Bali Travel Info

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Tumpek Wayang is the very special ceremony for artists and their crafts on the island of Bali.

Bali is the island of never ending ceremonial activities.  If you are in Bali on June, you are very lucky to experience the Tumpek Wayang.  This ceremony will held this Saturday June 4, 2016 all over the island.

 Tumpek Wayang is also called Tumpek Ringgit, (the word Ringgit literally means carve) indicating that something is carved and has artistic value and sanctity.  This Saturday, the Balinese worship God in the temples and at homes with special offerings to purify their crafts and consecrate their puppets, gamelan music, dance costumes, Barong, and masks to ask the holy spirits for energy (Taksu) perform on stage. 

Tumpek Wayang is connected to Sapuh Leger mythology, Lord Siwa and Dewi Uma engage in improper sexual intercourse, leading to the birth of Lord Kala. This birth is considered “wrong” or salah wetu, and people who were born during this time are also considered wrongly born with sickly and unwanted properties.   It is believed that for those wrongly born persons are cleansed and protected from unwanted qualities and the wrath of Lord Kala.  The family will make special offerings and accompany with the Wayang Sapuh Leger performance

Here is the Sapuh Leger mythology:

“One day Lord Siwa was having a leisurely walk on the beach with his wife Dewi Uma when the wind blew and Dewi Uma was exposed. At the sight of her beauty, Lord Siwa became lustful and wooed the goddess to make love. Lord Siwa’s semen then fell into the ocean and was discovered by Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu and was given a mantra. From this mantra-infused sperm, an ogre was born named Lord Kala. To honor his son, Lord Siwa gave Lord Kala a boon that he may prey on people who are born during Tumpek Wayang. Later, Lord Siwa had another son named Kumara who was born on Tumpek Wayang. In accordance with Lord Siwa’s boon, Lord Kala was permitted to eat Kumara even though Siwa did not want this to happen. Nevertheless, Lord Kala chased Kumara and they came across a shadow puppet performance. Kumara then hid behind the shadow puppeteer. Lord Kala eventually caught up and since he was so hungry he ate all of the offerings in front of the shadow puppet screen. This made the shadow puppeteer very angry and he demanded that Lord Kala give his offerings back. Since Lord Kala could not, he promised not to prey on the people who born on Tumpek Wayang if they had organized a ceremony and staged a Wayang Sapuh Leger performance.”  Balinese Mythology

In my village, the celebration of Tumpek Wayang is preceded by the maseselat ritual that is held on Friday, June 3, 2016. The offering for maseselat ritual consists of thorny pandan wong leaf (Pandanu leaves) and laluun pabuan (all spices in the betel chew box). It is also completed with coconut shells for containing adem (spittle and betel residue). Pandan wong leaf will be painted with the image of tampak dara using the spittle and betel residue, then the painted pandan wong leaf is hung in front of the gate of the house compound. The meaning of maseselat ritual is to plead forkerahayuan (welfare) and kedirgayusaan (long life), free from disruption of Kala.

Saturday night, there will be a purification ceremony, dance offering, trance ceremony, and prayers for ruwatan ceremony for all artists in my village.  I too will perform the sacred dance.