Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Typically, the
banjar
meets monthly in the meeting house, the
bale banjar
, to discuss any-
thing of relevance to the
banjar
, for example land issues, temple ceremonies or the gamelan
orchestra. Although there is a head of the
banjar
(
kliang
), all decisions are reached by con-
sensus.
The
banjar
has considerable authority. If residential land in the area is left vacant for a peri-
od of time, it will revert to the
banjar
for redistribution. If members neglect their duties, they
can be fined or even expelled from the village. This is a particularly powerful threat among
people where communal life is at the heart of their existence. Expulsion also means the loss
of the right to burial and cremation within the village.
The subak
Much of the daily life of a village revolves around the
sawah
, or
ricefields
. The local organ-
ization controlling each irrigation system is the
subak
; these have existed on Bali since the
ninth century, and are made up of all the farmers who use the water in that system. The main-
tenance of the irrigation system, along with complex planning that ensures every farmer gets
adequate water, is coordinated by the
kliang subak
. Any
subak
with plans that have a wider
impact or cause potential conflict with another
subak
- such as changing dry fields to wet -
consults the regional water temples and, ultimately, the
Jero Gede
, chief priest of Pura Ulun
Danu Batur, whose decision is final.
The
Subak Museum
is well worth a visit for more information on this unique aspect of
Balinese life.
Balinese life-cycle celebrations
On
Bali
, rituals and ceremonies are carried out at important points in an individual's life for
purification and to ensure sufficient spiritual energy for good health.
The first life-cycle ritual,
pegedong-gedongan
, takes place about six months after concep-
tion, when the foetus has a human form, and emphasizes the hope for a long, healthy life.
Subsequent
birth rituals
focus on the placenta, which is buried inside a coconut wrapped in
sacred white cloth near the gateway of the parents' household. A rock is placed over the spot
to protect it, and regular offerings are made there.
Following the birth, the parents and child are regarded as unclean (
sebel
), and cannot par-
ticipate in religious practices. For the mother and baby, this lasts 42 days; for the father, it
lasts until the baby's umbilical cord drops off, when the
kepus pungsed
ritual is carried out.
The cord is wrapped in cloth, placed in an offering shaped like a dove and suspended over
the baby's bed, along with a small shrine dedicated to Sanghyang Panca Kumara, son of Si-
wa, who is invoked as the child's protector. There are further ceremonies at twelve and 42
days and then, after 105 days, it's
telubulan
, a large, elaborate ceremony at which the child
is named and may be given an amulet to guard against evil spirits.
