Banua Temple, Upstream of the Rice Granary

Banua Temple, situated in the same complex as the Besakih Temple, constitutes the upstream of various life activities of Balinese community like farming in the rice field and estate of which has its own planting and harvest season. In the season when the plants deliver good crops, it’s usually called mupu in Bali. As a general rule, some parts of the crops will be consumed, while the remaining is sold or retained—particularly if it goes over the needs.

Place where to retain the rice is called lumbung or jineng (rice granary) that commonly can be found in every house compound of Balinese (Hindu) community. Large jineng belonging to the community is also established at Banua Temple as a vehicle to motivate people to live efficiently.
Banua Temple is located facing the Basukian Temple or on the right side of the path to the temple of Penataran Agung Besakih. The word banua (ancient Balinese) means village in accordance to the present context. In wider sense, banua connotes a settlement territory to build cooperation and maintain social welfare.
The premier pelinggih (holy shrine) at Banua Temple has shape of a chamber as the sacred quarters to venerate Goddess Sri as the shakti (female principle of divine energy) of Vishnu or Lord of Prosperity. It seems that symbolization of prosperity at Banua Temple is reflected by the existence of large size jineng as mentioned above. Unfortunately, such jineng has damaged and never been restored anymore so the building was removed. Probably, devotees do not obviously understand about its symbolical meaning.
It is in that large granary the crops of land belonging to the Besakih Temple retained. When harvesting their paddy in the rice field, Hindu devotees in Bali generally set aside a small bundle of paddy and then given a ceremony and status as the abode of Lord Nini. By nature, Lord Nini is a sort of effigy that is right made of paddy as representation of Goddess Sri, which in this case named Lord Nini. This small bundle of paddy is then abode in the upstream of granary chamber of such Banua Temple.
For layman, such abstract religious teachings are visualized into the form of symbol. Presence of God as the lord of prosperity is manifested in Goddess Sri in the Gedong shrine and as Lord Nini in the granary of Banua Temple. Goddess Sri is representation of God in the spirit of prosperity, while Lord Nini is its concrete manifestation. On that account, Lord Nini is symbolized with a bundle of paddy. It’s made of selected spikes of paddy so they become specimen of production to be cultivated by the farmer community.
Other than Gedong and Jineng (abode of Goddess Sri and Lord Nini), there is also meeting pavilion situated on the left side of Goddess Sri Chamber. This pavilion has eight beams and divided into two spaces by a piece of wooden partition. It’s intended for a meeting venue for community leaders of Besakih Village.
Each seat of those leaders has been determined in advance in that pavilion. This describes that in arranging the agricultural system that will be performed should be decided through community meeting.
Ngusaba Ngeed and Ngusaba Buluh are generally held at this Banua Temple that means to venerate God as Goddess Sri or Lord of Prosperity. As a ritual, Ngusaba Ngeed is intended to motivate devotees and implant the spirit of farming in the field as good as possible, while the Ngusaba Buluh to motivate devotees with religious enthusiasm in order they can do farming properly. These indicate that Hindu devotees venerate God not just venerate as they do, but strengthen their moral and mental as a spiritual resources in exploring this life.
Ngusaba Ngeed and Ngusaba Buluh rituals constitute an elemental step in implanting spiritual values. By such spiritual values, strength can be realized in concrete action to improve the agricultural work, either in the rice field or estate. In other words, Ngusaba Ngeed and Ngusaba Buluh rituals are sacred media to maintain the spiritual values of rice field and estate farmers’ life. By spiritual values, any temptations coming to the life of farming line of work can be resolved as good as possible. (BTN/Kt. Wiana)