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Tumpek
Landep and Çiwaratri Celebrations
At
the start of the New Year, 1 January 2005,
Balinese commence their religious leap of
life by performing Tumpek Landep rituals
that falls on Saturday, 8 January and Çiwaratri
on Sunday, 9 January. Fortunately, for you
who are spending a vacation in Bali can
see two festivals that are very special
for them. Assuredly, you will progressively
enjoy your holiday more in Bali since both
festivals are believed to be able to improve
human awareness in order to always think,
speak and behave in accordance with accepted
norms towards peaceful and prosperous life.
Therefore, how happy it would be for you
when you could spend time in the midst of
Balinese people who are celebrating Tumpek
Landep and Çiwaratri.
Do not be surprised if on that Saturday
you see cars, motorbike and all appliances
made of metal, steel, gold or silver cleansed
and given offerings. The pande or blacksmith
clan (one whose profession is to make any
goods of iron, silver and gold), sculptor
and printing businessman, apart from making
offerings they also hold lawar (typical
Balinese cuisine) party, then followed by
prayer services en masse. Or on the contrary,
they put offerings and pay homage in advance
of holding a party. While, on Sunday the
Balinese worship and stay up all the night
long to celebrate Çiwaratri. A night
having plenty of Sang Hyang Siwa’s
blessings opens the conscience of every
single human to always think, speak and
behave well.
Tumpek Landep festival is based on belief
that all appliances are utilized by humans
to cultivate the content of nature, chiefly
those that contain the elements of iron,
steel, gold or silver should remain to be
retained for its purity, so they could be
used well and conveniently without destroying
the nature. In the midst of development
of science and technology, the Balinese
in present times have many kinds of agricultural
tools and home appliances that are made
of iron including cars, motorbikes, bicycles,
television sets, radios, computes, machines
and so forth. All tools and machines are
maintained and retained for their purity
in order not to raise problems for human
life and the universe.
Tumpek Landep festival, a special day for
holding ceremony for various appliances,
comes every 210 days falling on Sabtu (Saturday)
Kliwon Landep (the second of 30 wuku cycle).
This festival is celebrated to request security
to Sang Hyang Pasupati, manifestation of
Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (Supreme God) as the
lord who creates and owns tools that are
made of iron, silver, gold and so forth.
Predecessors of the Balinese culture reminds
us that the meaning of Tumpek Landep festival
performances is to brush up and improve
mind sharpness and request physical and
spiritual fitness in order that we are safe
in crossing the spreading ocean of life.
Technically, the carrying out of the Tumpek
Landep festival is described in the palm-leaf
manuscript Sundarigama. Offerings venerated
on Tumpek Landep consist of white and yellow
rice cones completed with side dishes like
satay, red shrimp paste, leaf and fruits
number 29 packages putting onto ancestral
shrine (merajan). Oblation offered to Sang
Hyang Pasupati is in the shape of one Sesayut
Pasupati, Sesayut Jayeng Perang, Sesayut
Kusumayudha, Banten Suci, Daksina, Peras,
Ajuman, Canang Wangi, Reresik or Pabersihan.
Large or small sizes of the offerings depends
on one’s affordability.
Çiwaratri Ritual
Çiwaratri Celebrations in Bali seems
to be becoming progressively exuberant over
the last twenty years as students and pupils
celebrated it at campuses, schools and Jagatnatha
Temple Denpasar. Formerly, Çiwaratri
celebrations was just limited to the circles
of Brahmanic high priests, holy priest and
religious literati. They performed Saraswati
ritual at griya (Brahmanic high priest)
or temples.
Sunday, 9 January 2005 coincides with one
day before black moon in the seventh month;
Hindu devotees in Bali celebrate Çiwaratri
along with all procession of rituals, brata
upawasa (not eating and drinking) and jagra
(stay all the night). The story on Lubdhaka
in the old Javanese poetry Çiwaratri
Kalpa by the Sage Tanakung is like that
has been mentioned above, is discussed and
analyzed in terms of various aspects all
over the night. The story of Lubdhaka contains
teachings on the spiritual climbing process
for Hindu devotees to bring themselves closer
to the Supreme Being. Sage Tanakung would
seemingly like us to pay more attention
to Çiwaratri asceticism since this
asceticism constitutes a ladder of sensual
passion restrain to achieve endless peace
or sukha tan pawali dukha in Balinese language.
So, it was described the Lubdhaka, a poor
hunter who could inhale peaceful air of
Siwaloka after he performed Çiwaratri
asceticism accidentally in the midst of
forest.
For the Balinese and also all human on earth,
including you who are on vacation in Bali,
in entering the year 2005, Çiwaratri
becomes the first leap leading to human
self-awareness on whence all beings originate
from, whence all beings develop and where
they will go to at the end of their life.
As the most superior being, humans can do
good deeds and avoid bad deeds. If we are
filled up with sensual passion, his action
will result in sin, misery and repeated
birth. However, if there is desire in our
inner self to bring us closer to the Supreme
Being, it signifies he has shined in our
mind and heart.
Wishing you all a happy New Year, 1 January
2005 and hopefully you will enjoy your holiday
in Bali due to vibration of Tumpek Landep
and Çiwaratri holy days.
Ketut Sumadi
Contributor of Bali Travel News
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