Tumpek Landep

Nowadays Tumpek Landep is a ceremonial day at which offerings are made for objects that are made of metal. The ceremonies start in the morning hours at the village temple when people gather for special prayers and blessings. Afterwards, at the home compounds, additional ceremonies and blessings follow at which offerings are made for the holy family keris that most families own, but also for cars and motorbikes. In these modern times, also other objects that contain metal, such as computers, may be subject to these ceremonies. Most Balinese people truly believe that these ceremonies and blessings will bring them luck and keep them safe in traffic. Tragically, at the day of Tumpek Landep the hospitals in Bali show a peak in the treatments of especially motorbike accidents.

Ethymology

Tumpek Landep is High Balinese language. The word tumpek means ‘close (to)’ and the word landep means ‘sharp’. Together it thus translates as ‘close to sharp’. But what does this mean? We will have to go back in time to shed some light on this cryptic word combination. In the early days of Balinese Hinduism the keris (dagger) was one of the few objects that were made of metal. As a dagger the keris was a weapon which was used in battles. More important, there were also lots of special keris that were regarded as holy, spiritual object with magical power. As such, the keris played an important role in the early days of Balinese Hinduism (and as a matter of fact it still does).

The original meaning of Tumpek Landep

Although it is true that the keris is made out of metal, this fact is originally *not* why the ceremonies are held. As stated above, in the early days the keris was one of the few objects that were made out of metal and it was in several respects an important object. Because it played such an important role, the keris, so to speak, was in everyone’s mind every day. And the tip of the blade of the keris….. is sharp! Now here comes the clue, in fact the keris is a symbol, a metaphor which tells you to be as ‘sharp’ as possible in your thinking. One should always be aware what one in fact is, a soul that has been incarnated to learn the lessons of life and to resist negative temptations like jealousy, anger, hate, greed, laziness, egoism, etc. which are all ego-driven, fear based (re)actions to life’s experiences.

When is Tumpek Landep?

Tumpek Landep takes place every 210 days according to the ceremonial Pawukon calendar, which is always at the Saturday of its second week, Landep. This day is also referred to as  Saniscara Keliwon Tegeh.

Trunyan, traditional Bali village

The Bali Aga of Trunyan

The mountain village of Trunyan can be found at the foot of Mt. Abang, at a remote and isolated location on the eastern shore of Lake Batur. The Trunyanese are often referred to as Bali Aga (mountain Balinese), which refers to a conservative, pre-Hindu way of life with ancient, neolithic customs and a very definite avoidance of outside influences.
Instead of the term “Bali Aga, the term Bali Mula (‘original Balinese’) is often used instead. In this respect it should be noted that the Bali Aga are in no sense ‘original’. Therefore the term ‘Mountain Balinese’ is, from a historical perspective, more correct. The Bali Aga namely have always occupied their ancestral villages from choice and performed their traditional crafts and trades appropriate to the nature of the land.
According to copper plate inscriptions found in one of the shrines of the main temple of Trunyan, the temple must be dating back to at least the 10th century AD (833 Çaka). The village itself, however, is believed to be much older than the temple.

Society of Trunyan

Trunyanese society consists of two obvious ‘castes’. these castes are the banjar jero and the banjar jaba. Contrary to the other parts of Bali, where the caste system is always based on the idea of purity, the Trunyanese castes are determined by descent from the period of the Gelgel dynasty.
This caste system is an exquisite example of when outside influence actually did affect the life of the Trunyanese people, as those belonging to the banjar jero are in this respect the descendants of rulers, id est the Trunyanese who were appointed by the kings of Gelgel to rule, whereas those of the banjar jaba are the descendants of the people, id est those who were ruled by the banjar jero.
Another fine example of outside influence is the requirement for their young men to travel through lowland Bali for a period of time, to live there as beggars. This little known practice can be traced back to practices of the monks of Thailand, and is derived from a strong Buddhist tradition of about a thousand years ago.
Prestige consciousness, which is so very much present everywhere in Bali, also plays an dominant role in Trunyanese society. The hosting of any major ceremony is the time when a family can raise prestige within the community. This is shown most clearly at their wedding ceremonies, which should either be impressive or not held at all. As the economy of Trunyan is mainly based on agriculture, it is difficult for the Trunyanese to accumulate money and possessions. In this respect you will find married couples with children in Trunyan who continue to postpone their wedding ceremony just because of the costs. Besides, an official wedding ceremony in Trunyan is only allowed to take place after the male candidate has taken part in the Berutuk ceremony.

Funeral rites of Trunyan

Contrary to elswhere in Hindu Bali the Trunyanese do not cremate their dead. Instead, after a ritual cleansing with rain water, the body of the deceased is placed in a bamboo cage under the taru menyan tree until the forces of nature, in particular the wind, has dissolved the body tissues until only the skeleton remains. Then the skull is placed on a stairs-shaped stone altar which is located some 500 meter north of the banjar Kuban, a special place which can only be reached by boat.

This ancient practice traces back to the neolithic Agama Bayu sekt, one of the six most important religious-spiritual sekts that dominated Bali during pre-Hindu times. This Agama Bayu sekt mainly worshipped the stars and the wind (angin ngelinus).
Taru Menyan means ‘nice smelling tree’. This tree eminates a typical scent which neutralizes the smell of rotting bodies. It is also this tree from which the name Trunyan is derived. Furthermore typical for the funeral rites of Trunyan is that only the bodies of married people are aloowed to be placed in bamboo cages; if the deceased is unmarried, the body is normally buried at the cemetry.
Also typical is that women are not allowed to attend the Pengiriman ceremonies, the bringing of the body to the taru menyan tree or to the cemetry. The reason for this is the belief that otherwise the village will be struck by disaster, such as an earthquake, a volcanic eruption, or a land slide. How and when this rule came into being however is not clear.

Volcano God – Bhatara Da Tonta

Since long forgotten times the Trunyanese have been worshipping an ancient, local god connected to the Batur volcano and patron guardian of the village, Ratu Gede Pantjering Djagat – who is also referred to as Bhatara Da Tonta. In a for non-Trunyanese forbidden area one can find an enormous, neolithic statue of Bhatara Da Tonta. During special initiation rites of the village flowers are offered here and the statue is ritually cleansed with rain water and a special oil, precisely as instructed on an old bronze tablet (911 AD) that was found in the mysterious Pura Tegeh Koripan, a temple built in the form of a neolithic pyramid at Mount Penulisan, the second highest point of the caldera of the Batur volcano.

Bhatara da Tonta

Music and dance in Trunyan

Like elsewhere in Bali, the performing arts of Trunyan are associated with religious rites, and are a means to maintain an equilibrium between the visible, physical world and the non-visible, multi-dimensional worlds. In this respect the Berutuk dance of Trunyan is indeed strongly associated with typical religious rites and, of course, supernatural powers.
The berutuk dance is at once a performance, a ceremony, and a rite. The performers are a selected group of unmarried men who must undergo a period of ritual purification and isolation prior to performing. During this time they sleep in the temple, abstain from sexual contact, and learn the prayers for the ceremony from the temple priest. The Berutuk performers wear sacred masks and two aprons of dried banana leaf fiber; one is tied around the neck and hangs over the torso and the other is tied around the waist. There is no musical accompaniment for the performance.

The Berutuk reenacts the historical legend of the Trunyan migration from the other Bali Aga areas in East Bali. However, this is not a mere dramatization. The Berutuk performance requires the purification of the actors and appropriate offerings and prayers which will allow the young men to be possessed by Bethara Berutuk.
At one point, the Berutuk are presented with offerings and members of the audience barter with the Berutuk in order to take part of the offering. In addition, the banana fiber costumes are now charged with powerful magic and spectators attempt to steal bits of the hanging fibers which become protective amulets.
The king and queen Berutuk engage in a courtship dance inspired by the movements of a bird common to the Trunyan area and the queen must be successfully captured by the king in order to ensure the fertility of both the village of Trunyan as well as that of the performer himself. Only after the performance will the young men be eligible for official marriage. The performance ends after the queen is captured and the dancers bathe in the sacred Lake Batur.
The performances happen at irregular intervals and are depending on the needs of the villages. However, the performance cannot be held at times when the village is tainted by diseases or crop failure.
The performers are not trained in the movement of the Berutuk but in the necessary prayers. It is not the dance technique but the selection and ritual preparation of the dancers that is important, as they will become temporary vessels for the Bethara Berutuk: Ratu Pancering Jagat. Thus, the performance places an emphasis on the ritual readiness of the performers, not technical training. It is a recounting of legendary history, a fertility rite for both land and humans, a passage into adulthood, and a time when the spirits enter humans and the tumultuous interaction between performer and audience mimics the interaction between the human, spirit, and natural worlds.

10 TRADITIONAL CLOTHS FROM INDONESIA

I am always amazed by the richness of Indonesian culture. Lets recognize or learn the richness of Indonesian culture.  at this time I would like to invite you to recognize traditional Indonesian fabrics. Here are 10 traditional Indonesian fabric:

1. Batik

The word batik is thought to be derived from the word 'ambatik' which translated means 'a cloth with little dots'. The suffix 'tik' means little dot, drop, point or to make dots. Batik may also originate from the Javanese word 'tritik' which describes a resist process for dying where the patterns are reserved on the textiles by tying and sewing areas prior to dying, similar to tie dye techniques. Another Javanese phase for the mystical experience of making batik is “mbatik manah” which means “drawing a batik design on the heart”.

Some experts feel that batik was originally reserved as an art form for Javanese royalty. Certainly it's royal nature was clear as certain patterns were reserved to be worn only by royalty from the Sultan's palace. Princesses and noble women may have provided the inspiration for the highly refined design sense evident in traditional patterns. It is highly unlikely though that they would be involved in any more than the first wax application. Most likely, the messy work of dyeing and subsequent waxings was left to court artisans who would work under their supervision.

Visit batik factories in Jogjakarta, Surakarta or Pekalongan to see for yourself how the intricate process is conducted or ask questions of batik artisans giving demonstrations in stores such as Sarinah or Pasaraya in Jakarta. You will come away with sense of wonder over the time, effort and patience put into the creation of each batik cloth. You too may soon grow to love the distinctive waxy smell of batik and your batik acquisitions will provide many memories of your stay in Indonesia.

2. Ulos

Ulos is the traditional cloth of the Batak people of North Sumatra. Different kinds of ulos have different ceremonial significance. The ulos is normally worn draped over the shoulder or shoulders, or in weddings to ceremonially bind the bride and groom together. Ulos are traditionally hand woven and in the case of higher-quality examples are significant family heirlooms, to be worn at important events, such as funerals and weddings.
According to Batak people, there are 3 sources of warmthness for human; Sun, Fire and Ulos. Ulos is said to be a source of warmth because they were living on cold mountains. This natural condition makes the sunlight insufficient to give warmth especially at night. Then, they create something that is able to give them warmth, also believed to be able to give the men bravery and the women strength against infertility .
At first, Ulos was only used as an ordinary cloth. But it later developed to a symbol of love, traditional ceremony requirements, and society structural system symbol. Even Ulos is believed to have magical religious power and thus considered 'sacred' and that it has special power to protect the user.
There are many kinds and motives of Ulos, which have their own respective meaning in accordance to the characteristic, condition, function, and some relation. When it is used given to whom, and which traditional ceremony like wedding, birth, death and other rituals will never run without Ulos. If Ulos is used by a man, the upper part of it is called ande-ande, the lower called singkot, the one used on head called tali-tali, bulang-bulang or detar. But, because of its sacred value, not all Ulos can be used in daily activities. Ulos Jugja, Sadum, Ragidup, and Runjat are only used in some occasions. In everyday life, men wear Ulos in box pattern with black shirt named baju Kurung without shoes nor sandals.

3. Tenun Ikat

 

Ikat is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric.In ikat the resist is formed by binding individual yarns or bundles of yarns with a tight wrapping applied in the desired pattern. The yarns are then dyed. The bindings may then be altered to create a new pattern and the yarns dyed again with another color. This process may be repeated multiple times to produce elaborate, multicolored patterns. When the dyeing is finished all the bindings are removed and the yarns are woven into cloth. In other resist-dyeing techniques such as tie-dye and batik the resist is applied to the woven cloth, whereas in ikat the resist is applied to the yarns before they are woven into cloth. Because the surface design is created in the yarns rather than on the finished cloth, in ikat both fabric faces are patterned.A characteristic of ikat textiles is an apparent "blurriness" to the design. The blurriness is a result of the extreme difficulty the weaver has lining up the dyed yarns so that the pattern comes out perfectly in the finished cloth. The blurriness can be reduced by using finer yarns or by the skill of the craftsperson. Ikats with little blurriness, multiple colors and complicated patterns are more difficult to create and therefore often more expensive. However, the blurriness that is so characteristic of ikat is often prized by textile collectors

4. Kain Gringsing

 

Gringsing known as weaving as a characteristic of the village of Tenganan Pegringsingan. It is not known exactly when the fabric gringsing began appearing in the village of Tenganan Pegringsingan. Also unknown who first introduced this weaving in the village of Tenganan Pegringsingan. Gringsing sacred meaning that is as repellent reinforcements, this can be seen from the word Gringsing gring derived from the word meaning "sick" and sing meant "no", with so gringsing means to avoid pain. Gringsing motif that forms a plus sign describes the philosophy of life for people of Tenganan, the "balance", just like the swastika, a symbol of balance in Balinese Hinduism. There are only 3 colors are visible on gringsing, which is white or yellow represents oxygen or air, the red symbolizes the heat or energy, and black symbolizes water. Generally, people gringsing Tenganan has a centuries-old fabric used in special ceremonies, such as tooth filing ceremonies, weddings, and other religious ceremonies, performed by relying on the strength of the fabric gringsing

5. Songket

Songket is a fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. The metallic threads stand out against the background cloth to create a shimmering effect. In the weaving process the metallic threads are inserted in between the silk or cotton weft (latitudinal) threads in a technique called supplementary weave
There are two categories of songket weaving equipments; the main weaving equipment made from wooden or bamboo frame; and the supporting equipment which includes thread stretching tool, motif making tool, thread inserting and picking tools. The materials for making songket consist of cotton or silk threads or other fibers as the base fabric and decoration threads made from golden, silver or silk threads. It is believed that in ancient times, real gold threads were used to create songket; the cotton threads were run along heated liquid gold, coating the cotton and creating gold thread. However today because the scarcity and the expensiveness of real gold threads, imitation gold or silver threads are commonly used instead.
Songket weaving is done in two stages, weaving the basic cloth with even or plain weaving and weaving the decoration inserted into basic cloth, this method is called "inlay weaving system". The shining gold, silver or silk threads were inserted and woven into the plain weave base cloth in certain motifs, creating a shimmering effect of golden pattern against darker plain background. Songket weaving is traditionally done as a part-time job by young girls and older women in between their daily domestic chores. The complicated process of songket making is believed to cultivate virtues, as it reflects the values of diligence, carefulness and patience.
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6. Sasirangan

Sasirangan itself is derived from the Banjar word sirang or menyirang meaning “to stitch together” which illustrates the delicate process of hand stitching and weaving of the traditional fabric. The method in making Sasirangan is similar to that in Javanese Batik, which applies the barrier coloring process. The difference is that Sasirangan uses barrier cloth such as string or yarn instead of wax and ‘canting’. The artist stitches the pre-made patterns on cloths, then bind the required patterns with string to avoid contamination with other colors, the fabric then dipped in dyes.
Traditionally, natural dyes were used for colors; turmeric roots were used to create yellow, karabintang fruit and areca nut to make red and brown colors, etc. Today chemical dye is more commonly used. This coloring process is called Pewarnaan Rintang, or color blockage. The last step is removing the stitches when the pattern designs would appear clearly. One cannot create an exact pattern because of the manual process. Unlike in contemporary Javanese batik printing, mass production of Sasirangan is not possible either. Productios of a simple piece of Sasirangan can take about 4 days, while the complex pieces require a few months to finish.

7. Tapis

Tapis is a traditional weaving style from Lampung, Indonesia. The word tapis also refers to the resulting cloth. It consists of a striped, naturally-coloured cloth embroidered with warped and couched gold thread. Traditionally using floral motifs, it has numeorus variations. It is generally worn ceremonially, although it can be used as a decoration. It is considered one of the symbols of Lampung.
Tapis is generally made by Lampungese women. It consists of a woven, naturally coloured fabric with warped gold and silk embroidery. The gold thread, shaped in stripes, chevrons, and checks, contrasts the colours of the fabric.Tapis can also be decorated with beads, mica chips, or old colonial coins
The gold embroidery is affixed using couching techniques, minimalizing waste. The gold thread is attached in sections, then couched with a different, less expensive, thread at turns. This ensures that none of the gold thread is used in a non-visible area
Traditionally, tapis has floral motifs. However, modern tapis may also be based on the weaver's own design and include non-floral motifs, such as Arabic calligraphy. Other designs may include snakes, ships, and mythical creatures.Some tapis, called tapis tua (old tapis), are covered entirely in golden embroidery.
Although generally produced by Lampungese home industries, tapis is also produced in other areas, including Kendal, Central Java and Pisang Island.

8. Kain Besurek

 

Besurek is the traditional cloth of Bengkulu, and has a similar appearance to the well-known Batik, hand painted fabrics that can be found throughout Indonesia. What distinguishes Besurek from most Javanese Batik is that the motifs that typically adorn this particular fabric are of decorative Arabic Calligraphy as well as other elements of Islamic culture. The name “besurek,” comes from a word that means to compose or to write, so besurek can, in a sense be considered a form of writing.

Besurek’s manufacturing process is not too different from the usual Javanese Batiks, that can be hand-drawn or printed, and uses similar materials, such as cotton with silk embroidery. The artist may use a variety of methods and tools while creating the motifs, such as etching, dyeing and stencils.
Besurek does not consist only of a single motif, but is a much larger composition, incorporating several designs. Arabic calligraphy is the one constant that is present in all besurek, but is often combined with other patterns.
Of the typical Besurek compositions, the first, of course, is the bare Arabic script, usually illegible. The Rafflesia flower found in Bengkulu forests, commonly referred to as the corpse flower because of its stench ,is the world’s largest flower and the symbol flower of Bengkulu. This is said to be the most widely used motif in Besurek after calligraphy. The pheasant, a characteristic bird of the province, is another symbol of Bengkulu. Pheasants in various pictorial forms are often found on Besurek, but constructed from a series of calligraphic letters. Other commonly seen patterns are those of a full, shining moon, combined with calligraphic motifs,or a display of Jasmine flowers, characteristic to Bengkulu flora.

9. Tenun Dayak

“Tenun Dayak / Dayak Ikat Weaving” is a traditional weaving process from the heart of Indonesian in Borneo, Kalimantan. “Ikat” meaning “to bind” involves tying and dyeing thread before it is woven into elaborate designs. The symbolic Dayak motives incorporated into the woven patterns make every cloth unique: each depiction has a specific meaning, allowing every cloth to tell its weaver’s story. The skill and time required for each piece have made ikat weavings a prime collectible item, particularly when the cloth is aged. Patterns are passed down from generation to generation, deeply rooting the craft form in the Sintang Dayak culture. The delicate allure of Ikat products makes them perfect décor and couture accessories. Their elaborate designs can be played up or down to best fit one’s personal tastes.

10. Sutra Bugis

Bugis Silk is one of the local handicrafts from South Sulawesi, manufacture found in the area Sengkang District Wajo. Generally they still using traditional tools and materials to make it. This fabric is usually woven using silk thread to produce a variety of motifs and colors are gorgeous. Typically, Bugis woven fabric is used as a subordinate kebaya or baju kurung. You can find various motifs silk Bugis, including Balo Renni (small boxes), Balo hole (big boxes) and Bombang (zig-zag motif depicting ocean waves).
 

The Fascinating Barong Dance in Bali

The Barong is a mythological being in Bali that takes the form of a four-legged wild animal. The Barong Dance has always been popular in Bali. It is danced by two men, one man dancing the head and forelegs and other playing the hind legs and tail. The wel-known barong in Bali are the Barong Keket, the Barong Kalekek and Barong Landung.
The story goes that Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was condemned by Erlangga’s father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow, she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to come after Erlangga. A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were too strong that Erlangga had to ask for the help of Barong. Barong came with Erlangga’s soldiers, and fight ensued. Rangda casted a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.
Somebody can die or get seriously injured in a Barong dance. It is said that if Rangda’s spell is too strong, a weak soldier may not be able to resist it, even with the help of Barong. He may end up hurting himself with his own keris.
The masks of Barong and Rangda are considered sacred items, and before they are brought out, a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerrings must be presented.
 

Megibung Tradition | A Sensational Meals Together

Besides have so much beautiful tourism destinations, Bali also rich with its culture and unique traditions. One of the unique tradition is Megibung. Megibung is one of cultures heritage where everyone eating together in one crock. Everyone can feel free to eat without hesitate in Megibung Tradition. Megibung is full of togetherness, everyone can know and recognize each other also strengthen the friendship between one and another.

Megibung or eating together is consist of 5 until 8 persons in one crock.There is no difference between man or woman and there is no difference of caste or skin color. Everyone sit and eat together, but in the next generation, man and woman have to be separated except they are one family or close friend. This Tradition still firmly entrenched in Karangasem, Bali.

Megibung begins with cook Bali traditional foods together, include rice and the side dish. After done with cooking, people prepare those foods to be eaten. Rice putted in one crock that called “gibungan”, while the side dish is called “karangan”.

Megibung tradition held when there is a religious or custom ceremony in some places, especially in Karangasem area such as Yadnya Ceremony like wedding ceremony, odalan, ngaben, etc. At this activity, usually people who has a ceremony invited friends and family to see the process of the religious ceremony so that the ceremony occurred as expected.

There are some ethics that should be note in Megibung Tradition. Before eat, we have to wash our hand first, do not drop a crumb / leftovers of a mouth, do not take food next to us, if one of people had been satisfied and full, they are forbidden to leave their friends, although this rule is not written but still followed by the participants of Megibung.

Mystical Power of Pis Bolong

Pis Bolong or Ancient Chinese Coins (kepeng money) have become money transactions tool in Bali in the past. Pis Bolong means money with hollows. The Shape is round like coin, flat, hollow at its center and Chinese written characters on both sides, mostly made from copper, silver and gold. “Pis Bolong” or kepeng money still has a function in the Balinese Hindu ceremony like Dewa Yadnya (the holy offering for God), Pitra Yadnya (the holy offering for the ancestors), Rsi Yadnya (the holy offering for clergymen) Manusa Yadnya (the holy offering for human) and Butha Yadnya (the holy offering for Ghost). It is also used to make souvenir items for the tourism. This money was came by 

 Chinese people in 12th AD.

Beside used for ceremony, some Balinese Hindu society believed Pis Bolong has supernatural or magical powers. If Pis Bolong generally has  two sides of Chinese writing, but the magic Pis Bolong has one side or rerajahan will contain a image  like Arjuna, Bhima, Krishna, Pandavas, Twalen, Sangut, Hanuman, Horse, fishnet, Crescent moon etc.

Pis Bolong containing rerajahan (Balinese sacred drawing or handwriting) generally has the power in accordance with the image contained on one side of the Pis Bolong. It magical powers will arise if the owner of Pis Bolong trusts of it. Some rumors were heard in the community that was widely magic of Pis Bolong is very powerful. Someone who wants to winning the run race usually used Pis Jaran (Horse), because it has power to run faster. If you want to get close with pretty girl usually used Pis Rejuna, it makes you look so handsome. Pis Bolong is very useful in Balinese daily life.

Pis Rejuna

Pis Jaran

Bali Sacred Bracelet that you must know...

 

Have you seen the Balinese Hindus people wear bracelets made from yarn? If you have seen the bracelet, you would think what that is and why Balinese Hindus people wear it. Don’t worry you will get all the information about it.


The bracelet as known Tridatu yarn bracelet which is consist by 3 yarns colored red, black and white. Etymologic Tridatu comes from 2 words, “Tri” mean Three and “Datu” mean King. So, Tridatu is three main of God, those are Brahma God, Wisnu God, Siwa God. Tridatu is not fetish or magical thing but symbolize of three elements. The red element symbolizes creativity and bravely, the black element symbolizes powerful and protected us from bad spirit and white element symbolizes spirituality and goodness.
Tridatu as a symbol to keep remind people that life is not just one color, but many colors. There is birth, life, and death and using tridatu reminds us above all that. Wear the sacred yarn will be able to give sanctity and protection from all iniquity and dissipate bad spirits. This bracelet is purified by holy water and make this bracelet is sacred. This information will make you to know what Tridatu is and useful for you.

Gebogan on Top of Head

Gebogan is a Balinese offering with the reflection of mountain shape or triangle. In Balinese language, Gebogan means ‘amount’ which in the old days, the Balinese were using ‘amount’ of their harvested product such as fruits to make gebogan.

This offering is consisted of many kind of fruits, flowers and other ornaments that is arranged from bigger to smaller to form the required shape. It is not just the artistic or aesthetic value of a person needed to make beautiful gebogan, we have also to be patient to stick one by one of the fruits or flowers to its ‘core’ (made from the stem of banana sapling).

Making gebogan is also a symbol that in reaching our goal whatever it is, career, graduation, buy a house, go for a holiday,…..(feel free to fill in the empty space), we should build it from bottom, bit by bit with our persistence, patience and endeavor until we reach our goal or the top.

When gebogan is presented as an offering, it is ‘delivered’ to the temple by carrying it on top of the head. Whereas it is used as some decorations in a traditional ceremony (a wedding, Balinese tooth filling, or others) it is set on top of the floor or a table.

What is Gamelan?

Gamelan is the music of Indonesia (pronounced Gah-Meh-Lahn). Gamelan orchestras are usually percussion oriented, but some varieties may feature flutes, bowed and plucked strings, or vocalists in a prominent role. Many different islands, or regions within islands, have their own unique Gamelan instruments and traditions.
The most common types of Gamelan use bronze, iron, bamboo, or wood bars, as well as bronze and iron gongs, gong chimes, cymbals, bells, and two headed drums. Gamelan-like instruments are found in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian nations. 

 
The word Gamelan comes from the ancient roots "gambel" (Bali) and "gamel" (Java). Gambel means to play, musically. Most Indonesian languages define gambel as to make a sound by striking or playing a musical instrument, such as a gong or a drum (in Indonesian Pukul Bunyi Bunyi. Bunyi means to sound. It also means to ring, to blow, or to pronounce. In other words, to make a desired and intentional sound.) However, earlier languages, such as Kawi in Bali and Jawa Kuno in Java, also define the term as to handle or hold, as a musician handles an instrument or a worker handles a tool.
The root word gamel is no longer used in modern Indonesian languages and gamelan has come to officially mean "an Indonesian orchestra."
Technically put, Gamelan is really just music. The suffix "-an" converts the word gamel from a verb to a noun. Today the word Gamelan is used to distinguish Indonesian music as a style. But, at one time, Gamelan meant all kinds of music. When new music came to the islands, it was called Gamelan. For thousands of years, the artistic tradition of Indonesian cultures was to absorb the best of music and arts from the outside. This accounts for many instruments, scales, songs, and aesthetic aspects of the music. For instance, in Kawi, the words Gamelan and Merdangga are synonymous. Merdangga is a drum from South India. There was never a need for the term Gamelan to be "style specific" until the western world introduced radically different musics and new exclusive names to go with them. 

The term Gamelan is not at all "percussion dependent," as it might appear. For example, flute ensembles in Bali play gamelan music exclusively, yet percussion takes a secondary role. Gamelan Kacapi Suling from sunda consists of flute and zithers and no percussion at all. Gamelan is a particular way of playing and thinking about music. It can be done with a gong, a few slabs of lumber, a string, or a double reed horn. Percussion is merely preferred in some cases. Often this is for the purpose of projecting over a great distance.
Some definitions may suggest that the root word "gamel" means to hammer. This may be assumed because many instruments are struck with a wooden mallet. But, hammers are for nails. The word for hammer is Palu in most Indonesian languages. And gamel means more than to strike or hit something. The Balinese words for strike or hit include nglantig, ngemplang, and nyagur. Gamel only means to strike in the context of initiating a defined sound (bunyi). In other words, one would not gamel a nail. So, please don't hit a gamelan instrument. Play it.
 

BALINESE COSTUME

 

At home and it work, Balinese people like to be free of excessive clothing; ordinarily the'dress of; both men and women consists simply,of a skirt called kamben, (the women wear an underskirt tapih) of Javanese batik or domestic hand-woven material, and a head-cloth. The women wear this skirt wrapped tight around the hips, reaching down to the feet and held at the waist by a bright-coloured sash (bulang) . Along scarf (kamben tjerik) in pale pink, yellow, or white cotton completes the costume. Young girls love gay batiks from Pekalongan, full of birds and flowers in red and blue on a white ground, or hand-woven skirts of yellow and green for feasts, but older women prefer conservative brown and indigo or black silk enlivened by a green, yellow, or peach sash. The scarf is generally thrown over one shoulder or wound around the head to keep the hair in place, but it also serves as a ,cushion for a heavy basket carried on the bead, or to wrap over the breasts when appearing in front of a superior or entering the temple, because, although the Balinese are accustomed to go nude above the waist, it is a rule of etiquette, for both men and women, that the breast must be covered for formal dress. This is purely a formula and does not imply that it is wrong to go with uncovered breasts; often the cloth is worn loosely around the waist, leaving the torso free; but even modernized Balinese, who generally wear a shirt or blouse, wrap the breast-cloth across their chest or around their middles when they wish to appear properly dressed.