Terje Nilsen was born in a small city on the south coast of
Norway. After graduating from Oslo University with a BA in
Business & Administration, he spent some years in the
Norwegian Navy. Terje visited Indonesia first in 1970 with
his parents; since then he has returned regularly since his
wife is native Balinese. Terje chose to live in the Canggu
area which he considers a safe haven for his family.
What’s your day job?
My main job is to attract foreign investors to Indonesia working
with the provincial governments to fund their infrastructure
development needs. Right now we’re focusing on Batam,
but we want Bali to be next. I like best the projects which
are more humanitarian and/or ecologically oriented.
When and how did you first become interested in the Dewa Sraya
ceremony?
I became involved after regularly visiting the Batur area
for my own spiritual development. During one of my visits
the temple committee was holding a meeting, we started to
talk, and that’s how the whole idea got started.
What is so special about the Pura Tuluk Biyu temple in Kintamani
where the ceremony will be held?
The temple’s history, as well as its deep spirituality,
are amazing. I personally believe that this temple will regain
the distinction it once had - as the core temple of Balinese
Hinduism. To understand this you need to learn a bit about
how the religion of Bali is structured and look into little
known historical facts. The temple used to be located down
by the lake in the village of Abang, but a series of natural
disasters forced them to move the temple to its existing location
next to Pura Batur. Also in this area the structure of the
temples, as well as how they manage the temple precincts and
choose their priests is quiet different from other parts of
Bali.
Why was this particular temple chosen for the event and not,
for example, Besakih, Pura Kehen in Bangli or Taman Ayun in
Mengwi?
This temple was directed to preside over this ceremony by
its “creator,” the royal priest Mpuh Galu of the
Majapahit kingdom around 1000 years ago. This is not theory
but an historical fact.
What is the Dewa Sraya ceremony attempting to accomplish?
Whereas Besakih is considered more important for personal
spiritual development, the Batur region is considered the
most important area for the whole island’s long term
well-being and prosperity. It is here where many villages
and temples collect their holy water. The Dewa Sraya is therefore
meant to maintain Bali’s spiritual balance and to assure
its continued prosperity. Many people believe that the reason
that Bali has experienced such a downturn in business recently
is because this ceremony was not carried out 5 years ago when
it should have.
What makes the ceremony different from other major religious
rituals like the Ika Desa Ruda which takes place every 100
years?
Each Balinese ceremony has its own purpose and what each tries
to accomplish is very similar. It’s like a pyramid with
major ceremonies at the top with all the minor ceremonies
done on a daily basis. All have the same purpose. The Dewa
Sraya is special because its aim is for a peaceful society.
Its purpose is to wake people up and get them to deal with
reality. The Balinese economy has to get back on track, and
it’s hoped that the ceremony will trigger that. Hopefully,
the event will also help to bring the Balinese and expat communities
together.
How long will the ceremony last?
Minor ceremonies building up to the main events are already
taking place. The core event will last 11 days ending the
7th of October, with the culminating ceremony on the 4th of
October.
What preparations are being made?
Batur is only 75-90 minutes away from Nusa Dua/Kuta so there
is no need for guests to spend the night there. Those wanting
to be closer should stay in the Ubud area. Batur itself has
some quite comfortable accommodations, but a limited number
of rooms are available. There will be sufficient first-aid
stations. Balinese police have experience in controlling traffic,
and there are fairly large parking areas close to the temple.
What can people do to help?
The best way to support this event is by spreading the word.
People who wish to get involved may contact our webpage at
www.dewasraya.ppbali.com. We do also hope for private and
institutional donations which can be made online through our
webpage. We guarantee full transparency on how the funds are
used, and any monies that will not be spent on the ceremony
itself will be used for humanitarian projects in the area.
Believe me this is much needed.
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact : <pakbill2003@yahoo.com>
Copyright@2006 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
