|
Reviving Bali Tourism
Nd Productions
to Stage a Spectacular Show
 The
bomb blasts in Jimbaran-Kuta does not only
make the tourism component of Bali ‘dazed’,
the artists of Bali feel anxious as well.
They are aware that sluggish condition of
Bali tourism inflicts negative impact to
other sectors like economy, agriculture,
marketing of handicraft product and labour
force.
Within the anxiety of the artists, they
in fact still have enthusiasm to take part
in the recovery of Bali tourism. Nd Production,
an event organizer in Ubud will hold a spectacular
show at Saraswati Stage of Water Palace
(behind the Café Lotus) Ubud on 28
December and Friday, 30 December 2005.
The show will commence at 19:30 entitled
“Trans Culture”, a special event
where old forms meet the new featuring contemporary
works. Ticket price is at IDR 125,000 that
can be right purchased at Nd Productions
Junjungan—Ubud. Information Centre—Ubud,
Ubud Tourist Information or Satri’s
Restaurant—Ubud.
This show involves over 50 musical, dance
and vocal artists. Amongst them are I Nyoman
Sura (choreographer), I Made Subandi (composer),
Gst Sudarta (vocalist), Kadek Dewi Aryani
(singer and choreographer) and supported
by dancers and gamelan players of Nritta
Dewi Arts Studio. “This presentation
is expected to revive tourism that is progressively
sluggish,” says Dewi Aryani, Manager
of Nd Productions to Bali Travel News.
Works or compositions performed are: (1)
Nyeraki (creation of gamelan composition)
composed by I Made Subandi, (2) Dhara Dewi
(welcoming dance) by Kadek Dewi Aryani,
(3) Truna Gandrung (Trunajaya dance in different
style) by the late Gde Manik, (4) Mood and
Motion (solo contemporary music) by Agus
Teja, (5) Sita (contemporary dance) by Kadek
Dewi Aryani, (6) Searching for the World
(contemporary dance) by I Nyoman Sura and
(7) Ceraken (contemporary music) by collaboration
of Subandi, Gst Sudarta, Aryawan and Agus
Teja. This spectacular show is sponsored
by Pita Maha A Campuhan Spa, Ubud; Casa
luna Restaurant and Cooking School, Ubud;
Ibu Rai Restaurant, Gallery and Cargo, Ubud;
ND Interiors, Pujung Tegalalalng and Beringin
Art Shop, Tegalalang. (BTN/015)
Mothers
Groups in Bali
The
existence of mothers groups in Bali is supremely
exceptional. They are not only predestined
to give birth to the offsprings but also
to bear considerable tasks and responsibilities
for the custom or tradition that inspired
by Hinduism. Apart from extending full of
love in looking after children from babyhood,
including breast feeding, they are also
assigned to care for the home, make oblations
for the rites and even help her husband
to earn living or become a career woman.
Since they are too busy, there is an image
that woman from outside Bali worries to
get married to Balinese men because as if
all work were born to mothers.
Impact of globalisation now passes on distinctive
colour in daily life style. In cooking,
for instance, most mothers make use of all-sophisticated
and practical gas stove to microwave. Just
as life style in fashion and body treatment,
they would not like to be out of date in
adopting mode and international trend. They
also go to beauty salon to and fro or attend
sporting activities at fitness centres.
On making banten (oblation), they have been
accustomed to take advantage imported fruits
and cakes from abroad. These phenomena are
obviously discernible on mothers who live
in tourist resorts like Ubud, Kuta and even
they are mostly competent to communicate
in foreign languages and get in touch the
tourists. In this resort, it’s easy
to find mothers who ‘enjoy’ bringing
about the complicated tradition in global,
practical and individual life style.
Today, due to government program to restrict
the birth of baby, mothers in Bali have
maximally three children. In case there
are more than three, it’s only a matter
of failure in using contraceptive devices.
Today is different from former time where
mothers in Bali were used to give birth
to six to twelve children. Just imagine,
how difficult to take care of many children
is and at the same time they should complete
the household works. Uniquely, they could
grow up their children well and household
jobs could be settled smoothly.
Phenomena above ultimately yields the legend
“Men Brayut” (literally, Mrs.
Brayut) who is so exhausted in giving birth
and looking after many children. Afterwards,
the sculptors immortalized Men Brayut who
is being ‘crowded around’ by her
children through sculpture. If you are on
vacation in Bali, just buy the sculpture
‘Men Brayut’ that is widely on
sale as a souvenir.
The Holy Scripture Sarasamuccaya describes
the nature of a mother that is far heavier
than the earth, while the weight of a father
is also far more overweight than that of
sky. In looking after and bringing up their
children, a mother is never discriminative.
Bhagavan Manu in the scripture Manawa Dharmasastra
says that to become a mother, a woman is
created and to become a father, a man is
born. Women are predestined to carry the
foetus as a blessing reward that is worth
venerating and its dwelling should be made
glowing. (Manawa Dharmasastra IX: 26, 27,
96)
A mother, as a consequence, for the Balinese
is an honoured figure on this earth. Born
children will be taken care of affectionately
and without discrimination. Therefore, the
Balinese deeply honour, either when she
is alive or after death. It is this fact
that makes the Balinese not to entrust their
old and unproductive mother to an old folk’s
home. On that account, such homes are not
popular in Bali. Mothers that have come
to have a title dadong (grandmother) and
fathers to have pekak (grandfather) prefer
to stay at home together with their children
and grandchildren.
For the Balinese, behaviour to honour and
implement bhakti or devotion to guru rupaka
(parents) who have given birth and taken
care of children, continued the life on
this earth have great fruits of action.
By giving birth to children, the chain of
human cycles keeps on turning perfectly.
We who are alive today are on account of
mother’s extraordinary merit, starting
from in the womb up to mature, till we can
stand up. Thus, the Balinese believe that
the good and bad of human’s future
lie on the shoulder of a mother. It’s
no excessive if heaven and hell are said
to occur on a mother’s sole of foot.
Commemoration of Mother’s Day in Bali
is not so popular, even though it’s
celebrated in Indonesia nationally every
22 December. It’s different from that
in other countries, Mother’s Day in
Indonesia is celebrated as historical milestone
of women group to attain the advancement,
release themselves from colonialist’s
pressure. According to historical records,
struggle of women groups in Indonesia was
initiated first in Yogyakarta on 22 December
1928. This event is so important and exceptional
as from thenceforth, women of Indonesia
have legally integrated their steps to attain
progress, towards the Freedom of Indonesia.
At venerating places of Hindu families in
Bali, aside from sanggah kemulan (shrine
of the origin), there is also one who founded
pelinggih ibu (mother’s shrine) to
honour the ancestral souls who have been
spiritually purified. Meanwhile, to honour
the earth that has extended prosperity to
human beings, the Balinese call this earth
‘Ibu Pertiwi’ (Mother Earth).
Later, to persistently maintain the safety
of Mother Earth is taught a Tri Hita Karana
concept, namely three elements that inflict
prosperity on earth. One of the elements
is palemahan that accounts for the importance
of harmonious relations between humans and
their physical environment.
Ketut
Sumadi
Contributor of Bali Travel News
|
