Avans Tour Guide

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.

Similar to other religious rites 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.

Goa Gajah Temple is Located in the village of Bedulu, Blahbatuh district, in the regency of Gianyar. Only 26 Km from Denpasar, it is just a short drive from the beach resort of Sanur and Kuta. Beside the temple are art shop and restaurants to cater for the needs of visitor.

Around the temple beautiful rice field line the ravine through which flows the Petanu River. Nearby can be found the historic sites of Yeh Pulu, Samuan Tiga, Gedung Arca, Arjuna Bertapa, Kebo Edan, Pusering Jagat, the temple of Penataran Sasih, and others.

The history of Goa Gajah is not known definitely. In a literal translation "Goa" means cave and "Gajah" elephant. The name is a fusion of the name Pura Guwa Gajah (Temple Cave), as it is called by the local people, and the ancient name as it appears in the scriptures know as Ergajah and Lwa Gajah.

The names Antakujarapada and Ratnakunjarapada, also containing the meaning of elephant (Kunjara), can be found in the scriptures of Negara Kertagama, which date back to between the 10th and 14th centuries. This is validated by ancient relics found in the area.

In the courtyard at Goo Gajah Temple can be found and ancient source of holy water, 12 by 2'3 meters in size, devided into 3 compartment. The no them most compartment has '3 stonecarved fountains, and so does the southemmost. In the middle area all that remains is the base of the fountain. Approcimately 13 meters from here, on the northern side, is a cave like meditation niche in T shape, 2 meters in height and and about 2,75 meters wide. In the left and right conners of this niches can be found a fourther 15 meditation. In the easthem most corner are three linggums, and in the western most cotner a statue of Ganesa. With in the temple yard other fragments of the ancient ruinshave been found, which have not yet been reconstructed the surreunding walls on the western side still remain, forming a compartment around the steep drop beside the temple.

Approximately 100 meters to the south of the holy spring can be found the remains of a candi walls. Part on the base of this shrine still remains, although much of it is in disrepair. Achatra with 13 umbrellas can be found beside this. The body of this candi is connected by attractive stone carved decorations. There also a catra with 3 branches. Two statues of Budda in the Dyanamudra style stand near a stone niche which looks ready to collapse at any time. Another meditation niche can be seen opposite this, with a resting house and pool. The archeological site of Goa Gajah dates back to the 11 th century, at time when Hinduism was relevantly new in Bali.

Tumpek Uduh also known as Tumpek Wariga or Tumpek Pengatag devoted to Sanghyang Sangkara, Lord of all food - plants when blessing ceremony is given to them for good crops and products, held at every plantation and farm throughout the island.

Nothing is more comfortable and peaceful than taking a rest under a dense tree especially in a hot sun-shining day. Some desert-caravans might be enthusiastically thankful if some dense tress grew along the way in the desert. Trees or plants are the breath of earth, and people should be grateful of their oxygen, fruits, leaves, food and their cool breeze. They are friends and food source of ours. Their life is our survival.They deserve to gain our attention, and should be right by our side in the sense of harmony. Ritually, Balinese have a special ceremony to beg any prosperity for vegetations so they can always provide their crops for mankind. A ceremony to say gratitude to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (God) for His honor in providing food source in the form of vegetation.Such ceremony will be held on October 26th.

Tumpek Wariga is a ritual ceremony dedicated to the vegetations. It’s also known as Tumpek Pengarah or Tumpek Uduh or Tumpek Bubuh. It’s called as Tumpek Pengarah since it’s a day to give instruction/suggestion for the vegetation to provide a lot of food (fruits, leaves, etc). It enables the Balinese to make any preparation to hail Galungan Day that will come in a few weeks ahead. Pengarah means instruction. It comes once in every six months or every 210 days, suggesting the Balinese to worship God Sangkara the God of Vegetation. It’s a right time to beg the God to give His grace so the vegetation can provide a lot of crops.

Tumpek Bubuh is also its name since there is bubuh included in the offerings that’s dedicated to God Sangkara, the God of vegetation. Bubuh means porridge made from rice flour. In committing the ceremony, the bubuh is smeared on the tree bark as a symbol of fertilizers (the proper food for vegetation).In Pangider-ider Bhuana (eight direction), Balinese worship the honor of God Sangkara at the SouthWest with His sacred color is green symbolizing the fertility. God Sangkara is also worshipped as Dewan Pa-nunggun Karang, the god who protects Balinese in houses. He will turn out into Sang Hyang Kala who will disturb the owner of house if the owner ignores His existence. Such character is quite similar to the characteristic of vegetation. Any effort of people to damage or to ignore the conservation of vegetation is only a kind of suicide. On the other hand, prosperity and comfort will come around whenever the vegetation is protected and conserved.

Concerning the deep meaning hidden behind this ceremony, Tumpek Wariga contains external and internal meaning for the Balinese. Wariga is the name of seventh wuku in Balinese calendar. Besides, it’s also a term to determine the appropriate or inappropriate day to have a ceremony or activity in Hinduism.

Ida Pandita Mpu Nabe Yoga Maha Bhirudhaksa said that Tumpek Wariga is a good day to beg any patronage for the sake of vegetation or plantation. It’s really forbidden to cut the trees or gathering any crop from the vegetation.

Vegetations that usually become the objects of consecration in this ceremony are coconut trees, durian trees, rambutan, etc. The offering consists of tumpeng agung, sesayut, pengambeyan, peras penyeneng, dapetan, porridge, pangresikan, sasap, candiga,gantung-gantungan, segehan cacahan putih, segehan panca warna (offering in five kind of color) and tetabuhan.

The process of ceremony firstly begins by installing sasap and candiga on the tree trunks, which previously covered in a white band. Beneath the trees there is a asapan(a kind of shrine) to place the offerings. "All of the offerings are placed on the asapan except segehan. It’s placed on the ground cause it’s dedicated to Bhutas (invisible creatures)," says Pandita Mpu (Holy Priest) of Griya Asitasari, Banjar Lebah Pangkung, Mengwi-Badung. As the preparation is done, the offerings then are ritually offered to the honor of God Sangkara by firstly sprinkling the holy water, continued by pangresikan (sanctification), panyeneng and sesajen. Finally, the ceremony is lasted by offering the segehan, and smearing the porridge to tree trunks while saying such as follows: "Kaki kaki, tiang mapengarah, malih 25 dina Galungan, mabuah apang nged nged nged". (Provide us a lot of crop cause Galungan is coming within 25 days).

Minister of Culture and Tourism Launches "LOVE BALI" from Indonesia Airlines, Garuda Indonesia. On November 29, 2005, in the Ball Room of Hyatt Aryaduta Hotel, The Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism, H.E. Jero Wacik, accompanied by The Minister of Cooperatives, Small and Medium Enterprise, H.E. Soegiharto, and the Director of Garuda Indonesia, Mr. Emirsyah Satar, launched a marketing breakthrough called the 'Love Bali' program.

This endeavor was designed as another step forward to swiftly recover Indonesian tourism industry, especially Bali?s, following the Bali Bomb Blast II occurred in Jimbaran area and Kuta Square last October 1st, 2005. What this program has to offer as its key value for travelers is 10,000 free tickets to Bali for 5,000 Indonesian travelers and 5,000 international travelers, as Mr. Emirsyah Satar mentioned in his opening speech. Minister Wacik hoped that the program would increase number of people traveling to Bali and other tourist destinations in Indonesia that would eventually create national prosperity. He also extended his contentment and support for the initiative that Garuda Indonesia has brought.

As an Indonesian tourism gateway, Bali should not suffer any longer. It must recover immediately. I believe that Bali would make a quick come-back, and all tourism stakeholders should work in a good synergy, said Minister Wacik. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism would unswervingly support all efforts initiated by tourism stakeholders to accelerate Indonesian tourism and cultural advancement. Several actions were apparent, like the setting up of Media Center immediately after the attack to provide current information, press tour, ambassador trip to Bali, inviting the Indonesian Vice President, Mr. Jusuf Kala, and eight (8) state ministers to have dinner in Jimbaran as the ?ground zero? of the Bali Bomb II. High profile events were also staged in Bali, including the Miss Chinese Cosmo Pageant 2005 trip to Bali.

We have a good reputation to maintain about Bali. It is the Best Tourist Island in the World, Minister Wacik added. Minister Soegiharto also fully supported all endeavors to restore Bali?s image as Indonesia?s number one tourist destination. Mr. Satar, at the end of the function presented free tickets to seven (7) lucky travelers as a symbol of the program launching.

Travel + Leisure Magazine’s 11th Annual World’s Best Awards 2006 voted Bali as the Best Island Resort in the World and in Asia. Deputy Indonesian Ambassador to the US Andri Hadi and Acting Consul General in New York Harbangan Napitupulu received the citation here on Thursday.

"The Indonesian people and government, particularly the Balinese, are proud of learning that Bali has received such citation. It is expected the citation will improve the international community`s confidence in constantly choosing Indonesia, Bali in particular, as one of their most favorite tourist destinations," Indonesian Ambassador to the US Sudjadnan Parno Hadiningrat, said.

According to the ambassador, the citation proves that the interest of the international community, the US in particular, in coming to Indonesia has not declined, despite the US government`s travel advisory to its nationals wishing to go to Indonesia.

It is the seventh citation of its kind. Bali received the first one in 1998 and since 2002 up to now Bali, dubbed as an Island of Gods, the island always received the citation.

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan ranked 2nd, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay (5th) and Ritz-Carlton Bali Resort & Spa (7th) as The World`s Best Hotels. The survey results, including the Top 100 Hotels Worldwide, are featured in the August issue of Travel + Leisure, the world's leading travel magazine, and online at http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2006/

The magazine also presented citations to Florence in Italy as the best city and Singapore Airlines as one of the world`s best airline company.