng merah (two pieces) and siap biying (the red colored chicken) completed with another two tools, which are usually called sampian tangga and banten peras — sampian tangga is an offering made from yellowish coconut leaf that have the shape of a ladder.
Tumpeng and the red chicken, are as the base symbol of the earth from the lava of flame shaped, which is symbolizes the heat expression of the earth in balance or expressive positivity for existence within the earth, whilst the red chicken is the expression symbol of guna rajah as the manifestation Dewa Brahma (the creator).
The construction purpose of Merajan Kamulan is to lead the member in developing their initiative continuously to create something that is desirable to construct within this life. The function of Merajan is to guide the member in efforts to ascend towards a better spiritual existence, and creating a true blissfulness.
The Banten nasarin with sampian tangga symbolize that a better life can only be reached through a leveled ascending process, not ambitiously. Meanwhile, banten peras is the complement offering that functioned as the symbol to plead for success. In Lontar Yadnya Prakerti (intra-script) it says, “peras ngarania prasida Tri Guna Sakti” (peras means success by strengthening the Tri Guna/three elements that compose human’s characteristics: namely, guna sattwam, guna rajas, guna tamas). The power of Guna sattwam (the good deed) is balance with guna rajas (the characteristic composing the zest), so the condition of tri guna brings the success, that’s always expected by people within this world through their life’s struggle. (Ketut Wiana and Berata Ashrama, editor)