Bali, this february, is entering the ninth month of Caka lunar year which is known as Kesanga. The Kesanga is well-known as the worst month in a year which full of pestilences, swarms with bhuta kala or evil spirits, and the world ( in Balinese conception the island of Bali is the world) is littered with the wastes. The Kesanga is always related with the perils and disturbance by the Balinese.

In this month Balinese will perform many kinds of ceremonies is dedicated to pacify the evil spirits in order to reach the harmony. the grand payment to the evil spirits ceremony which is known as Tawur Agung is held in this month; each house compound performs a small payment ceremony (tawur) in front of their house, each hamlet holds a bigger payment ceremony, a bigger ceremony is held in village level which is performed in the biggest crossroad in that village. Bigger still is the payment ceremony that is performed in the district level and regency level, and the biggest one is held in the provincial level in the center of Denpasar.

(more…)

On Monday night (11/19/07), my village summon the village protecting deities, a Barong which is named Ratu Ngurah Sakti and a Rangda which is revered as Ratu Istri to protect the village and all its inhabitants from the annual invasion of the king of demons, Ratu Gede Nusa and his army which spread plague and pestilence all over the island of Bali especially the south west coast of Bali. Monday (11/19/07) was chosen to be the time of summoning ritual since that day was a kajeng kliwon, an auspicious day which is believed to be full of magical power and it is occurred on the sixth month of Caka year (Kaenem), the month which is believed to be the month of invasion, the month of pestilence (this year Kaenem starts on 11/10/07 and last until 12/9/07).

The main ritual began around midnight; the protecting deities, ratu Ngurah Sakti and Ratu Istri were escorted to the main crossroad of the village. The deities stood on the center of the crossroad and given special offerings, a chicken was sacrificed for the deities. The main crossroad of the village was chosen to be the venue of ceremony since main crossroad in any Balinese village is the center of the village, the central point for community activities and ceremonial events. The crossroad is an open space where the four cardinal points meet and considered to have an extraordinary magical power as well as a strategic point to release the magical power of the deities to four cardinal points.

(more…)

Crossroad is one of many revered and feared spot in Bali. offering are given to the spirits who dwell on that crossroad sometimes a statue is erected as a symbolization to honor the spirit in that place and as a guardian to ensure the safety of passing people.

The main crossroad in any Balinese village becomes the center of the village, the central point for community activities and ceremonial events. Palace, market and village temple are build around the crossroad since the intersection is an open space where the four cardinals points meet so it is easy to be reached from all parts of the village.

(more…)