OGOH OGOH
Bali Ogoh-Ogoh is very similar to Bali Nyepi Day. The ogoh ogoh ceremony is the most interesting event in the Nyepi Ceremony series. Ogoh ogoh are paraded on Pengrupukan night, a day before Saka New Year, also known as Nyepi Day. Ogoh-ogoh, who have a frightening appearance, are usually paraded around the village or town by the Banjar or traditional village society, which is dominated by youth. On the island of Bali, the ogoh-ogoh festival is held in the afternoon in each village, with a parade to the city center and then back to the village, and some go straight to the cemetery to burn the ogoh – ogoh because it is believed that by burning, negative things will also burn and disappear. This ogoh – ogoh parade is very sacred and important for Hindus in Bali, and it takes place the day before Nyepi Day.
SYMBOLIZED GIANT CREATURE WITH SCARY AND FEROCIOUS APPEARANCE
Ogoh ogoh is a type of statue / giant doll made of light materials such as a combination of wood, bamboo, paper, and styrofoam, allowing it to be easily lifted and paraded. With the advancement of technology and materials, people prefer using styrofoam because of its lightweight and ease of carving and processing, but it is more expensive. Ogoh-ogoh is created in the shape of Bhuta Kala, or evil spirits and creatures who like to disrupt people’s lives. Bhuta Kala is typically depicted as a terrifying and ferocious giant creature / Rakshasa. Bhuta Kala are the type of evil creatures who have a bad nature. According to Hindu and Buddha mythology, the word “rakshasa” means “cruelty,” which is the inverse of the word “raksha,” which means “tranquility.” It is expected that by parading ogoh-ogoh and eventually burning or destroying it, those vices will be kept away from the human race.
Making Ogoh-Ogoh Process
The process of making ogoh-ogoh, usually 3 months before the pengrupukan festival, each village has prepared the materials for making ogoh-ogoh, and usually in each village there is a banjar and they make ogoh-ogoh in the banjar together with the people of the banjar, from the preparation of looking for bamboo to make a frame and steorofone to coat the woven bamboo to make it look like skin or body, This process takes about 2 to 3 months, and it will take even longer if the ogoh-ogoh are large. After the body has been formed and everything is finished, the ogoh-ogoh will be covered with cloth and opened on the day of the parade. Following that, the ogoh-ogoh are ready to be taken around the village in order to drive away negative things that enter the village. Making this ogoh-ogoh is a fascinating process.
Ogoh-Ogoh Forming
Apart from Rakshasa, ogoh ogoh is frequently represented in other forms such as mythological creatures such as Garuda, dragons, and so on, as well as forms of God and Goddess such as God Siwa, Ganesha, or Durgha. There are even ogoh ogoh that portray famous people, celebrities, or villains nowadays. Despite being entertaining, this thing deviates from the concept of ogoh ogoh, which should depict mythological evil creatures. However, some of the artists who created this type of ogoh-ogoh argued that now people are also dominated by evil spirits and have done many bad things such as being terrorists or corruptors. They believe that those vices should also be eradicated and kept away from humans.
The Origins of Ogoh ogoh
The name ogoh ogoh is derived from the Balinese word “ogah-ogah,” which means “shaken.” In fact, when ogoh-ogoh is paraded around, the carriers always shake it to make it appear to be moving or dancing. Aside from that, the pose of one ogoh-ogoh compared to the others is different and varied, so each will move differently when shaken. Even now, with the advancement of technology, many ogoh-ogoh can be moved with the assistance of a machine or other tools.
In Bali, there are numerous versions of ogoh ogoh history. Some claim that ogoh-ogoh have been around since the time of Dalem Balingkang (ancient Balinese kingdom). At the time, ogoh-ogoh was used in the Pitra Yadnya or Ngaben procession. Another argument is that the existence of ogoh-ogoh is inspired by the tradition of Ngusaba Ndong-Nding from Selat Village, Karangasem, who used a similar figure to repel evil spirits.
Another claim is that Barong Landung was the inspiration for the creation of ogoh ogoh. Barong Landung is a giant barong that is the manifestation of a terrifying ancient king and queen named Raden Datonta and Sri Dewi Baduga. The most certain fact is that ogoh-ogoh has been called “ogoh-ogoh” since the 1980s. It was also the first time Nyepi was added to the list of national holidays. The Balinese then began to carve the figure of onggokan, which was known as ogoh-ogoh in some parts of Denpasar. After that, this culture spread throughout Bali, and it was first involved in the Pesta Kesenian Bali XII parade (Balinese Art Festival XII).
Festival of Ogoh-Ogoh
An ogoh-ogoh festival is usually held in Puputan Park Denpasar prior to the Pengrupukan night. Ogoh-ogoh from Denpasar have been chosen to participate in this event. This event is held to honor and appreciate the ogoh-ogoh creation, which has high art and theme value. The ogoh ogoh that are entered in this festival are not chosen at random; they have gone through a selection process. These ogoh-ogoh must have a high artistic, theme, and entertainment value. The typical theme revolves around the story of Wayang (Ramayana or Mahabaratha) or other Hindu stories. Furthermore, when they arrive in the area of Catur Muka Crossroad Puputan, the lifters and their crews must perform a dance show or attraction in front of the judges that tells the story or theme of their ogoh ogoh.
Location of the Ogoh-Ogoh Festival
The ogoh-ogoh location is usually held in every village on the island of Bali, but not in every village; there are a few villages that do not participate in the ogoh-ogoh activity. If you are in Denpasar, you can see this ogoh-ogoh parade on the Puputan field, where many ogoh-ogoh of various sizes and shapes pass. In Puputan, the ogoh ogoh festival is usually held a few hours before Sandi Kala or in the evening. After the festival, Pengrupukan night continues with an ogoh ogoh parade from villages or banjar in the Denpasar area. Ogoh ogoh festivals are held on a regular basis in other regencies besides Denpasar, such as Gianyar, Tabanan, and Buleleng. However, the festival is not always held in Pengrupukan, but rather at specific events such as the Town Anniversary, and so on.
