Text 5 Keeping up with traditions

#Three months in the planning — and almost a half century of waiting — the residents of Sumampan village in Gianyar culminated this week with a Karya Memungkah Mupuk ceremony. #Last held 45 years ago, again on a Wednesday at the start of a new year, the festival is a time to remember the Balinese philosophy of tri hita karna, or the balance between man, nature and the Gods. #Community elder Ida Bagus Marka remembers that last Mupuk ceremony and is delighted to join his friends and neigbors in the celebrations, which just happened to fall on the days leading up to and including New Year’s Day under the solar, but not the Balinese, calendar. #“In those days the ceremony was held every ten years, but economic factors have meant we have had to hold off until now — for 45 years,” says the spry 78 year old. “I hope we can hold the Mupuk ceremony every decade again, given the improved economy, and more importantly I hope we can receive the blessings from God. This ceremony is to balance the relationship between man and nature and it is our duty to guard that balance into the future.” #Harmonizing the earthly sphere is now more vital than ever as, according to Balinese Hindu beliefs, mankind is in a negative epoch, where evil has the upper hand. “We are in the time of Kali Yuga when the negative aspects of humans are greater than the positive, so this ceremony will hopefully work toward rebalancing the positive and the negative,” says Marka.

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