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by Dayu

Bali Culture: The Saraswati ceremony

Goddess Sang Hyang Aji Saraswati

At the Saraswati ceremony the Balinese Hindus will pray especially to the main God Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa which manifests as Sang Hyang Aji Saraswati, the Goddess of Sciences.

In the legend, Saraswati is the Goddess or wife of God Brahma. Saraswati is the goddess protector or spillway of knowledge, awareness, and literature. Thanks to the grace of the goddess Saraswati, we became civilized and cultured man. Goddess Saraswati was described as a beautiful goddess sitting on a lotus flower, with four hand which each was holding a musical instrument, Genitri and scriptures. In front of Goddess Saraswati, there is a white geese and in the back there is a beautiful peacock. Where all that has meaning and philosophy respectively, the goddess symbolizing knowledge science is beautiful, pretty, attractive, gentle and noble, music instrument which means that the knowledge of the science of art and culture is great, Genitri symbolizes that knowledge is infinite and eternal, holy Book which symbolize that the source of knowledge is sacred, lotus which symbolizes that science is the sanctity of Sang Hyang Widhi, and goose itself symbolizes that science can distinguish between good and bad.

Philosophy and Mythology

Ceremony in the Hindu religion is essentially a philosophical meaning as the elaboration of the teachings of Hinduism. Etymologically, the word Saraswati is derived from the Sanskrit word Saras mean”something flowing” or “speech”, and Wati word mean “to have”. So the word Saraswati in etymologically means is “something flowing” or “utterance meaning”. Knowledge will always flow endlessly like a spring, where the water will never run out even though each day is taken to give life to mankind. And that knowledge will be the basis of the human to be wise person.

About the Saraswati ceremony

On the Saraswati day Hindus will present offerings to all types of reading materials such as textbooks, dictionaries, papyrus, scripture and other literature books. And during that day, Hindus will not read any kind of book, they will pray until late at a family temple or temple near their residence, the ceremony will be led by Pedanda (Hindu priest), or led by elders in each family.
The next day on Sunday morning, the Hindus will go to the beach, river or other springs to clean themselves, and bath with clean water that has been soaked with various types of flowers that had been prepared since the day before. this is called the “Banyu Pinaruh”, Hindus believe Science is awarded after they clean all the dirt both physically and spiritually and aims to cleanse the body and soul.

Where in Bali

All hindus in Indonesia do the Saraswati ceremony at their local community temple or family temple.

When is the ceremony

This ceremony is held once every six months or every 210 days on Saniscara day (Saturday) Umanis Wuku Watugunung, in the Hindu calendar. It isn’t the same as the calendar we use, however usually this ceremony will happens in 4th of April 2014.

Saraswati ceremony

Banyu Pinaruh at Ocean or spring water

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