If you happen to be in Bali today, you will have a chance to see cars, motorcycles and bicycles all over the island are adorned with beautiful coconut-leaf decorations. Today, Balinese celebrate Tumpek Landep holiday; a holiday in which Balinese hold a ceremony as a homage to god Pasupati, the lord of steel implements and to express their gratitude to all steel implements which help Balinese in their everyday live.

In the bygone days, Tumpek Landep ceremony was only dedicated to weapons which made of steel such as Kris daggers, spears, swords and so on, especially the weapons that has been “pasupati-ed”, or invested with magical power. Actually, the word ‘landep’ is a high Balinese dialect means ‘sharp’ and usually associated with weapon.

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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.

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Balinese Hinduism is very much a living organism. It is alive. And the visible sign of it is its never-ending adaptation with the Desa (place), Kala (time), Patra (circumstance), the results of this adaptation is numerous variations of Balinese Hinduism, especially in the field of ritual and ceremony. Each village (desa) has its own version of a ritual and may have a wide difference with the neighboring villages.

This time, however, I will not point out the adaptation of Balinese Hinduism in the concept of place but rather in a framework of time and circumstance, and one of numerous example of this adaptation is the Tumpek Landep that will be celebrated on Saturday, 4/28/2007.

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Balinese believe that good and evil, right and left, gods and demons are banded into two opposing faction, constantly at war but depend on each other as a unity. To counterbalance the healthy influence of the gods who produce cleanliness, luck and fertility, there are evil spirits responsible for all illness and misfortune. If there is no demon, the god will also ceased to exist; there is nothing that can be called ‘good’ if there is no ‘evil’. This concept of duality in unity (rwa bhineda) is applied in almost every part of Balinese daily life, man and woman, day and night, happy and sad, etc.

Balinese believe that their action will be reciprocated, an eye for an eye. When a Balinese help someone he believes that someday someone will help him. Another example is the cremation ceremony. There is a compulsion to help other in the time of death since some day our turn and of that our family members will come and we want other to help us in a same compulsion. A breech in this reciprocated cycle is heavily punished by the society. The worst punishment for this breech is expelled from society, for Balinese this punishment is a living hell, worst than dead.

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The Balinese lunar calendar is filled with auspicious days of religious and cultural significance. There will be yet another ceremonial occasion on Saturday, September 30, 2006 known as Tumpek Landep.

The word ‘landep’ in the high-caste Balinese dialect means ‘sharp’ and traditionally this day is where tools and family heirlooms of weaponry, such as sacred swords or keris (double edged dagger with wavy blade), are sanctified.

Although not every Balinese family owns a keris, those who do treat it with respect. Historically a keris was not just seen as a mere weapon, it was revered for possessing protective magical powers and was an indication of social status. Keris that date back to the Majapahit era are renowned and have become collectors’ items around the world. The keris is a symbolic part of the male costume in many traditional Balinese dances as well as being part of a groom’s wedding attire.

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The keris, or traditional dagger, is an Indonesian heritage that dates back centuries and is considered an important cultural identity for the different regions of the archipelago. The main function of the keris was as a weapon to protect the bearer from danger. Used predominantly by males, the keris was a symbol of social status worn on a belt around the waist or sometimes concealed on other parts of the body.

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