Gianyar, Regency

Çiwaratri In Gianyar

Siwa is a name of one  three Dewas in Tri Murti concept. Two other dewas are Brahma and Wisnu. Ratri meaning night. This night is the best night to do meditation. Every Balinese must use this opportunity to observe their past lives.  Balinese believe that one
who can past this night without sleeping, Dewa Siwa will forgives their past sins. This day is called Çiwaratri day. On the day Balinese prepare themselves by first cleansing and praying at Dalem temple (temple to homage Dewa Siwa). After praying then staying up all night fasting and praying, or  reading  sacred verses.
The story of  Çiwaratri begin with a hunter name Lubdaka hunting in the forest climbed   a tree to take shelter for the night near lake. Afraid to fall in his sleep, he starts picking off the leaves one at a time, to keep himself awake. Unaware, the leaves falling on the sitting place of Dewa Siwa who is doing  an all night meditation. At dawn, feeling refreshed, he hurries back home to his family. Lubdaka passes away a few years later. Yamadipati (heaven gate keeper) is tormenting his soul because he liked to kill animals. Dewa Siwa hears about him and want to forgive him because he stood vigil that night
by his side, which no one else had ever done before.
Although Yamadipati does not yield easily. Dewa Siwa still succeeds in releasing Lubdaka’s soul from turmoil. Based on that story, nowadays most Balinese
people use this Çiwaratri day to do all night meditation. They will count how much bad things they have done and how many good thing they did in the last 210 days. For the bad ones, they will ask forgiveness from Dewa Siwa and ask Him to guide them  for
the next 210 days, in other they can always do the good thing.
In Gianyar regency, on this day not only is Dalem temple full of prayers by those who want to do meditation but most of bigger temples in Bali are always crowded with people praying. The temples visited on this day are, Pura Mengening and Tirta Empul at Tampak Siring village. Pura Samuan Tiga and Pura Panataran Sasih at Pejeng, Pura Masceti at Kramas village, Pura Gunung Lebah at Ubud, Pura Pucak Payogan at Payogan village, Pura Raung at Taro village
and many others.
According Wayan Candra, the Bendesa Adat of Desa Adat Saraseda, Tampak Siring, these two temples are full of prayers  not only on Banyupinaruh day but also on Siwa
Ratri Night. Mangku Made Nyana, the Pemangku of Pura Pucak Payogan, said that on every Çiwaratri he is always busy serving the people who want to pray. According to him on this day a group of students from a university in Denpasar will come to pray together.
Luhnik Wulandari is a student in  SD No. 4 Mas is who is always active on Çiwaratri day said. “On the last Çiwaratri day I was successful. I have no sins anymore. On this Çiwaratri day I will do it again, I want to be free from sin” said Luhnik with her sweet smile. Her twin sister, Luhde Wulansari also a student of the school said, “I am still too young to do that, I just watch TV on that night”. Putu Krishna a student from SMP 2 Ubud said that most of her classmates never abstain from Çiwaratri day activity. (BTN/Suambara)