Divine rage is a belief in which deities and ancestors may punish one for one’s actions, especially in relation with religious ethic or ritual such as failure to perform a cremation, failure to fulfill a promise to the deities, forgetting a particular offering, entering temple while one is in spiritually unclean state, etc. The punishment does not take the form of a judgment in the afterworld, but in the form of illness, misfortune or death.

This idea divine rage (kaduken, or kasalahang) is still feared by most of Balinese. It is provides an effective social and moral controlling device which ensures the obedience of the Balinese to religious ethic and sometimes contribute to the continuity of the performance of the religious ritual and at the end fear of divine rage support directly to the preservation of Balinese culture though in uncomfortable way.

(more…)

Today, Monday, 4/2/2007, concur with the full moon of the tenth month (Kadasa) of Balinese Caka calendar, the great ceremony Bhatara Turun Kabeh (Gods descend all together) is held in Besakih, the mother temple of Bali.

flickr.com/photos/48298078@N00/

The Bhatara Turun Kabeh ceremony is held once a year on the full moon of Kadasa, and a grand Bhatara Turun Kabeh ceremony is held once every five years. The ceremony last for over a week. Balinese believe that when this ceremony is held when the Gods of all the temples on Bali gather in the main temple (Penataran Agung) of Besakih temple complex.

(more…)