Love
and Affection and Balinese Music
Everyday
there is a ceremony in Bali and particular
days become special days for the Hindus
in Bali. Just have a look on Saturday,
4 October 2008, for instance. According
to the Balinese calendar, that day is
called Tumpek Krulut. This festivity is
solemnly appreciated as the creation day
of mutual love and affection among human
beings through gamelan instrument.
Tumpek Krulut festivity, pursuant to the
guidance in the Aji Gurnita lontar manuscript,
is marked with the amalgamation of gamelan
arts originating in all existing gong
instruments. This ritual is inaugurated
by the worship to the power of taksu (divine
inspiration) existing in the Balinese
gamelan prior to the nightfall. Celebration
of Tumpek Krulut denotes a whole-hearted
tribute to God in his manifestation as
the Lord Shiva.
How do the Hindus celebrate their Tumpek
Krulut? Simply make a visit to villages
of which inhabitants become artists of
dance and music like around Ubud (Gianyar),
Kerambitan (Tabanan) and other villages.
For Denpasar, the celebration of Tumpek
Krulut gets great support from the Deputy
Mayor, Rai Mantra. “Through this
celebration we could maintain the harmony
of our inhabitants. I surely have confidence
that the strings of gamelan tones would
penetrate the heartstrings of the inhabitants,”
he uttered on the celebration of Tumpek
Krulut last year in Denpasar.