A permanent exhibition room in Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA) is immortalized as Anak Agung Made Djelantik Room to honour Anak Agung Made Djelantik’s dedication for art and culture of Bali especially Balinese painting. This permanent exhibition room houses the watercolor paintings of Anak Agung Made Djelantik, the founder of Bali Walter Spies Foundation and the Honorary President of German Walter Spies Society. A strong bond between Walter Spies and Anak Agung Made Djelantik is showed by the position of this new room that is next to Walter Spies Room.

Left to Right: Bulan Trisna Djelantik (the doughter), Anak Agung Rai (owner of ARMA), Horst Jordt (President Walter Spies Society Germany), and the picture of Anak Agung Made Djelantik

The watercolor paintings of Anak Agung Made Djelantik which are exhibited here depict the fateful events in Anak Agung Made Djelantik life, from early in the childhood up to retirement years. The theme of the paintings range from the black magic to culture shock, from temple to boat race, in short the themes of the paintings cover all aspects of Anak Agung Made Djelantik life.

(more…)

Saturday (11/23/07), Balinese celebrate Tumpek Landep ceremony. The Tumpek Landep, is a holyday dedicated to the Sanghyang Pasupati, the God of steel implements especially the weapon that has been “pasupati-ed”, or invested with magical power. On this day Balinese show their gratitude to the Sanghyang Pasupati and all the steel implements that make Balinese life easier and safer. Actually, the word ‘landep’ is a the high Balinese dialect means ‘sharp’ and usually associated with weapon. Traditionally, on this day tools and family heirlooms of weaponry, such as sacred swords or keris (double edged dagger with wavy blade), are sanctified. But as the time passed a great change occur in celebration of this holyday.

At first, on this holy day only the weapons that have magical power, especially sacred Kris and spear given a veneration and special offering, early in the morning these weapons are washed with water of yellow coconut (nyuh gading) and dried with a clean new piece of cloth. Then they are wrapped with wastra (a clean holy cloth) and a sasap (a symbolic accessory made of young coconut leaf) are tied on each weapon. After that they are placed in a special place, given a special offering, and sprinkled with holy water and yellow coconut water.

(more…)

Most Balinese believes that their bodies, like an electric battery, accumulates a magic energy called ‘kesaktian’ that enables them to withstand the attack of evil powers, human or supernatural, that seek constantly to undermine their health. This ‘kesaktian’ is not evenly divided; some people are born with a capacity to store higher charge of magic than others. Balinese believe that women has greater capacity then men, someone who born on a certain day and someone who born with a deformity is believed to have stronger magical power than ordinary human. Some people are believed to be born with stronger magical power inherited from their previous life.

Balinese have a firm belief that ‘kesaktian’ can be trained to produce various magical ability such as changing shape, flying spreading disease, etc, by undergoing ascetical life, meditation and systematic study of the arts of magic (kawisesan). The magic energy (kesaktian) can be used for various purposes, people whose heart are wicked use the magic science to harm their enemies, or satisfy their curiosity on magic by using their neighbors as specimens for their magical experiments.

(more…)

In a ceremony to celebrate temple anniversary, one will likely has a chance to witness a singular and very striking form of Balinese religious expression which is known as Onying, in which the temple congregation, usually young men and elderly women, sometimes a few male priests are ‘visited’ by the gods and dance in a ecstatic ‘trance’ state, while carrying heirloom kris daggers, and spears. The entranced dancers often inhale quantities of incense before becoming possessed.

There is no exact pattern or movements in this dancing but the men dance orderly enough at the beginning with the steps and gestures somewhat resembling ceremonial war dance (Baris dance). Suddenly one of the dancers starts crying, then several, and then all the dancers shout; their bodies taut and shaking with tension. Their daggers or spears are extended high in their right hand and brandished. Then the dancers press the daggers into their chests; use all their might to stab themselves. Some dancers hurl themselves to the ground as they try, uselessly, to pierce their throats with their spears.

(more…)

Heirlooms in Bali are found in the forms of magically powerful weapons (pajenengan) such as dagger (kris), spears (tumbak), whips (pecut), etc; palm leaves manuscripts (lontar); metal plates inscribe with a piece of sacred text on various themes (prasasti); jewelries; rare coins and precious stones. Some Balinese also consider various kinds of poisons (cetik), their antidotes (usada cetik), potion (lelengisan), pieces of various rare woods that are believed to be imbued with magical power and parts of rare animals as heirlooms.

(more…)

For Balinese, security is a vital aspect of life especially the security of religious ceremony, to ensure the security of their religious ceremony, a traditional security force called pecalang. The word “pecalang” is derived from the word “celang” that means “vigilant”. They are easily recognized by their cloths, their trademark uniform is, black and white checkered waistcloths, carrying keris daggers with black or checkered headdress.

(more…)