Odalan at Jegu

Dec 28, 1995

Desa Adat Jegu, a traditional Balinese village in the district of Tabanan, celebrates the Odalan ("birthday") of its Village Temple (Pura Puseh) on Dec 28, 1995. Today also happens to be "Manis Galungan", the festive and celebration day following the Galungan Day. (Galungan is New Year, according to the Pawukon 210-day Calendar Cycle, and it's another whole story.)

People began to crowd in around noon; every woman in the family brought in their delicately constructed towers of offerings. The men are all dressed in white or ivory shirts with bright yellow cloth wrapped around their waists. The coordinating team took their places, with a touch of modernity showing with the walkie-talkie in the hands of the five "Pecalang" (guards). They are dressed in black, round-collar shirts, highlighted with red stripes along the shoulders and arms. A red and black, checkered sarong wraps around each guard. A woman orchestra team practiced the music, coloring the sunny air along with the fragrance of incense.

We arrived late, at around four o'clock, when the procession is about to return from Yeh Paneh, a host spring about two km from the temple, to perform a cleansing ritual ("Mekis"). When the procession started to enter my line of sight, two lines of about 20 young girls, between the age of four to ten, stood solemnly ready on the narrow road in front of the temple, each with a silver tray of offerings filled with flowers and a burning stick of incense (only for the older girls). In front of them, several older women formed similar position. These two groups will welcome the procession back with the sacred Rejang dance.

The kulkul in the corner tower of temple sounded, and the vibrant sound of Balinese cymbals accentuated the tapestry created by the sounds of xylophones and gongs of the orchestra. And the dancers moved in unison; the offerings on their right hand lifted up, hips protruded to the left, and heads moved left and right. The "Pemangku" (Priest) of the temple sat in the middle of the narrow road, with burning offerings in front of him to start sending the procession away. The procesion started to move, led by a small group of musicians; a row of drummers, a row of cymbalists, and followed by others who carried gongs and other instruments. On each side, a line of young and old men carrying a tall banana-leaf shaped flag guards the procession. Following the musicians, a number of people marched, each was holding to a piece of long, white cloth, symbolizing unity among the people of the village. Behind them two towering, red with gold umbrellas follow, keeping in shade a red, intricately carved wooden structure that symbolizes the place of a god.

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