Water for Life
Water is essential for life. For the Balinese, water is not only for bathing or quenching thirst but also goes beyond. Water can wash away illnesses and promote happiness.
Melasti rites to purify the whole universe, held a few days before the Caka New Year.
When the primeval Balinese King Maya Denawa retreated from his legendary battle with God Indra he fled to the north. On his way, he rendered a spring toxic and it killed many of God Indra's soldiers. Upon realizing that, God Indra countered by creating a curative spring to neutralize the poison. The entire troop was resurrected, and Indra finally defeated Maya Denawa.
This legend is still alive and well among the Balinese. Maya Denawa was the evil primordial king who forbade his people from worshipping and embracing Hindu values. The actual spring that forms the backdrop to the legend still exists today, known as Tirta Empul, and is located in the Tampaksiring area of the Gianyar regency.
Every day many people come for ritual baths or to fetch holy water, so it becomes crowded on certain days such as during full moon, new moon, Banyu Pinaruh (a day after Saraswati, the day of knowledge), and other sanctified occasions. These days also include times when Gods and Goddesses are said to descend from the heavens to bless the people and replenish the spiritual energies of the cosmos. By bathing in the springs on certain days, it is believed to help cleanse the soul.
Tirta Empul is one of many springs in Bali. Water plays an important part in life, spiritually and physically. Water sources such as springs flow through tributaries and end up uniting with the vast ocean.
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Children bathing in the river, a common daily scene in Bali. |
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People go to the rivers to get water for their daily activities such as cooking, drinking, and bathing. In Bali, especially in the various villages, we can still see people washing and bathing in rivers beside the roads. This is the reality of a typical Balinese sight. Meanwhile, farmers channel water into rice fields.
Water, among the Balinese, also has the extraordinary power to neutralize negative things such as bad dreams, prolonged sickness, or animosities. As the Balinese commoner still believes in black magic, at times many sicknesses occur with no apparent solution. They go to the doctor, take medications or undergo surgery, and recovery seems far from perceptible. Certain ailments can go on for weeks and months. When modern medical aid is in vain, people go forth to try alternative solutions, namely going to traditional practitioners and spiritual shamans for guidance.
Usually among all instructions there is an important measure, the 'melukat' or the washing of the entire body with holy water. The suggestion for it often comes from a priest. They believe that the curative water will cleanse away negative influences. The ritual can be done in the Brahman priest's house.
No one can give a logical explanation on how bathing in a holy spring or with holy water can bring peace to a human. Sceptically it could be due to walking the distance from home to the spring, or also say its a trip in which to muse, or the cold water temperature could 'bring cool' to troubled minds. And prior to heading down to the water, people pray at the spring temple and briefly enter a meditative state.
They bring home some of the water in containers, which they then use for themselves and their family for prayers, or to sprinkle over daily flower offerings.
Certain springs are not the only place that serves for the 'melukat' cleansing rites. People also go to the beach, as they believe that the ocean is the biggest purifying place, not only for human beings but also for all elements of nature. In Bali, a few days before the Nyepi Caka New Year, the beaches in Bali are full with processions for Melasti rites, a rite similar to 'melukat', aimed at purifying the whole cosmos. They cleanse their bodies, bring peace to their souls, and prepare to welcome in the New Year.
Water takes up an important part in the people's lives, so it is no wonder the Hindu people refer to God Wisnu, one of the Hindu Trinity, with the symbol of water — to the Balinese Hindus, one of the five basic elements of the universe. ■ Text by Ni Luh Dian Purniawati, photos by Donny Cahyadi
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