Orders for ogoh-ogoh decline

The decision by the Denpasar Grand Council of Customary Villages (MUDP) to ban ogoh-ogoh and the traditional parade ahead of the Nyepi holiday has caused a sharp drop in orders for the giant effigies.

The Denpasar chapter of the MUDP have banned ogoh-ogoh over the fear that it could give rise to violent clashes between political party supporters, since the ritual would be held during the political campaign season.

Generally, ogoh-ogoh take the form of demons and evil spirits depicted in various Hindu scriptures and Balinese folklore. A monstrous giant with menacing fangs and an intimidating pose is one of the most favorite themes among ogoh-ogoh makers on the island.

The ogoh-ogoh, escorted by groups of people carrying bamboo torches and a loud gamelan ensemble, are paraded around the night before Nyepi.

Earlier in the day, sacrificial offerings are made at homes, intersections and the city square in Denpasar. The day is known as Pengerupukan, during which Balinese try to simultaneously appease and scare away evil spirits.

Every banjar or hamlet in Bali will have one ogoh-ogoh, either making its own or commissioning someone to construct one.

Nyepi or the Day of Silence also marks the Saka Balinese Hindu year which is 1931 this year on March 26. Meanwhile, the campaigning period for the April 9 legislative elections is from March 16 to April 6.

One of the many ogoh-ogoh workshops seeing decline is Gases, owned by Wayan Candra, who has been working on ogoh-ogoh since the late 1980s at his workshop on Jl. Sesetan in Denpasar.

"There is indeed a sharp decline in ogoh-ogoh orders, unlike the previous years, after the council issued the ban," he said.

"Usually I will be overwhelmed by orders placed by banjar or individuals."

He said the number could often easily reach 75 orders from all corners of Bali, especially Denpasar.

Candra said his workshop, which employs 25 workers, also takes orders in the form of parts of ogoh-ogoh to be assembled by the customers themselves. The workshop also deals with materials to construct the effigy, especially Styrofoam.

"Despite the ban, however, there are still youths from Denpasar who are buying parts of ogoh-ogoh or the frames," he said.

"We have so far received orders from outside Denpasar such as from Kuta, Buleleng and Gianyar."

He said the price ranges from hundreds of thousands of rupiah to millions of rupiah depending on the effigy's complexity.

Ogoh-ogoh usually uses bamboo for its skeletal frames while the body parts are made of Styrofoam, painted according to a picked theme as ordered by the owners.

The effigies are no longer only adopting the butha kala (demonic ogres) but also adopt figures from animation movies or outstanding people.

Wasti Atmodjo , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Tue, 03/03/2009 1:47 PM | Bali