PELANGKIRAN, AN APPRECIATION OF COMMUNITY APPROACHES IN PEDAWA VILLAGE IN SUSTAINING TRADITION

Anak Agung Gde Djaja Bharuna S

Architecture’s Dept, Facultay of Tecnic-Unud- Bukit Jimbaran

djajabharuna@unud.ac.id.

Abstract

Pedawa village is one of the old villages (“Bali Aga/Bali Mula”), located in Banjar District, Buleleng Regency. This village has a history and traditions that are different from other villages in Buleleng Regency. One tradition that is preserved and only by the Pedawa Village community, is the embodiment of annihilation. An effort to reward the community for the existence of the creator. Traditions are inherited empirically, from generation to generation, through the parum of village elders (tetua). Decisions that are preserved wisely and in the context of close togetherness, so as to have norms that are tradition Currently in Pedawa Village is being developed so that it can be promoted to become a tourist destination in the North Bali Region, because it has considerable potential in the cultural / social sectors, such as customs and traditions with a variety of local wisdom. One of them is the existence of pelangkiran, as a form of appreciation for the people of Pedawa Village in preserving their ancestral traditions. This paper aims to examine how the attitudes/views of the Pedawa Village community appreciate and preserve the traditions of the elders/ancestors, especially the context of the existence of the form of immersion as a representation of the religious function of the community. Departing from the changes that occur in traditional housing in Pedawa Village today for the continuity of traditional residential houses can still survive until now.

Keywords: Pelangkiran, Parum, Local Wisdom, Sustaining Tradition.

1     INTRODUCTION

Indeed, “pelangkiran” has long been an option to stimulate “Ida Sang Hyang Widhi” in its most practical manifestations, easily made, obtained or placed, and fulfills the flexibility of its function in its simplicity. Sri Rsi Anandakusuma (1986) in the Balinese Language Dictionary, defines the word pelangkiran as a place of prayer placed in a room. Slaughter becomes the center of the religious orientation of Hindus in all  professions (swadharma), so that their existence can easily be found in rooms in a broad sense, such as: bedrooms, work rooms, holy rooms, warung’s, mobile carts, on the market, even in in the car.

The shape of the immersion resembles the upper part of the “pelinggih padma”. Pelinggih Padma itself archeologically is estimated to develop from a form of worship of the pre-historic stone throne. Sutaba (1995) estimates that the compound stone throne has left-right hand and back support, along with the development of the cult system as a form of “jempana, gayot / joli”, and container (“bade”) and develops vertically into “padmasana”.

This development directs the understanding of immersion is also symbolic of the mountain. The hilltops and mountains are believed to be the stana of the ancestral holy spirits as well as the manifesting gods of God since the pre-historical era of the Archipelago's ancestors, and are increasingly being glorified by Hindus in Bali. Slaughter is one of the stabilizations of a mountain peak that was cultured into His stance, in addition to pelinggih forms that are more permanent in Hindu worship architecture.

Pedawa Village is one of the old villages (Bali Aga / Bali Mula), located in Banjar District, Buleleng Regency. The Pedawa Village community claims that its citizens are native to Bali. This village has a history and traditions that are different from other villages in Buleleng Regency.

One tradition that is preserved and only by the Village Pedawa community, is the embodiment of annihilation. An effort to reward the community for the existence of the Creator. Traditions are inherited empirically, from generation to generation, through the parum of village elders. Decisions that are preserved wisely and in the context of close togetherness, so as to have norms that are tradition. One of the factors is because in Pedawa Village  there is no caste system like in Bali in general. Everyone has an equal position. There only knows the term village elders (tetua), who were chosen indirectly by the village community.

Currently in Pedawa Village is being developed so that it can be promoted to become a tourist destination in the North Bali Region, because it has considerable potential in the cultural / social sectors, such as customs and traditions with a variety of local wisdom. One of them is the existence of pelangkiran, as a form of appreciation for the people of Pedawa Village in preserving their ancestral traditions.

Along with the rapid population growth in Bali, especially not from the increase in natural population but from the flow of migration from outside the island of Bali, changes in patterns and forms and spaces in traditional Balinese homes cannot be avoided, including in Pedawa Village.

This paper aims to examine how the attitudes / views of the Pedawa Village community appreciate and preserve the traditions of the elders / ancestors, especially the context of the existence of the form of immersion as a representation of the religious function of the community. Departing from the changes that occur in traditional housing in Pedawa Village today for the continuity of traditional residential houses can still survive until now.

1.1        Overview of Pedawa Village

1.1.1    Historical

There are several names related to Pedawa such as, Mount Tambleg, Gunung Sari and Pedawa. According to some unwritten sources (stories), that the current area called “Pedawa”, originally called Gunung Tambleg which means: “Tambleg” means innocent (“belog polos”). This name is related to the state of thought of the village community which at that time was still simple. Then the name changed to the name Gunung Sari. This name is allegedly due to people's lives at that time from tapping water / juice of the “sari” (jaka tree) to be made into sugar called sugary sugar (Sari). So the results of the plantation at that time were sugar palm juice. The name Gunung Tambleg is gradually being rarely used and then never used again, whereas the name Gunung Sari is still used today but only during the ceremony (“nganteb upakara”). Another story mentions, the name Pedawa is closely related to the Sanding Inscription with a period of Saka ± 1072 (± 1150, BC), Sri Maha Raja Jaya Sakti which resides in Andekarang (Mount Lempuyang) which is often referred to by 'the nickname' “Maha Raja Bima or Sri Bayu”, visited the area / villages in Bali, because he had a guesthouse in Bantiran where he stayed when going to Java. Given the Bantiran area is close to Pedawa, then Maha Raja Bima, may have been to Pedawa. In the character of the puppet characters “Bima” is a very well-known Pendawa family, then there is an assumption from the Pedawa community that the surrounding villages, such as; Gobleg Village is a descendant of “Dharma Wangsa”, “Bima” descendant Pedawa Village, Tigawasa Village of “Arjuna” descent, Village Cempaga descendant of “Nakula“, and Sidatapa Village of “Sahadew” descent, thus the story is empirically linked between “Bima-Pandawa” puppet characters and current Village Pedawa names / identities .

According to the Babad Kayu Selem mentioned in the name Pedawa appeared in the Year ± 1350-1380, in the historical record was during the reign of the Dinasty Sri Kresna Kepakisan. This is the history of the Pedawa Village with the names of Mount Tambleg, Gunung Sari, Pandawa and Pedawa being carried out until now.

1.1.2    An overview of Pedawa inhabitants

Given the few data sources available, the development of the Pedawa community is very far from perfect. The area of  Pedawa now seems to have been inhabited by humans in the Megalithic era (Big Stone). This can be proven from the findings of the sarcophagus in Insakan Hamlet (Bantang Cepaka). According to the story at that time in the Mayong area which would be made into a village with lateng graves where sarcahs were found. Because “Hyang Kawi” was not permitted where the community was disturbed by ants, the community moved again to Pedawa Village now.According to the story of the elderly / elders of  Pedawa Village that the inhabitants of Pedawa were from Tamblingan, when linked to the power of Tamblingan around the year 915-936, according to the Gobleg Inscription, it was mentioned that the people of Tamblingan who came to Pedawa were not the first people in Pedawa. But there already seems to be people in Pedawa considering the sarcophagus, so apparently there is a combination of the Balinese Aga people and the Tamblingan people. People of Pedawa are descendants of the Balinese Aga. The descendants of  Sri Markandya's followers. Given the “Pura Telage” there is a pelinggih called “Pura Gunung  Raung”. Even though the native population is not necessary, more in-depth research is needed. Next came residents from outside the hiding area ke'wangsa'an (nyineb wangsa), maybe the arrival was to Pedawa because they were looking for a place of hiding because they lost the war or the family quarrel or also searched for new areas. As explained above, the Pedawa people are now not impossible to mix from the Bali Aga inhabitants with Tamblingan migrants and those who came later.

1.2        Physical Village and Building Typology

Pedawa Village is in an elevation position ranging between 450-800 meters above sea level. This village is located at a distance of 12 km from the City of Banjar District and 30 km from the City of Buleleng, Singaraja. This village is one of several old villages located in Banjar District, Buleleng Regency.

This village has been around since the Megalithic era with historical evidence of two sarcophagus, found in the Banjar Dinas Ingsakan region and the Jinjit region that still exists today. Pedawa village map can be seen in figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Map of Pedawa Village

Source: Prajnawrdhi , 2016

This traditional residential house in Pedawa Village has its own uniqueness both in terms of shape, building materials and patterns and functions of space in this house. The shape and pattern of space in the traditional village of Pedawa has a close relationship with the views and patterns of life of the local community. The traditional Pedawa Village is a single building that has various functions in the house. There are two types of traditional houses, namely (1) which have  pole/”Saka 18” called “Bandung Rangki “and (2) who have pole/”Saka 16” called “Sri Dandan”. All existing space functions do not have a wall boundary but merge between spaces with one another and have empty space right in the middle of the building.

Figure 2 : House of Pedawa Village

In every traditional house always has a holy place which is located outside the house and is in the upstream of a house made of bamboo called “Sanggah Kemulan Nganten” which means a holy place to worship ancestors and Betara-betari for married families. Every Pedawa villager who is married and forms a family is obliged to have Sanggah Kemulan Nganten. A building of a holy place that is located outside the house and has a position in the upper reaches of “Pedeman Gede”, and does not depend on the position of the direction of a particular wind eye as in a traditional Balinese traditional house. Its function is to worship ancestors, gods that are located in the holy temple of “Dang Kahyangan” in Bali and Ida “Sang Hyang WidiWasa” / God Almighty.

Figure 3: Sanggah Kemulan Nganten

Worship of ancestors is also specifically made in a house whose position is in the ceiling of a traditional house right above the parents' bed, and this place of worship is called Pelangkiran. Another sacred place inside the house is “Pelangkiran” which is right above Pedeman Gede. “Pelangkiran” serves as a place to worship ancestors and conduct religious worship.

Figure 4 :Pelangkiran in hulu PedemenGede

2     DISCUSSION

2.1        Literacy

“Pelangkiran” is one of God's worship media used by Hindus, especially in Bali. The shape is simple and practical, with material in the form of wood and attached to the wall. Then, what is the reason for making annulment, when you have had a sanggah merajan?

Slaughtering is estimated to originate from the word "Langkir" which means the same as the mountain. Therefore, Mount Agung in Bali used to be called ”Gunung Tolangkir” or “Tohlangkir”. Mountain is the upstream symbol according to the upstream (“hulu-teben”) concept which connotes the base-peak, upstream-downstream, up-down, and so on. With this upstream concept, life exists and takes place, because both are inseparable from the concepts of  “purusha” and “pradana”, namely the psychological and material elements that cannot be separated during life.

In addition, there are also those who associate the word "Langkir" with one of “wuku”. “Wuku Langkir” is said to be the time of  birth of  “Bhatara Kala”, Shiva's son. According to the Postgraduate Director of Denpasar IHDN, Dr. Drs. I Ketut Sumadi, M.Par, in terms of the shape of  “Pelangkiran” similar to “Padmacapah”. It is stated that, such a form means its function "pangayatan". Pangayatan is meant to worship God, his manifestations, or ancestors from one place because of physical distance.

For example, to worship “Ida Bhatara Gunung Agung”, in most temples in Bali a special “palinggih” was made to worship him, so the palinggih was called “Palinggih Pangayatan Ida Bhatara Gunung Agung”.

Interestingly, pelangkiran by Hindus in Bali is not only placed in one place, but can be every room, kitchen, shop, and even a car. Certainly returning to the initial essential function, namely pangayatan. Regarding this, it doesn't matter. It is precisely in line with the beliefs of the people to get closer to God in certain manifestations related to the interests of the people. If the pelangkiran is placed in the bedroom, which is written by “Ida Bhatara Semara Reka and Semara Ratih”, so that the life of the household becomes harmonious. Especially for the bedroom, the immersion function is believed to be related to mythology “kanda pat”. As in “Aji Maya Sandhi's” ejection, it was stated that in the past you had come out while sleeping. Kanda Pat then haunted and actually disturbs people sleep. Finally, made a cut as their “sthana”, so that it no longer interferes with people sleep, but instead protects the human being so that he can avoid the catastrophe during sleep. Therefore, pelangkiran in rooms is placed in the direction of the head of the bed.

2.2        Study

It can be explained that traditional houses in the Pedawa Village are unique in that they prioritize the worship of ancestors and the ‘gods and goddesses’ that are located in the holy temples of Dang Kahyangan in Bali.

Ritual which is a cultural attribute is a very important factor in a particular society order that produces a setting, both public and private, and produces a certain spatial structure (Knowles, 1996). Sacred spaces which are usually used for ritual activities remain consistent as centers of orientation and identification for humans and constitute a spatial structure (Norberg-Schulz, 1979). The religious function in the house in Pedawa Village, which is the abolition that is right above Pedeman Gede, is a sacred and unchanging function (Figure 4). Of all the houses that are still there, “Pelangkiran” is still as intact as before even though the house has undergone a transformation of space or has not been occupied anymore. The  Pedeman Gede function can change but the ability above the Pedeman Gede remains shaped and functions like it used to. Likewise with “Sanggah Kemulan Nganten “ which is outside the building, there is no change in every house in the village of Pedawa. The material and position of the Sanggah Kemulan Nganten remained in its original position when the house was built. Usually when the family head dies Sanggah Kemulan Nganten can be eliminated, but all houses in Pedawa Village still have this religious function even though some houses do not have a family head anymore. What's more interesting is that residents who no longer have traditional houses and own homes - modern Balinese architecture still has Sanggah Kemulan Nganten even though they also have Sanggah Kemulan Taksu as in the Balinese era of Majapahit.

Although the dimensional provisions of the form of “pelangkiran” did not yet exist, it was found in Balinese architectural lontar. Village communities (artists or craftsmen) in Pedawa design it based on interpretations of the need for space to accommodate ritual attributes / devices to be accommodated (daksina, banten soda, or dampulan). Dimensionally at least ± 25 X 25 cm ', 25X 40 cm', or 40 X 60 cm larger ', with various variants, even the design, material, and finishing. Like in other parts of Bali, also in Pedawa, “pelangkiran”  has now been commodified into one of the most popular 'merchandise' commodities, and is widely distributed in various trade centers with yard facilities, or traditional and modern markets.

However, “pelangkiran” is not made carelessly before it becomes the manifestation state of  Hyang Widhi, the plaque is sacralized through the purification process (sacralization), after previously being placed on the upstream –Pedeman Gede (main), the height of the “rong pelangkiran” (front part of the offering) is above the minimum requirement of head (“siwadwara”) “ma-urip a guli” (live / add one finger segment). It can be seen that the function of religious rituals that are believed by the village of  Pedawa is an important factor and identity for this community that cannot be replaced by functions or other objects.

This is evident, that the community appreciates local traditions, through the form of “Pelangkiran”.