Calendar Men of Tenganan

Location:
Indonesia

History, Culture, Art

By Peter Anderson

Tenganan is home to “Bali Aga” (original Balinese) hidden in the hills of Karangasem near Candi Desa, well away from the normal tourist routes of Kuta, Nusa Dua and Ubud. It is a ‘closed’ village where the conservative Bali preserves a unique 900-year-old history. Their art and culture are singular.

Seni lontar is the art of etching stories and calendars into palam leaves, which is only done by five families and exclusively in Tenganan. These minute etchings are done with a scalpel-like blade. They are etched with apparent ease and when the etching is rubbed, which is barely visible, with crushed macadamia seeds the result is unimaginable. The black ink-like substance filled every line of the etching and the intricate picture comes to life, and in front of you. The detail in such a small piece, all done freehand, is an art that has been handed down through the generations. The short version of the story of Ramayana is eight strips of palam leaves with carved bamboo at the top and bottom. It takes 23 days to complete and sells for only US$20. The back of each leaf has the story written (etched) in Balinese script. The three main pieces are two versions of Ramayana; the longer version takes 80 days, and the more commercial Roman calendar, which depicts each month with the relevant God or goddess and demon. Each time one examines the etchings something new appears the curve of the fingers or a flower in the forest. The woodcarving of Bali is world renown for its fineness but the complexity of seni lontar is remarkable.

Apart from seni lontar there is the famous geringsing cloths and weaving. The perang pandan is a unique ritual as are their burial rites. When a member of Tenganan dies, their body is not cremated, as is the norm in Bali. As the sun passes its zenith, the corpse is carried from the compound to the cemetery. The corpse is buried face down with the head facing the sea.

To remain a member of the community endogamy (marrying within the village) is essential. Those who do not follow this practice cannot become members of the krama desa (village council).

Every full moon the council meets at the Banjar, which is similar to a Public hall. The villagers are notified the previous day when the middle-sized of the three kulkul is struck. The largest of the kulkul, two metres in length, is struck when there is a death in the village and the smallest if there is afire. Previously it was struck if the village came under attack.

At the monthly meetings, the council discusses village affairs and any ceremonies or rituals that will occur during the following month.

The Banjar is also used for private functions if the family’s compound is too small. It is equipped with a kitchen, satay and suckling pig-cooking areas.

The original living quarters of the village were a compound with four buildings, Bale Dangin, (Dangin room) is used for ceremonies such as tooth filing and the Bale Dauh a similar structure used for general relaxing. The main difference between the rooms is the raised platform in the Bale Dangin lies east/west and in the Bale Dauh north/south. The other two rooms are the Paon, kitchen and Bale Dage, the bedroom. The family temple is always in the northeastern corner of the compound.

Walking around the village with one of the locals, he will introduce you to his village friends as they go about their daily chores. Whether it is a man busily making furniture or a 97-year old woman preparing lunch in the kitchen they will all have time to greet you with a warm smile and have a chat. Their lifestyle is certainly different to our western style, but the fresh air, quietness – no cars – and stress-free lifestyle makes one realise that becoming a centenarian is not unusual here in Tenganan.

The people of Tenganan weave one of the masterpieces of South East Asian textile art. The showpiece of Tenganan is the geringsing cloth, which are said to possess the power to protect against earthly and supernatural powers. It has also been said that the red dye from the sunti root bark, which is now used, has replaced blood from human sacrifices. Fact or fiction, nobody knows for certain.

All geringsing, double ikat cloth, are made from cotton yarn from Nusa Penida and are decorated with geometrical or floral motifs. The overall pattern is a map of the village – hills to the east and west, three temples, Siwa, Brahma and Visa with the central motif the village houses. The only other place in the world where double ikat cloth is produced is in Gujarat, India. The warp and weft threads are dyed before the fabric is woven. This means that once the threads have been dyed the pattern has been decided and cannot be changed.

One of the rituals unique to the people of Tenganan is the perang pandan. The perang pandan is an annual fighting ritual. Pandanus leaves, which are spiked along their edges, are used as weapons. The spikes are hard and sharp and I was amazed when Made proudly showed me his scars from his involvement in perang pandan. I had expected to see more gruesome scars. Only the area from below the neck to the waist can be hit and each man has a woven shield to endeavour to protect himself. There is no winner, loser or champion in this ritual, which cleanses the body. The ritual is held in the Village Square, which is dominated by the 400-year-old Pura Bale Agung. To visit Tenganan is an opportunity to witness a unique culture, meet sincere people and come away with memories that will last a lifetime.

Further Information

Travel tips: Ubud is the closest town to Tenganan.

Must see/do at this place: Ask one of the villagers to act as tour guide to show you around the village.