As the sun sets and darkness replaces the illumination of the sunlight, night makes its way to the earth. “Night” is a phenomenon that all nations in the world have their own point of view, including Balinese. Balinese has their perspective on dealing with night. However, this perspective has greatly changed in the course 50 years due to modernization and tourism.

Title: The Dagger Attack On Rangda, Artist: I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Media: Ink and tempera on papper, Size: 24 x 33 cm, Year: 1939s, Courtesy: Neka Art Museum.

In the bygone days, night was considered as the time for supernatural beings, malignant spirits, bhuta kala, leak (witch) filled the darkness of the night. The older generation of Balinese see the night as a dangerous time for traveling outside the house compound, though the gamelan at that time was held in the evening but it never lasted until late at night.

What made the night so frightful in those days? Leak (witch) was the answer. Malignant spirits and bhuta kala are believed to be ferocious at dusk and the night is the time for the witches to exercise their magic and fighting among them. My mother and grandmother still can recall the night they watch a leak fight, though all they can see at that time is the collision of two balls of fire. (Covarrubias also gives an account of leak fight in Denpasar in his book “The Island of Bali”. Leak at that time also credited for harassing people who dared to go out during the nighttime.

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Finding the center of a village in Bali is an easy task, you only need to spot the distinctive huge dark ragged canopy of the banyan tree that rises head and shoulders above any other kind of vegetation on that area. Invariably, this tree usually grow right in the heart of the village, usually at a cross road or at a village temple. Banyan tree also grow in every cemetery, and every places that considered tenget (spooky or possessing magical power).

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Despite the rapid expansion of supermarket and mall, Peken (traditional market) still hold its ground. The peken (traditional market) in Bali can be found in each village especially in rural area. The meaning of the word “peken” is not “market” but equivalent to the words “gather” in English. The Balinese put the emphasis on the gathering side of the market activity. The peken (traditional market) is usually situated in the heart of the village, beside of village temple (usually on the south side of village temple), under the banyan tree or strategic open place. The peken (traditional market) is usually held everyday. Some peken (traditional market) is held on specific day, called “pasaran”, this “pasaran” comes every three day based on three days-week system (viz. pasah, beteng/pasaran, and kajeng), while the cattle market is held on Wednesday and Sunday.

The peken (traditional market) starts at 4 AM and subsides at 9 AM. The peken (traditional market) reaches its height at 6 to 7 AM. At that time the animation is very great and the market resound with excited bargaining, the constant coming and going of the people. The thousand smells of coconut oil, flowers, spices, and dried fish combine to make a pungent smell, the smell of traditional Balinese market. The peken (traditional market) subsides at 9 AM the buyers return home loaded with the merchandise they have bought and the merchants return home with empty basket and loaded pockets.

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