Warna Warni Bali |

Ni Komang Erviani, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Mon, 05/09/2011 8:00 AM | Bali

Officers from the elite police mobile brigade (Brimob) “paid homage” to their weapons Saturday to celebrate Tumpek Landep, the Balinese Hindu festival for weapons and metal tools.

Balinese Hindu members of the paramilitary unit began the celebration by praying at Padma Bhuana Temple located close to the unit’s headquarters in Tohpati, East Denpasar.

Dressed in Balinese Hindu attire, the officers prayed to Sanghyang Pasupati, the patron deity of
weapons.

Following the prayer, they gathered at the temple’s outer yard, where dozens of assault rifles, light machine guns, automatic pistols, revolvers, tear gas launchers, batons and shields were arranged on tables decorated with young coconut leaves. Next to the weapons were traditional Balinese Hindu offerings.

Similar offerings were also placed at the arsenal, where the bulk of the unit’s weapons are stored, and before an array of armored vehicles, water canon trucks, personnel carriers and jeeps.

The temple priest chanted while presenting the offerings before sprinkling holy water on the weapons. He then walked to the arsenal and the car pool to repeat the
process.

“Only the Brimob unit in Bali observes this ritual. The tradition is unique to Bali and we want to show our respect to local religious traditions,” Bali Police Brimob commander Sr. Comr. Heni Sulistiya said.

Bali Hindus celebrate Tumpek Landep every 210 days and, placing offerings before weapons, cars, metal tools and even computers.

“Landep means sharp and the celebration is our way of asking the gods for the gift of a sharp mind in our ongoing struggle against the darkness,” Padma Bhuana Temple priest Jero Mangku Made
Sukarma said.

He added that the ritual also symbolized the unit’s commitment to use the weapons to protect and to preserve peace and justice.

“The weapons should be used in the right way for the right reasons,” he added.

Bali Parisadha Hindu Council chairman I Gusti Ngurah Sudiana said Tumpek Landep was originally held to honor traditional weapons, such as kris (wavy dagger) and tombak (spear).

Now, Balinese Hindus use the day to honor everything made of metal and any instruments they use in their work, including laptop computers and cars.

“There is nothing wrong with that since all those instruments are, to a certain extent, also weapons in our battle against poverty and any other challenges posed by modern times,” Sudiana said.

Festival and Conference about Culture of North Bali opened on Thursday at Buleleng Regency, Bali. The event will be held until next Monday. (Ni Komang Erviani)

Cultural Parade officially opened The 31th Bali Arts Festival on Saturday 13 June 2009. Bali Arts Festival will be hold in Bali Art Center until 11 June 2009. For a month, the annual festival hold 180 art performance from 14.000 artist. (text and photo by Ni Komang Erviani)

THE JAKARTA POST, Sat, 02/28/2009 11:11 AM  |  World

INDONESIA: Indonesian Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on culture with Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Him Chhem at the Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday.

The cooperation covers the research and development of culture, education and training, joint promotion of culture and arts, world heritage, dialogues on culture and arts, and cultural information exchanges Read the rest of this entry »

Tari legong punya riwayat nan panjang. Bermula dari Desa Ketewel, legong kemudian berkembang menurut gaya-gaya yang diolah para empu tari di pelbagai desa kawasan Pulau Dewata. Legong topeng diperkirakan menjadi cikal bakal tarian ini. Meski ada pergeseran, tari legong diyakini akan tetap lestari.

Alunan nada bersemangat seperangkat gamelan yang dimainkan Sekaa Semara Pegulingan Gunung Jati menyapa para tamu di Balerung Stage. Di panggung pertunjukkan sempit di Desa Peliatan, Ubud, Bali, itu sesosok penari tiba-tiba muncul dari balik tirai yang membalut sepasang candi bentar. Read the rest of this entry »

Ni Wayan Wiwin Oktarini dan teman-temannya terlihat sibuk. Gadis sembilan tahun itu menghias gelungan, sejenis mahkota berwarna keemasan. Satu per satu bunga kamboja dipasangkan. Dan, gelungan yang bakal dipakai untuk menari telah siap dikenakan.
Wiwin dan teman-temannya bergegas menuju salah satu bale di Pura Payogan Agung. ”Tadi minum es ya?” tanya Luh Ana, 17 tahun, kakak pendamping mereka yang juga mantan penari legong topeng. Wiwin mengangguk sambil tersenyum.
Rupanya, hari itu Wiwin sempat minum es gara-gara lupa kalau kelompok legong topengnya akan medal. Medal adalah istilah bahasa Bali yang biasa digunakan bila legong topeng Pura Payogan Agung akan mentas di luar pura. Read the rest of this entry »