The slogan of Bali, the most popular island of Indonesia, is “Bali Shanti Shanti Shanti”. Shanti means “peace and tranquility” in Sanskrit.. When you add the trio of sun, sea and sand on top of peace and tranquility, and think about the unique cultural richness of the island, it is easy to understand why it is such an attractive place for tourists.. Blessed with the prayers of Hindus, this island country welcomes tourists from all over the world.. life in Bali; man is characterized as a reflection of the peace between God and nature that surrounds him.. This peace and beauty has made Bali one of the most famous holiday destinations in the world.
They say that there is no day without a ceremony in Bali! Rituals are of great importance in Balinese Hinduism (Agama Hindu Dharma), which is a Balinese-specific understanding of Hinduzim. Rituals begin with birth and last until death.. In addition to rites such as birth, puberty, marriage, death, and cremation, there are also rites consecrated to temples. They honor their gods, ancestors and the temple with music and performances.
One of Balinese ceremonies and rituals, Room is one of them.. Every 5th, 10th, 30th, and 100th years, major celebrations are held for temples to honor the Balinese Gods, usually lasting 3 days.. Some of these rituals can be 11 days or longer.
On our motorcycle tour starting from Ubud, we first examined the art of gold and silver craftsmanship in Celuk Village, and then On the other hand, we lost our hearts on our motorcycles and discovered a beach of black sand.. We continued on our way to Mass Village, which is famous for its wood carving art, and there we examined the rare hand-carved art products in the art gallery.
The Penataran Sasih Temple, the largest temple of Mas Village. When we learned that there would be a rite of Odalan in (The Moon Temple), we decided to go there immediately.. The large area in front of the great temple had turned into a full fairground.
There were almost everything from ready-to-wear products to souvenirs, from batik products to sarongs, from souvenirs to toys at the stands. We paid 10,000 Rupiah (2 TL) for a bag full of food and ate while visiting the area.. To enter the temple, you have to wear what is called a sarong.. One-piece sarongs that wrap around your waist and are skirt-style are mandatory to wear during temple visits.. We went around the market, bargained for the sarong we liked, reduced the price of 150,000 Rupiah to Rp 90,000 and bought our sarongs for the pair.. Wrapping sarongs around our waists over our shorts, we went to Mas Hindu Temple.
This temple, located 6 km from Gianyar, is also known as the Temple of the Moon.. The gong in the temple, dating from 300 BC, with a width of 2 meters and cast in a single time, is considered the largest gong in South Asia and is more than 2000 years old.. The gong, considered the most important bronze age artifact of Indonesia, is in the shape of an hourglass, and its design and origin are estimated to date back to the Dong Son culture, which lived around 1500 BC around North Vietnam and South China. some of them are dressed in sarongs and their heads are bandaged. Columns and pillars and tree trunks clothed. There are colorful umbrellas all over again, the area smells pleasantly of incense.
There is an incredible atmosphere inside, smells, colors and activity are mixed together.. It pulls you deep inside, impossible to resist. Religious hymns, which you will liken to the sound of azan when you hear it for the first time, are sung from the loudspeaker.. There are family members who perform their kneeling ceremonies in sacred areas.. Everyone’s face is smiling.
There are high places where the old person, who is considered holy, sits in 3 different places in the temple.. Balinese who come to the temple visit these holy people first. This person sprinkles the holy water on the visitors and then, after the rice is taken from the plate in his hand and put into the mouth a little, they stick some of it on their foreheads and just below their necks. The women entering in rows with their clothes and fruit baskets prepared to be dedicated to the gods on their heads are the scene of incredible colorful images.
Every minute, every second, every moment you turn your head is full of photographic scenes.. With my iPhone in my hand and the camera I bought from my travel friend Farid, I ran around excitedly and tried to capture every moment.
An orchestra of about 20 people from one corner of one of the squares of the temple is incredibly impressive. they were playing music. This music was called Gamelan Music. It’s hard to describe that moment.
The harmony and sound created by the orchestra, mostly composed of women and almost all percussion instruments, is such that it puts people in a trance.. A unique sound, you can feel the music surround you as you videotape it.
Gamelan Music in Java Mythology by a guru named Sang Hyang, Maendra Mountain'< It is believed to have been created to sit on the throne and invite the gods.. For this, the guru who discovered the gong then made 2 more gongs to convey long messages.. Thus, the first original Gamelan Music set was created.
Currently, various gongs and drums, metallophones are used in the gamelan orchestra.. Bonang, obtained by arranging small gongs in a row, is one of the instruments producing the most dominant sounds, while Saron, played with metal or wooden hammers, is another main instrument.
The orchestra plays for approximately twenty minutes each, after a 10-minute break. then they were playing again. I went and listened to them every time they played for about 3 hours. When they took a break, I chatted with my friend Farid and visited other parts of the temple, watched and photographed those who came for worship.
Similar music was playing in three different places and simultaneously. Religious readings, which I likened to the sound of azan or quran reading from the loudspeaker, were mixing with each other, think about the atmosphere.. Here, you experience what many of the religious rituals make one feel. and comfort… It’s like they’re all focused on giving pleasure to all your senses.
We waited for the dance performances that will start at 9 in the evening.. It looked more like a public open-air cabaret than a dance show.. Farid got bored and ran away early, I watched with a little more patience and interest, but because I didn’t understand anything, I left there and went back to my hotel.
I spent more than 5 hours in the temple.. I ate good and cheap meals, bought sarongs, listened to ancient music that I lost myself while listening to it, saw many ceremonies and performances.. What more do I want, it’s called living!
Day 350: Indonesia:7, Bali, Ubud, 19 July 2011
