Ni Komang Erviani , The Jakarta Post , Bali

A Balinese Hindu ritual was held on Tuesday morning to consecrate the new underpass at Dewa Ruci intersection in Kuta, Bali.

Hindu high priest Ida Pedanda Gede Mandhara Pemaron of Griya Kusumayati in Denpasar officiated over the religious ceremony that drew huge attention from passing motorists, including foreign visitors boarding buses. Some even left their vehicles to capture the beautiful ceremony on camera.

The ceremony was a three-stage affair, starting with a pecaruan (sacrificial offering) aiming to appease the unseen spirits populating the site, as well as neutralize any negative forces and spiritual imbalance created during the construction of the 435-meter underpass.

Balinese Hindus believe that human beings share “ownership” of the land with the unseen spirits. It is a custom for Balinese families to erect a small shrine dedicated to these unseen spirits and make them offerings of food, cakes and even cigarettes. Balinese Hindus also believe that any manmade project, especially a large one, will always cause a spiritual imbalance and the birth of negative forces. A quarrel between construction workers, the continuous loud noise of heavy machinery and the silent or uttered curses spoken by motorists trapped in traffic congestion triggered by the project are some of the many factors that can disturb the spiritual balance.

“The pecaruan is a ritual of pacification aimed at cleansing the area from any negative forces,”ritual organizer Ida Bagus Purba Wijaya said.

During the pecaruan, the participants sacrificed several animals, including five chickens with different colored feathers, a goat, a piglet, a swan and a duck.

The second stage was the nyakepang karang ritual, during which the new, concrete-based structure of the underpass was integrated into the surrounding space and land making them a single, unified entity.

The last ritual was the melaspas, during which the high priest asked the divine to bless the underpass and protect the safety of the motorists who would use it.

“We appeal to the gods that the divine always keep a watchful eye on the motorists and ensure that they would be spared any calamities.”

The underpass project’s executive officer, Hendro Satrio, explained that the ceremony was conducted to respect local traditions and the Balinese Hindus. The construction of Dewa Ruci underpass is one of the resort island’€™s efforts to cope with the severe traffic congestion choking its main tourist routes. Construction began in December 2011 and trial operations began on May 8, while official operations started on May 20. The construction of the underpass cost around Rp 148 billion (US$15 million), funded by the state budget.

It is part of an expensive infrastructure overhaul designed for completion ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in early October. Around 21 heads of state are expected to attend the summit. The overhaul also includes the Rp 2.8 trillion expansion of Ngurah Rai Internatinal Airport and construction of the Benoa-Ngurah Rai-Nusa Dua toll road which has cost Rp 2.5 trillion.

Satrio said that the underpass would be officially inaugurated by Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto on June 14.

He added the underpass had had a positive impact on traffic congestion. “People can go to Kuta or Nusa Dua without being trapped in traffic jams at this intersection,” he said.

However, Satrio admitted that congestion at the Tuban intersection had become a new problem. “But the problem will soon be fixed when the new toll road begins operations,”he said.

Satrio said that as many as 3,000 vehicles were using the underpass per hour since it opened for traffic.

(This story has been published at The Jakarta Post on June 12, 2013)