On the second day on April 15, 2017, the eyes opened only at five in the morning. At this time in India it would be only 2.30 o'clock in the night, but the biological clock in our body had completely synchronized with the local time. It was a different experience in itself to have tea in the morning with the whole family sitting on that lawn amidst rice fields. It cannot be described in words.
Me and Vijay soon got ready, took Putu's scooter and started again at eight in the morning towards the same vegetable market to buy milk and vegetables. It was a pleasant experience to walk through the rice fields on this quiet early morning. Bananas, papayas, dates and coconut trees laden with fruits on both sides of the road easily attracted attention.
Nrityaleen Barong
We had just walked some distance that we saw a procession coming on the way. We parked the scooter on the side of the road and started taking pictures of it. In the midst of the procession was dancing a giant cloth animal with a Varaha (boar) mask on its mouth. Inside the cloth were two men who were making such gestures with their hands and feet that he appeared to be dancing the gigantic Varaha and a melodious sound was coming out of the large brass bell lying around his neck. Some devotees walking around it were playing drums, manjires and local instruments in their hands, filling the surrounding environment with religious reverence. A woman was walking on bamboo poles with an ab pig carrying an umbrella made of cloth.
We were told that it is Barong who has come to the earth to wipe out evil spirits and is going from house to house eliminating the evils from there. According to another story, Barong is fighting an evil "Rangda" i.e. widow woman who is the root of all evil. This story is also associated with the princess of Java, Mahendradatta, who was the queen of the island of Bali and she had practiced Hinduism among the tribals of the island of Bali.
According to one interjection, Queen Mahendradatta used to do tantra-mantras, so King Dharmodayana of Bali expelled her from his palace. She went to live in the forest. On the death of King Dharmadayana, the queen became a widow. It is called "Rangda" in Bali. This word is very similar to the word "Rand" prevalent in medieval times for a widow woman in North India. We saw that the procession stopped in front of each house in turn, the dance of the barong intensified and the householders came out of the house and paid money to the priest who was accompanying the procession. Both the gesture of the pig dance and the music played by the procession were distinctive in their own right. We remember that Putu had told that today there is a big festival of Hindus which is called Gulangan. It became clear to us that this procession is part of Gulangan. We came to know that like the barong with the face of the Varaha, there also comes a mixed form of tiger and lion. It is considered a symbol of Shiva's power. He is also believed to destroy the evil spirits from the earth.
Souls come from heaven
The Balinese celebrate the festival of Gulangan as a celebration of the victory of Dharma over Adharma. It is believed that on this day the souls of ancestors from heaven also come to earth to celebrate. This festival can be compared with the Diwali festival celebrated by Hindus all over the world. We were told that this festival starts three days before the main day and goes on till eleven days after the main festival. Penykeban is celebrated three days before the main day. On this day, banana prasad is made in the house of every Hindu and offered to the deity. Penyajan is organized on the next day i.e. two days before the main day. On this day a cake made of fried rice is made and offered to the deities, which is called Jaja.
Penampahan is organized on the next day i.e. a day before the main festival. A feast is organized on this day in which pigs and chickens are slaughtered. On the next day of the main day, the male members of the family go from house to house in procession, dancing and singing along with the barong. The householders make decorations in front of their homes and go to each other's house to congratulate the festival and eat sweets. Ten days after the celebration of the festival, special congregational prayers are organized and farewell to the souls of ancestors who came from heaven to earth. A day after the departure of the ancestor spirits, people have fun. There is laughter, joy is celebrated. Since the traditional calendar of Bali is 210 days, this festival is celebrated after every ten months.
Bamboo is Bamboo
When we went a little further, our attention went to the tall bamboo in front of the houses, which used to go to a height of about 15-20 feet and again turn towards the earth. These are called panjores. Each bamboo was covered with colored cloth, papers and flowers. Along with bamboo, a small temple made of bamboo splints was hanging at a height of about five-six feet from the earth. Inside it was a statue in the form of a symbol of the deity, in front of which flowers, fruits and eggs of many colors were kept etc. Some of the bamboos were decorated so well and in such a grand way that the spectators could clench their fingers under the teeth seeing the bamboo artifacts. We understood that this decoration in front of every house is also an integral part of today's Gulangan festival. This is exactly the same as in India, candles are decorated outside the houses on the occasion of Diwali and Goddess Lakshmi is invoked by lighting a lamp at night. Lighting is also done by lighting a lamp in the Indrablaka on Panjor at night.
Disappointment again in vegetable market
We reached the vegetable market at around 9.30, but till then the vegetable market was not open. Only a few shops were open on which fruits were kept. We bought two local fruits originating on the island of Bali whose names we couldn't remember. The first of these fruits looked almost like the Indian lychee on the outside, but contained a large seed with a yellowish-scented and sweet pulp around it. The aroma of ripe jackfruit seeds was coming from it. The second fruit looked like a chikoo from the outside, but inside it was filled with a juicy pulp with small seeds, which was tasty and mildly sour. Since it was not possible to get vegetables, we bought those fruits and returned. We tried to buy milk box at some general stores but it was not available in any store.
Crow shaped turban
At exactly ten thirty, Putu came with his car. Today he was not in yesterday's dress. He wore local traditional clothes which were specially worn on the Gulangan festival. He was wearing a shirt like a white coat. There was a tahmad tied in a special style below the waist and a cap on the head in which some knots were made in the front to make such a shape that there was an impression of a bird sitting there. I guessed that the shape of this bird resembles that of the Indian crow.
Durga Puja
Another couple came with Putu. In her hand was a large basket made of bamboo splints in which small round plates made of bamboo were kept. In these plates, fruits like banana and apple, any dish like rice made from porridge and many types of flowers were kept. The woman was wearing very attractive clothes. She was a fair-skinned woman of medium stature who must have been barely 25 years old. He took out a round plate from his basket and placed it in a corner of the lawn in the topmost niche of a temple pillar made of black colored stones. Then lit two incense sticks in front of the same niche and bowed his head with folded hands in front of the temple.
When we looked into the puja plate kept inside the temple, we also saw a brown egg of a chicken among the flowers. We told Putu that eggs are not used in the worship of gods in India. Only flowers, fruits and sweets are offered. The Hindus of Nepal, like the Hindus of Bali, offer a chicken egg in the worship of God. We tried to know from that lady what this niche is called! But she did not understand a single word of English. Her husband also did not know English. Putu told us that this small pillared temple is called Tudukrang. It is built inside each house, in the front part. This is for the worship of Goddess Durga. Goddess Durga protects each and every house. This worship is being done for them.
Worship of Mother Earth
After worshiping Tudukrang, the woman placed a plate of worship on the ground in a corner of the lawn and lit two incense sticks there too. In this round plate also the worship material was kept similar to the previous plate. Putu told that the plate of worship placed on the earth is for the worship of Mother Earth, who protects us at all times.
Kaal Puja
Now it was the turn of Kaal Puja. Just as the tudukarang is built in the house premises for the worship of Goddess Durga, similarly on the island of Bali, Kalarau is built on the outside of every house, near the main gate. This is also a pillar temple made of black stone, in which Kaal is worshipped. In Bali, it is considered the god of death. It protects the main entrance of the house as well as the entire street.
I guessed that there is a temple of Durga inside the house and a temple of Shiva outside the house. In India too, Shiva is called Mahakal, the same Mahakal has come here and has become Kalarau. In India, Rau is called a king. Here also the young woman who worshiped offered a bamboo plate to Kalarau and lit two incense sticks. In this plate also there was a dish made of fruits and flowers and rice. After the temple of Kalarau, he placed a plate containing fruits and flowers on the earth as before and lit two incense sticks here too.
Indrablaka
After Kalrau, the woman offered a plate of worship to a small shrine hanging with tall bamboos nearby. Putu told that it is called Indrablaka. It has been made for the worship of Lord Indra. Lord Indra protects the entire locality. Indrablaka is made on the bamboo planted on the festival of Gulangan, it also resides permanently in every locality.
Putu recognized Sattu
We gave laddoos to the woman, her husband and daughter, who had come to worship in the temples built in the service apartment complex, which we had taken with us from India. All three of them were very happy after eating this Indian sweet. We guessed from the delight on their faces that this moment was nothing less than a celebration for them. After eating the laddus, Putu told us that in Indonesia this dish is called Satu. I remembered that in Rajasthan, the sattu made on the occasion of Teej is tied in the same way as laddus. Putu thought it to be the same Sattu.