Badung
The Center of Tourism
Panca Yadnya Museum
Showcases the Balinese Rituals
At the beginning
of 2007, the Badung Regency is ensured
to have a new museum that will be one
of the kinds in Bali. Its name is the
Panca Yadnya Museum. Situated on 7200
square meters of land and completed with
other supporting buildings, this museum
holds a variety of oblations and ritual
paraphernalia of the Hindu community in
Bali.
This
museum is strategically located in the
Mengwi Village, precisely in the western
part of Taman Ayun Temple, an inheritance
temple of the former Mengwi Kingdom. From
Denpasar, it’s merely some 16 km
and can be reached within a 20 minutes
drive.
Passing through the gate of the museum
area, first of all you will see a distinguishing
open stage for art performance. It is
designed in semicircular seating or known
as proscenium stage. This west-facing
building in Balinese traditional style
has a backdrop of "candi bentar"
or split gate entrance. Similarly, this
stage is equipped with changing room for
dancers.
In the northern side stands a two-floored
large building. It’s the main building
amongst those of the Panca Yadnya Museum
retaining several kinds of oblations and
ritual paraphernalia of the Hindu community
in Bali. This museum is managed and operated
by the Office of Cultural Services of
Badung Regency.
On the first floor, you will encounter
a diorama describing the Hindu unique
life-cycle ritual in Bali, starting from
at the occasion when the baby is still
within the womb of its mother up to ritual
held for death known as ngaben. This room
is also equipped with broad screen to
play documentary films on the procession
of Panca Yadnya rituals.
Meanwhile, on the second floor many kinds
of oblations for rituals are exhibited.
Some of them are the ones used for magedong-gedongan
rite (when the baby is still in the womb),
banten bulan pitung dina (42 days afterbirth),
three-month rite, raja sewala (entering
adolescence period), tooth filing, wedding
and pitra yadnya (ngaben cremation) and
mamukur. Oblations displayed here are
made from preserved materials so it can
stay durable.
Especially
for wedding ceremony, there are three
kinds of special traditional costumes
consisting of the modest, medium and grandiose
style. They are nicely displayed on mannequins
wearing those wedding costume samples.
By visiting this museum, you will observe
how the Balinese virtually put on their
costume on a wedding ceremony. Likewise,
it displays the oblation for ngaben rite
along with the bade tower (coffin) used
during the funeral rite.
In addition, this museum is furnished
with a special area that exhibits the
traditional Balinese house compound. On
entering this area, visitors will pass
through a candi bentar (border of sacred
and profane zone). Then, there are the
north pavilion, west pavilion and south
pavilion as well as kitchen, rice granary
and a well. At the north-eastern side
lies the sanctum called merajan (family
temple). Here, other than some worshipping
shrines such as the padmasana, kemulan
rong telu, taksu and tugu guardian shrines,
there is also a huge tree that makes the
atmosphere to become eerie and sacred.
Are you interested to see them? Just wait
till the beginning of the upcoming January.
This museum, costing IDR 2 billion, will
definitely have the capability of drawing
your attention pertaining to the ritual
culture of the Balinese. (BTN/015)
