Every civilization on the face of earth developed its own tale on the cause of eclipse and Balinese has its own version on the cause of the eclipse, and developed a unique practice during an eclipse, though nowadays it is seldom practiced.

Kala Rahu swallowing the sun. Image taken from Bali Sekala Niskala Vol. 1, Fred B. Eiseman, Jr., page 66.

Balinese version of lunar and solar eclipse is taken from a famous section of Mahabharata epic that describes the join effort of gods and demons in churning the sea of milk in order to obtain the elixir of life (tirtha amertha), a holy water that can grant immortality. Using the huge mountain Mandara Giri as the mixer, the gods and demons churned the sea of milk, after truly epic labors, the tirtha amertha was produced on the side of demons. The demons brought the elixir to their base. The god Wisnu, the protector, disguised as a very beautiful girl deceived the demons and stole the tirtha amertha, before they got any chance to drink it. One of the demons, named Kala Rahu, changed his shape and infiltrated into the gods base to drink the holy water.

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Balinese religion, Hindu with all its numerous religious ritual and ceremonies depends largely on the nature for its survival. There is a constant demand leave – coconut leave, banana leave, bamboo leave, jackfruit leave virtually all leave native to Bali; flower – all flower that have fragrance scent and bright color; trunk – areca nut trunk, banana trunk, bamboo, etc. Sometimes even branch and twig are used in the ceremony. All parts of plant from most of the plants that grown in Bali are needed in the ceremony.

Animal just the same, thousands of chickens, hundreds of ducks and dozens of other animals are sacrificed each month in Bali, this small figure can be doubled when the month is full with auspicious day suitable for a ceremony. The biggest animal sacrifice in Bali is in Eka Dasa Rudra ceremony (a great exorcism once every a hundred years) where every sort of animal native to Bali, and that including everything from insect up to tiger, from turtle up to eagle is sacrificed in the ceremony. These never-ending animal sacrifices create a constant demand on the animal.

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It is interesting to have a researchers view on Balinese Religion. Here are an excerpt taken from Hildred and Clifford Geertz’s “Kinship of Bali”. this excerpt gives their view on Balinese religion.

In very general terms, Balinese religion can be characterized as “public,” “social,” and “civic.” Worship is, by and large, collective and external, a matter of visible dramatic actions. Private silent prayer, inward contemplation and persona religious speculation are all unusual, though they of course occur. There is, in general population, but sporadic concern for either theological or ethical reflection, for spiritual ecstasy, for divine communion, or for personal feeling of worshipful awe, and to the degree such interest are present in Bali among individual with a special bent for them, they are covert, implicit, unverbalized, and, at least until recently, socially unimportant.

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Holy water, the most important part of a Balinese ceremony, no ceremony is considered to be complete without the presence of Holy water. Holy water can be obtained either from natural sources or from the peranda (high priest). The natural resources of holy waters range from klebutan (spring), tukad (river), campuan (meeting of two or more river), loloan (estuary), danu (lake), and segara (sea).

Klebutan, spring is the most popular holy water source for temple anniversary, and rites for God. Not all spring is fit as holy water source, spring that is used as a holy water source is usually located on the sacred spot or near a temple. A Beji temple or at least a shrine is built near the spring that is used as a holy water source. Balinese who want to get a holy water from this spring must present a set of offering to this temple or shrine and ask permission from the the God who resides in this temple or shrine.

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Saturday, March 24, 2007, Balinese-Hindu follower will celebrate the sacred Tumpek Wayang day. The Tumpek Wayang takes its name from the name of week of its occasion. It is celebrated every 210 days, in the 27^th week of Balinese Pawukon cycle (a cycle consist of 30 weeks).

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The most important part of all Balinese ceremony is a Holy water. Holy water accompanies every act of Hindu-Balinese worship from individual devotion at household shrine to island-wide ceremonies. Holy water acts as an agent of the power of a God, a container of a mysterious force. It can be cleanse spiritual impurities, fend off evil forces, and render the recipient immune to the attacks of the negative, or demonic, influences. In Bali, holy water is not a symbol, it a material container of mystical power, and as such, is sacred and holy in and of itself. The holy water strengthens and purifies everything it touches. Although there are many kinds and potencies of holy water, no matter where or by whom it is made and no matter whether its quantity is great or small, holy water is always a sacred and powerful agent.

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