Saraswati Day Ceremony | Celebration of Knowledge in Hinduism

Saraswati Day is Celebrated Every 210-Days

On May 02th, 2015, Hindu's followers in Bali celebrate Saraswati Day, the day to worship God in his manifestation as the master of all knowledge every six moths which's based on Balinese calendar, called pawukon on Saniscara Umanis Watugunung. This is a time to give their great honor to the knowledge.

Balinese Hindu believes that knowledge is an essential medium to achieve the goal of life as a human being. Saraswati Day is celebrated to honor God as source of the knowledge. God, in this particular celebration, is manifested as Saraswati Dewi, Goddess Saraswati. She is depicted as a beautiful lady with four hands holding a musical instrument, meditation bead chain, as well as palm leaf manuscript. Many times the Saraswati is depicted to be standing on the swan. The beautiful lady is a symbol that the knowledge is attractive by many people. The musical instrument symbolized the knowledge is entertaining, the more you are into it the more beautiful and interesting it can be. The manuscript (or book) is where the knowledge is kept. The chain is a symbol that knowledge is never finish to learn, there is no beginning and ending.

In Bali Saraswati Day also has various religious steps before and after the actual day. Six days before Saraswati is Pemelastali, a day to free our selves from worldly desire. Four days and the following days before Saraswati are called Paid Paidan, Urip and Patetegan which mean days to control desire, constantly do introspection by holding the purity of the knowledge. On day before Saraswati is called Pengeredanaan,a day to prepare Saraswati Day both spiritually and physically. Book are collected, cleaned and placed in properly places. Special offerings are made to be used for the following celebration.

Saraswati Day is celebrated every 210-days on Saniscara Umanis Wuku Watugunung based on Balinese Pawukon (cycles) calender. On the actual day of Saraswati, offering are placed on the books and shrines. Worships are held at the temples in family compound, villages, businesses and others from morning to noon. Prime worships are held in school's temples attended by its student and teachers. In the afternoon and evening is a good time to held religious discussion.

The following day of Saraswati is called Banyupinaruh, a day to have spiritual and physical cleansing. Normally Balinese will go to nearby beaches or water spring or river to have the special bathing. Worship will also be held in the village temples or other respective temples afterward.The Hindus in Bali usualy doing this celebrated at the morning.

Happy Saraswati Day, On May 02th 2015

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Unique Tradition Before Silent Day

(Tawur Agung Kesanga Day On 20th March)

In Bali Tawur Agung Kesanga is a Hinduism spiritual ceremony which aims to purify, and cleansing the earth. Tawur Agung Kesanga is held a day before the celebration of Balinese New Year Nyepi. Its on Tilem Kesanga , new moon of ninth month based on Balinese calendar.

The Tawur Agung Kesanga ceremony is followed by Pengrupukan, the purification of the home environments, Banjar, village, and so on, which is done by spreading offerings, flame torch, and sounding objects to make noise: drums, bells, ceng-ceng, kulkul ,balinese gambelan, etc., in order to control the Bhuta Kala the evil spirit , so the next day the Nyepi celebration would take place peacefully.

The Tawur Agung Kesanga ceremony is held at the main crossroad or central meeting point of four directions. Its called “Catus Pata” in Balinese. In our village it is located just in the front of Keramas traditional market.

This ritual was going well. After we completed this ritual, many young people from all over the village came here and carried their Ogoh-Ogoh, a giant replica doll – symbol of evils (Bhuta Kala) and placed them around the area of ​​Catus Pata. Later in the evening or sandikala, from this point they started the Ogoh-Ogoh parade marched through over the village and end up to the grave and burned the Ogoh-Ogoh.

The next day, on Nyepi day, the Hinduism hold the Catur Berata Penyepian.Nyepi is celebrated by doing nothing, people stayed in the house implement Catur Brata Penyepian, that are amati geni (not light a fire), amati karya (not working), amati lelungan (not traveling), and amati lelanguan (no fun). The streets will look lonely without a vehicle, and no activity of the people who look. Around of Bali will no activity even the airport and television channel.

Happy Balinese New Year (Nyepi Caka 1937) !

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photos of Ogoh-Ogoh, a giant replica doll

Ngerebeg Ceremony

Ngerebeg Ceremony

Abstract Ngerebeg Tradition is an old tradition which is located in Munggu village, Mengwi district, and Badung regency. The tradition should keep by the young generation because many of them never understand what the mean of the tradition. Within this problem, the researcher chooses “Keep Ngerebeg tradition as preventive of army at Munggu village by design of visual communication” as his title of the final project.

In addition, in the effort to keep of this tradition each of the media’s visual communication has a different role and function as for a promotion strategy. Therefore, it needs conceptual and visual planning which is appropriate with the ethic code to keeping this tradition. The design is purposed for getting media of visual communication which is effective, communicative, and suitable with the criteria of designing for completing Ngerebeg tradition. Besides, it also increases our knowledge; in addition, it can improve this tradition in the largest area. The data which was obtained from the observation, interview, literary, and documentation at Ngerebeg tradition is adjusted with the promotional strategy, by the research method. 

Theory which was applied in this study was semiotic designer theory. So, the data was processed by the analysis of descriptive qualitative and synthesis until the basic concept of design was acquired. “Tradition” is the relevant basic concept which is used in designing process for the design of visual communication for keeping of Ngerebeg tradition. The concept is suitable with the purpose of keeping Ngerebeg tradition. In designing process, it is already determined the precise and appropriate media such as banner, sticker, ballyhoo and many other media. In the project will be prepared, there are three main points such as icon, index and symbol.

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