Tabanan, Rainbow over Ricefields

The Sacred ”Ngaben” Ceremony Dance from Tabanan

Teketekan is distinctive folk music from Tabanan Regency. This folk music is dominated by kulkul (bamboo or wooden split drum). At the Bali Arts Festival (BAF) 2005, Tabanan will put before the public tektekan and Baris Cerekuak, literally a white-breasted water hen dance presented by male dancers. This dance belongs to a sacred dance that specially staged in Pitra Yajna ritual (cremation ceremony). Baris Cerekuak still survives at Sakeh Hamlet, Sudimara Kaja Village, 10 km in the south of Tabanan city or 35 km from Denpasar.

Baris Cerekuak is staged one day before the procession to the graveyard or after ngeringkes (corpse bathing). They dance beside bade tower or in the courtyard of the deceased. On Wednesday 1 July 2005, this dance will be presented at Ayodya stage of Taman Budaya, Denpasar. This dance has been once put on in the BAF 1993 and 1994 but they were only presented as parade participants.
In general, Baris Cerekuak dance is different from other baris (warrior) dances in which in this dance is presented the episode of a story. Personnel of this dance consist of 8 people as dancers of Baris Cerekuak, a Telek (cerekuak shepherd), a Manuk Dewata, 4 servants of royalty and another dancer acts as the Lord Indra.
The costumes they wear comprise checkered headdress, masks in the form of wooden lips, ata feathers, checkered sarongs and black cloth. At the arena of the dance, there is a small penjor from the twig of sugar palm.
According to Jero Mangku Ketut Widia (59), prior to dancing, they perform rituals and put offerings banten daksina gede, canang and tipat. Uniquely, the content of daksina gede like coconut and egg are adjusted to the urip (value) on the day of the performance. For instance, if they make a presentation on Monday that has value of 4 means that each number of coconuts and eggs is 4. (Other values are Tuesday 3, Wednesday 7, Thursday 8, Friday 6, Saturday 9 and Sunday 5). After the performance, a penyepuhan (purificatory) ritual is performed at the village hall of Sakeh.
Mangku Widia added that Baris Cerekuak dance constitutes a heritage of his ancestors from time immemorial. But, as he remembered, the troupe was first founded in 1925. Members of the troupe were inhabitants of Sakeh hamlet and 5 households from Jelae hamlet. For one presentation, this troupe receives fee amounts to IDR 2 million. “We use this income for develop our home village,” he said while adding that at the BAF, they will perform for 2 hours.
Synopsis of the storyline that will be presented is about the King Pranawati of Metili Kingdom who carries out a ngaben (cremation) ceremony. The cerekuak is asked to look for feathers of manuk dewata and tirta kamandalu. On the passage, the water hen takes a bath in a pond. Without being aware, the garden of the pond is damaged. On seeing the action of water hen, the Lord Indra becomes angry. He comes down to earth and punishes the water hen. Manuk Dewata that befriends Cerekuak lends a hand to it. So, a struggle explodes between Manuk Dewata and Lord Indra. Manuk Dewata loses, before passing away it begs in order that its feathers is given to Cerekuak as ingredients of Ngaben ceremony. It functions to sweep the pathway that is passed through by the Atma (soul). Lord Indra permits and later, Manuk Dewata is cursed into Cendrawasih or bird of paradise. Since then, every Ngaben ceremony is always furnished with the feather of this bird. (BTN/015)