To the uninitiated, leaving at 3 a.m. on a 12 km pilgrimage (on foot) carrying a gamelan orchestra and a heavy barong may sound like a pretty arduous trek. To the members of Banjar Pekandelan in Sanur, such a journey carries great spiritual and historical significance, and represents a great adventure that creates much pride and joy. The locals refer to this journey as patangkilan (a spiritual visit) that revolves around one sacred and deeply revered barong: Ratu Ayu Mas Sapu Jagad. In respect for its origins, every seven calendar months the villagers accompany the barong on its visit to a temple in Banjar Peninjoan in Batuan to perform at their temple ceremony (odalan).
As many readers will be aware, Balinese is a language that reflects the roots of a living Hindu caste system. There are a number of words to express a basic idea, like the word ‘visit’ for example. In everyday Balinese, people say ‘nelokin’ and it simply means ‘to visit’. However, in its highest form (tangkil or nangkil), reveals a sacra-religious nuance. To use such a word is to give your visit religious or sacred significance. For example, you can say “Titiang jagi tangkil ke Geriya mangkin.” (I’m going to visit a priest’s house now.) or “Benjang tiang nangkil ke Pura Besakih.” (Tomorrow I’m going to Besakih Temple.)
Only an animate object can ‘nangkil’; and a barong that is inhabited by a divine spirit such as Ratu Ayu Mas Sapu Jagad is consider animate also. A barong that dances exclusively for tourist performances or for commercial venture cannot ‘nangkil’ because it is not ‘spiritually’ charged (“sing ngelah taksu”).
One of the older musicians in the Pekandelan bebarongan gamelan told me that due to the great distance, once they tried taking the barong and the gamelan there in a truck. He recalls: “However, after this, unfortunate things started happening. So we decided this was a warning, and that it was best to continue in the old way and walk there.” They’ve asked me to ‘visit’ with them—I just hope they don’t ask this bule wimp to carry the gong ….
