Tumpek Landep Ceremony

Bali Culture
by Dayu

Bali Culture: Tumpek Landep ceremony

Tomorrow the Tumpek Landep ceremony will take place, for those new to Bali this can be quite a spectacle. The Balinese people pay homage to the main goddess Ida Sang Hyang Widhi for blessing them with the intelligence to create tools to make everyday life easier. As a result of this all mechanical items made of elemental metals such as cars, motorcycles, stoves and so on will be decorated with offerings creating a truly remarkable feast for the eyes.

Goddess Sang Hyang Pasupati

In Tumpek Landep, Hindus worship Goodess Ida Sang Hyang Widhi in its manifestation as Sang Hyang Pasupati who has given intelligence or sharpness of mind, so as to create the technology or objects that can simplify and streamline human life, such as motorcycles, cars, machinery, computers (laptop) and other tools made of iron, bronze and silver.

Philosophy

The word “Landep” itself implies a “sharp”. Tumpek Landep is an expression of gratitude, especially Hindus in Bali to the goddess Ida Sang Hyang Widi Wasa is down to earth and give sharpness to the human mind. Tumpek Landep has value for the philosophy that people always sharpens their mind. Every six months, people are reminded to evaluate, whether the mind has always cleared up or honed to a sharp? Therefore, with a sharp mind, people can become more intelligent, more lucid and analyitcal, they are able to more precisely determine decisions and so on. Through Tumpek Landep ceremony, people are reminded to always use a sharp mind as a tool steer them in the right direction. For example, when people need a means to facilitate life, such as cars, motorcycles and so on, a sharp mind should be used as the control. The desire to be able to be controlled by the mind. Thus the desire to have objects that are not based on prestige, but actually serves to strengthen the life for and serve its purpose.

About the Tumpek Landep ceremony

This ceremony continues for generations until today, which a long time ago was only for weapons made of iron, but now also for all devices containing elemental iron or moving objects that are made of metal such as (motorcycles, cars), household appliances and others. Which will be blessed and given the special decoration of the leaf called “Tamiang”. This Ceremony occurres when objects are made of metal or simplify and speed up the daily lives of the people. However, in the present context, pointy weapons are widespread. Not only daggers and spears, also the result of copyright objects that can make life easier such as motorcycles, cars, machinery, computers and so on. Objects that are consecrated. However it should be realized, in the context of the people are not worshiping objects of technology, but the people appealed to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi in its manifestation as Sang Hyang Pasupati who have bestowed strength on the object that really make life easier.
In a sense, that people should be grateful to God for having been given the ability or the sharpness of the mind so as to be able to create a variety of objects or technologies that can make life easier.

Where in Bali

The ceremony is celebrated by all Hindus in Bali, by performing prayers in temples and home temples. so you will be able to see offerings and ornaments made from palm leaves (tamiang) which will be placed on a vehicle or some tools.