Have you ever seen a traditional ceremony in Bali or a celebration of tradition? If you haven’t, let’s witness one of the celebration in Bali. It would more exciting if you watch the ritual from the beginning of the preparation to the end of the process. There is one simple ritual in Bali that you can witness. It's called the Klurut Tumpek Ceremony.

Krulut Tumpek

Tumpek Krulut ceremony is often also called as odolan or otelan gamelan. On that day, Balinese Hindus performed a ceremony for gamelan. Hindus believe that gamelan is a manifestation of Sanghyang Iswara. The beautiful sound that comes from gamelan is a representation of Dewa Iswara. That’s why this traditional musical instrument can be able to make a beautiful and harmonious sound. Without the intervention of the almighty power, it is impossible for the gamelan to produce this kind of pleasant sounds.

This ceremony is usually performed every six months or within a period of 210 days. According to the Balinese calendar, precisely on Kliwon Sansicara, Wuku Krulut. The main process when implementing Tumpek Krulut is the purification of a set of gamelan. The gamelan is sprayed by holy water. The purification process is to eliminate the bad things that stick to the gamelan.

Furthermore, Balinese Hindus will give offerings to the gamelan which is also a symbol of offerings to the Gods. Ranging from gamelan gong kebyar, semara pagulingan, gong gede, kebua, gamelan gender, and others. The type of offerings given also varies. Usually, it’s equipped with ketupat, banten ajuman, banten tigasan, banten pengambean, and peras. These offerings can be placed near a musical instrument so that the gamelan will sound beautiful. This ceremony is usually held at the village temple. Because every village temple must have a gamelan instrument.

Apparently, Tumpek Krulut doesn’t only mean gamelan otonan. But also as a day of celebration of affection for the people of Bali. Krulut comes from the word lulut which means love. So on that day, Hindus not only share affection with gamelan but also with fellow humans. For the people of Bali, the day of love is commemorated to remind people to love each other again, so that a sense of happiness, calmness, and prosperity appears. Without love and happiness, life's goals won’t be achieved. Just like valentine celebrations in general, the Balinese celebrate the day of love also by greeting each other, hugging, and even exchanging gifts as a form of affection.

You can also feel this atmosphere of love if you come to Bali when the Tumpek Krulut ceremony is held. You can find information in advance about the time of holding this tradition. Because, the exact date can change every year.