Klungkung, Ancient Kingdoms

Ida Ayu Kenderan
Oblation Maker Who Collects Plants for “Oblation” Ingredients

Ritual materials used by the Balinese are called banten or upakara. To make banten is requires special skill. The skill of Ida Ayu Kenderan from Pagutan Hamlet, Banjarangkan Klungkung in making oblation of Panca Yajna (five kinds of ritual sacrifice) is well recognized by her surrounding community. Together with four other offering makers, she fulfils the requests of the Balinese who require offerings. It is completed at home or at the house of one who performs yajna rituals.
Kenderan, was born on 5 July 1946 and has always been deeply involved in the task as an offering maker since her childhood. She has attended the Offering Maker crash program that was held by the Hindu Dharma Council of Indonesia (PHDI) of Bali Province in 1999. As offering maker, she needs various kinds of plants of offering ingredients. Therefore, she plants some of them in her courtyard such as red cordyline, scented screw-pine, thorny screw-pine, betel, three-in-one spice, taro, sweet potato, tulak, sekapa (Dioscorea hirsuta), dapdap (Erythrina subumbrans), kelor (Moringa oleifera), jangu (Acorus calamus), cemeng, intaran (Azadirachta indica) and kayu sugih. Many sorts of curcumas also become her collection, like temu tis (Curcuma purpurascens), temu agung and temu ireng (Curcuma aeruginosa). Likewise, from the banana family is also available like temaga, gancan, ikik and sasih banana.
Meanwhile, flower classes comprises of water lily, white menori, yellow caesalpinia and hibiscus. Kinds of fruit consist of golden hybrid coconut, areca palm and so forth. Grass that is commonly used is Padang lepas (literally released grass). This grass can be obtained at rice fields; having been sun-dried it is then stored, to be used at a later stage.
According to Kenderan, each plant for offering ingredients has its own function. For instance, screw-pine leaf is used for Manushya Yadnya rites, Biya Kaon offering contains Peras Pandan. Screw-pine leaf is also used to request holy water to the priest that is intended for self-purificatory rites (melukat). This leaf is placed onto a conical bamboo rice steamer. The tip of this screw-pine leaf is also used to make kulit peras and corpse pad before being bathed.
There is also dadap leaf that is pounded and mixed with rice and turmeric. It is used for penyeneng or tepung tawar. Extracted dadap leaf and water are used to cleanse corpse’s hair on ngeringkes or wrapping prior to funeral ceremony. The corpse is bathed by means of scented water and blonyoh (mixture of rice and turmeric flour with water). Each organ of senses is closed with several stuffs, the eyes are closed with frying pan breaks, nose by jasmine, ears by beeswax, genital organ by water lily. Meanwhile, its eyebrow is closed with intaran leaf. Among the fingers is placed roll of betel leaf that is inserted into the perforated coin. In addition, the corpse is also dressed up in simple Balinese traditional costume (a shroud). Ultimately, oblation is offered just like offerings of otonan before leaving home for the burial ground. (BTN/033)