Pathfinder of Besakih Temple

Some meters under the candi bentar (split gate) of Penataran Agung Besakih occurs a temple complex named Basukian that was first established at Besakih Temple area. This temple is nestled on the right side of the road to Penataran Agung Besakih.

Basukian Temple is closely associated with the pilgrimage of Dang Hyang Markandya, a holy priest from Mount Raung in East Java, to Bali. In the palm-leaf manuscript of his pilgrimage is myth logically narrated that this priest set forth to Bali together with 300 devotees. As soon as arriving in Bali, the congregation opened agricultural activities by cutting down forest to be turned to farming land.
Due to unknown reason, most of his devotees fell sick and died. As a result, he returned to Java to implore instructions to Hyang Pasupati, his guru. Afterwards, he came back to Bali with some 800 devotees.
When he arrived in Bali for the second time, his congregation did not cultivated the land for farming in a little while, however, it was inaugurated by performing ritual along with sesaji bebali (oblations). The essence of the rite was to bury panca dhatu (five kinds of metal) such as gold, silver, iron, copper and precious stone. Having carried out such religious ceremony by venerating the Lord Vishnu in his manifestation as god of the waters (Naga Basuki), then the endeavour of land cultivation and agrarian settlement development were brought about. In fact, this effort was thoroughly flourishing. It was the beginning of the establishment of the terms agro-religious village in Bali.
At the place where to bury the panca dhatu, later was founded a means of worshipping that is called Basukian Temple up to now. The name Basukian represents the intention to beseech basuki to the Hyang Widhi (God)—the word basuki in Old Javanese means secure. Similarly, in the palm-leaf manuscript is mentioned, basuki ngaran rahayu (basuki means secure).
This matter can be interpreted that after the ritual of burying the panca dhatu, the congregation of Dang Hyang Markandya accomplished security. Premier sanctum at the Basuki Temple is seven-tiered Meru shrine as the abode to venerate Sang Hyang Naga Basuki—naga or dragon as the embodiment of Lord Vishnu as the god of the waters that brings about the fecundity of agricultural land.
Such a seven-tiered meru shrine also depicts seven planes of netherworld called Sapta Patala. Sang Hyang Naga Basuki is believed as the god of such Sapta Patala plane. The meru is flanked by Bale Pepelik (roofed pavilion having four beams as a place to put the offerings or oblations).
Premier building that is accompanied by two Bale Pepelik portrays that paying homage to God should be balanced, between the spiritual and corporeal sacrifice. The Hindus in Bali call them sekala (visible) and niskala (invisible).
The naming Basukian to this temple probably also means to memorize the origin of the congregation from East Java, namely Basuki area that close to Mount Raung. Originally, the congregation of Dang Hyang Markandya who also founded a family temple in Central Java called Merajan Wong Bali Mula maintained this temple.
At jaba tengah or middle courtyard, the holy shrine is in the form of Kamulan Rong Tiga (shrine with three chambers) as veneration of kawitan (ancestral soul) of Bali Mula men or Balinese Natives as the escort of Dang Hyang Markandya in Basukian area at the slopes of Mount Raung, East Java.
Now, Basukian Temple has been renovated and its area has been expanded so its existence is then much more elegant than ever before. Festival at this temple is carried out once in 210 days, coinciding with Rabu (Wednesday) Wuku Klawu or once six months based on wuku. A wuku consist of seven days; one-month wuku of 35 days; there are 30 wuku in total. Every wuku will come in 210 days.
Therefore, temple festival at Basukian is performed every 210 days, namely on Budha (Wednesday) Wage wuku Klawu that familiarly known as Budha Wage Wuku Klawu. In Hindu tradition in Bali, that day is as well interpreted as ‘financial day’. It means, on that day Hindu devotees venerated God in his manifestation as Bathara Sri Sedana. Goddess Sri is the shakti or consort of Lord Vishnu that also frequently known as the God of Prosperity. And, the seven planes of this world will come to be the source of prosperity if water exists.
(BTN/Kt. Wiana)

Avian Flu: Over-Reaction Could Damage Tourism Industry

MADRID - The WTO (World Tourism Organization ) is to meet with the World Health Organization to combat the looming threat of an avian flu epidemic having a serious impact on international tourism. “We must ensure that people are not deterred from travelling without good reason,” says WTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli. “Unnecessary scare mongering can cause a sharp drop in tourism that squeezes the economies, especially those of developing nations and the incomes of millions of workers in this industry.”
He urged governments with their travel advisories and the media with their coverage of avian flu to “act responsibly to prevent a repeat of the SARS scare of 2003. We know that the avian flu epidemic is very likely to happen, but not what regions it could hit or for how long. But we do know from our previous experience with SARS that its effect on tourism could be substantial.”
“The objective of our meeting with WHO is to help the tourism industry to be better informed and prepared. Our message is not to overreact or panic, but at the same time not to underestimate the problem.”
Recommending governments to follow WTO’s crisis management guidelines, Mr. Frangialli said international travel would be the first economic sector to be hit if people began to cancel holidays because of fears of visiting certain destinations. “With the media, we ask them to monitor developments on avian flu very carefully and refrain from any reporting that creates unnecessary panic,” he says. “Governments should issue travel advisories to citizens only as a last resort, and remove or modify them as soon as the situation improves.”
As one of the biggest sectors in the global economy, international tourism was worth $US 622 billion last year - spent by more than 763 million tourists - and is currently expanding at an annual rate of nearly six per cent.
But industry growth could easily be hit by the outbreak of another epidemic, as happened when SARS reduced international arrivals to North-East Asia by 9 per cent and to South-East Asia by 14 per cent in 2003. “SARS is our point of reference as to just what can happen,” says Mr. Frangialli. “And the effects on tourism then were more those of an
‘infodemic’ - too much news, often unsubstantiated and speculative – than an epidemic.”
“Among the points overlooked by the media at the time was that many of the deaths in the affected regions were the result of other, totally unrelated illnesses. This only served to magnify the perceived threat of SARS and instil more fear among travellers.
“There are still many questions to be answered with avian flu, such as whether it will ever become transmittable between humans, before we face the threat of an epidemic,” adds the Secretary-General. (BTN/WTO)