New Porn Bill Angers Bali’s Hindus

Indonesian residents of Bali are challenging a new pornography bill which some say threatens Hindu traditions and the bikini-clad tourism industry.

The new bill designed to define pornography and set a moral tone across the vast, mainly Muslim archipelago of Indonesia is threatening to change all that, according to critics. AFP reports that Balinese lawmakers, rights activists, artists and tourism entrepreneurs are planning to join forces in a campaign of civil disobedience against what they say is ill-conceived and politically motivated meddling from Jakarta.
They say the bill overlaps with earlier legislation, defines pornography too broadly and will encourage Muslim extremists to enforce their values on Hindu Bali where ancient phallic symbols in temples are as much part of the island as Westerners basking in skimpy swimwear.
“Balinese and other ethnic groups have a different view on what sexual or pornographic materials are,” local intellectual Wayan Sayoga said at a protest rally of 5,000 people Thursday (18/9).
‘We can view nudity without being trapped by lust because we look at it from an aesthetical perspective.”
The bill, which could be passed in a matter of weeks, criminalises all public acts and material capable of raising sexual desires or violating “community morality”, including poetry and music.
Protesters wore traditional clothes, see-through temple blouses, performed traditional dances and read a poem that repeated the word ‘genital’.
“The government should never forget that Indonesia is a country based on non-discrimination over race, religion and ethnicity,” activist Luh Anggraeni said.
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has said the bill fails to consider cultural diversity in a nation which stretches from the conservative Islamic province of Aceh to the animist highlands of Papua, where women go topless and men wear almost nothing but long gourds on their penises.
“Many people in Papua still live naked or half-naked. Are we going to arrest them all?” Pastika asked. (BTN/*)

Tumpek Krulut
Wedding Ceremony of Gong Kebyar

According to the Balinese calendar, an important ceremony of nyakapang, the unification of a Gong Kebyar, gamelan orchestra with its musician or owner is to happen on Tumpek Krulut Day, Saturday Kliwon Wuku Krulut, or on 4 October 2008.
The Balinese word of nyakapang is a derivation of the verb sakap meaning to own, to relate, to couple, to unite or to wed, leading to the word mesakapan meaning wedding or marriage. Thus, Balinese compare unification of the orchestra soul with its owner on the same level as a wedding.
Those curious to see such unification of gamelan and its owner or musician, should go to Tabanan’s Banjar Tunjuk Kaja, Desa Tunjuk on Tumpek Krulut Day. “Teruna Mekar” Gong Association of the village is to conduct the unification ceremony for the first time to promote safety for future activities.
Past experiences have shown that the gong association, established in 1968, needs the unification ceremony to avoid human errors in relation with traditional musical instruments and other implements. Now after having made many trips abroad, the time has come for the association members to face the spiritual owner of the gamelan association of 31 members.
By chance there are several new gamelan instruments and a few renewals of older ones such as ‘gender rambat’ and kempur, the association’s mentor, Mr. I Made Arnawa told Bali Travel News. He is a Yogyakarta’s Art Institute alumnus in art of gamelan orchestra and singing.
During the rite, each gamelan player is ready with their respective musical instruments that they usually play. Some songs precede the rite to create a serene atmosphere, to provoke the spirit of keeping the gamelan instruments in order, and to develop a sense of responsibility in treating the instruments, the association’s chairman, I Wayan Ardika made it clear. The rite would achieve its peak point when the priest, Ida Pedanda Mas from ‘Geria Gede’ House blesses the ritual. (BTN/*)

Tumpek Festivities

The word Tumpek consists of two syllables, namely “tu” and “pek”. Tu means exit and Pek means ending; this new word formation then represents “the arrangement from the end”. In this matter, Tumpek is the encounter of the end of saptawara or seven-day week (Saniscara = Saturday) and the end of pancawara or five-day week (Kliwon). If both ends meet with the wuku it will have the sense related to Tri Hita Karana.

Within one Pawukon year (210 days), there are six Tumpeks, namely:

1. Tumpek Krulut
Its manuscript reference is the lontar Aji Gurnita. Krulut is derived from the word “lulut” meaning very pleasant, in this matter it concerns the gamelan instruments.
All oblations are dedicated for the Betharas of Asta Eswarya (deities abiding in the eight directions) consisting of sesayut, pengambean, peras, penyeneng, sodaan, daksina, blabaran, ketipat gong, ketipat kelanan, canang wangi, lenge wangi, pasucian, rantasan, kumkuman, pengulapan, pangenteg, prayascita and segehan offerings with small chicken of which neck is cut and festival oblation.

2. Tumpek Kuningan
It falls 10 days after the Galungan festivity. This day is believed as the coming down of Ida Bhatara and deities accompanied by the ancestors to purify themselves on earth. After the ritual, they return to Nirvana realm at 12:00. On that account, the Hindu devotees in Bali undertake the Tumpek Kuningan ritual in the morning and should be completed before midday (12:00).

3. Tumpek Landep
It is also called Tumpek of Weapons where the worship in this festivity is intended to the Lord Pasupati and at the same time becomes the festival of the Lord Shiva. On this day, the rituals are focused on the worship of any kinds of weapons and metal devices, particularly those made by pande clan or ironsmiths. It aims at invoking the sharpness of mind and strength of human physical body and inner soul (armed with dharma). Its manuscript reference is the Sundarigama.

4. Tumpek Uye (Tumpek Kandang)
Its literary resource is the Sundarigama manuscript; meaning as a creation day of all kinds of animal. The Lord worshipped on the festivity is the Lord Rare Angon (Manifestation of Shiva).

5. Tumpek Wariga (Tumpek Bubuh)
It constitutes the birthday (not birthdate) of all kinds of plants and becomes the beginning series of Galungan. The Lord worshipped on this celebration is Lord Shankar meaning to invoke the safety for all plants in order they could benefit human life.
Several names are given to these days because they epitomize particular meaning, namely:
Tumpek Pengarah - informs the trees that within the next 25 days the Galungan will arrive. Hopefully, they could have flowers and dense leaves for the preparation of oblation materials in the Galungan.
Tumpek Pengatag - the trunks of trees are smeared with rice porridge symbolizing the provisions.
Tumpek Uduh - human beings ask for (nguduh) the trees to bear fruits and dense leaves and flowers.
Tumpek Wariga - because it falls on Wuku Wariga, namely an auspicious day to invoke something to God. Its literary resource is the Sundarigama.

6. Tumpek Wayang
It uses the Sundarigama as its literary resource. On this Tumpek Wayang day the devotees worship the Lord Ishvara. Other than wayang (puppet), devotees also purify the paraphernalia like gong, gambang, gender, genta, angklung, kulkul (wooden split drum), sacred effigy and other sacred articles in the form of carvings.

The Sense of Tumpek Krulut

Tumpek Krulut is also better known as Tumpek Lulut. The word “lulut” in Balinese language means a braiding or series. It falls on Saturday, Kliwon wuku Krulut, every 210 days. This year it falls on 4 October 2008.
On that day, the Hindu devotees worship God in his manifestation as the Lord Ishvara. They express their gratitude on the creation of sacred voices/gamelan music. In the Balinese community, the word “gong” is more popularly known than the term “gamelan”. On that account, that day is frequently called Odalan Gong or Gong Ceremony. The celebration means to invoke a melodious tone and divine inspiration for such ritual paraphernalia.
The oblation presented on that day comprises the rice, pengambean, ajuman, tigasan and ketupat gong (rice bag made from young coconut leaf) resembling a gong. There is something unique in this festivity, namely the oblations presented such as egg, fruits and so forth remain intact, not divided into smaller portions. Prior to putting the offering, a beakaon ritual is held as medium of purification or eliminating any impurities.