On the full moon or Purnama Kedasa, Monday (Mar 29), Hindu devotees will again organize the Ida Betara Turun Kabeh ceremony at Penataran Agung Besakih Temple. As a matter of fact, this ceremony is part of the series which includes the Tawur Agung Kesanga exorcism rite held on the black moon or Tilem Caitra of the ninth month in the Balinese calendar, Monday (Mar 15). The Tawur Agung cycle, which falls once a year, is called Tabuh (Tawur) Gentuh. If it comes once every 10 years when the Caka Year ends with 0 (rah windhu), it is called Panca Bali Krama, and when the cycle comes in 100 years it is called Eka Dasa Ludra.
“Then, after Tabuh Gentuh, fifteen days later, exactly on the full moon of Sasih Kedasa (Mar 29) – namely the first full moon of the Caka New Year – people hold ceremonies Ida Batara Turun Kabeh,” said an observer of religion and culture, Ida Bagus Gede Agastia, last Tuesday (Mar 9).
He said, in the Ida Batara Turun Kabeh ceremony, the Hindus nedunin or inviting Ida Batara or deities at Pura Catur Dala (temples of 4 directions) to descend to the Pura Besakih complex, consisting of Pura Kiduling Kerteg, Pura Ulun Kulkul and Pura Batu Madeg. At the Ida Batara Turun Kabeh ceremony, deities at Pura Catur Dala are invited to come to the center of Pura Penataran Agung Besakih, in accordance with the concept of padma kuncup or lotus buds.
At the ceremony, Ida Batara Turun Kabeh is offered with rituals like mapeselang and ayun widi, which previously was started with Melasti or the purification procession for ritual paraphernalia. The destination of Melasti is selected at the source of holy water nearby. In contrast to the ceremony Ida Batara Turun Kabeh, the 10-year cycle (Panca Bali Krama), the destination of Melasti procession is decided on Batu Klotok Beach, Klungkung.
What is the essence of the Ida Betara Turun Kabeh ceremony? According to Ida Bagus Agastia, on Tilem Kesanga, the sun, moon and earth were positioned in a straight line. The sun lies right above the equator, called wiswayana. At such a position, people perform a ceremony Tawur bhuta yajña, better known as Tawur Kesanga, one day before the Nyepi holiday.
The Tawur ceremony is aimed at cleansing or nyomia the earth. Fifteen days after Tawur Kesanga, when the earth is sacred, namely on the full moon right on the tenth month of the Balinese calendar, people then organize the Ida Batara Turun Kabeh ceremony. On the first full moon of the Caka New Year, the moonlight is truly perfect.
The moment is considered as subadewasa or an auspicious day to perform the Ida Batara Turun Kabeh ceremony. It is in this ceremony that devotees worship the manifestation of God as the source of light. In the ceremony devotees invoke bliss or vitality of life. This encourages the awareness of people that the nature of human self is the light of God (amretsya putra), expected to always develop the divine nature or divinity (daivi sampat) and keep the self away from demonic properties (asuri sampat.)
Bondage of Darkness
“So, the essence of Tawur Kesanga or Pengrupukan is Bhuta Yajña, while Ida Betara Turun Kabeh is Deva Yajña,” he said.
“Through the Ida Betara Turun Kabeh ceremony, people want to be free from the shackles of darkness, including the darkness of the mind,” said a former member of this Regional Representatives of the RI.
As a matter of fact, this ceremony develops universal perspective (Brahmanda). Therefore, people directly feel the effects of the sun and moon on the earth and living life. However, spiritually it shows that Hinduism is beam-oriented (divine). Consequently, the word Deva comes from div, meaning light. The Hindu found themselves a divine man to further build the divine society, namely individuals and communities emanating the sacred light of God.
Ethically, the Hindus want to eliminate the darkness or demonic qualities within the self (asuri sampat) and foster godlike qualities (daivi sampat). “This is the true foundation, being essential for human development and the Hindu civilization,” he said.
In addition to developing an integral universal insight, the series of ceremonies also builds awareness of the human presence in the universe, and the human presence before the Almighty God. Hindu devotees, as taught in the Vedic scriptures, pay attention to the smallest environment up to the universe, namely watching the solar, stellar and terrestrial motion and position. When the sun and moon occur in an upright position or above the equator coinciding with the black moon or the Tilem Kesanga, the Hindus organize the bhuta yajña or the Tawur Kesanga exorcism rite. After implementing it, the Hindus enter into the Caka New Year by first conducting Brata Penyepian on the Nyepi festivity, consisting of tapa, brata, yoga and samadhi entering into the realm of emptiness and perfection.
“At the time of the tenth full moon or Purnama Kedasa, devotees hold Ida Betara Turun Kabeh ceremony, to plead for welfare and holy light,” he said.
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