22 August 2024
By Dr. Ketut Jaman
"Desa Adat" refers to a customary village in Bali, Indonesia, that operates according to local customs and traditions. These villages play a key role in Balinese culture, governed by traditional laws and regulations that uphold social order and religious practices. They are community-centered, preserving cultural heritage and performing spiritual and communal duties. This article will provide an overview of Desa Adat Manukaya Let, including its livelihoods, social organization, and knowledge systems. The information is based on research conducted in Desa Adat Manukaya Let from 2021 to 2022 through interviews, observations, and literature review.
1. Livelihoods of the Krama in Manukaya Let Customary Village
Most residents make a living from a combination of activities, including farming, making wood crafts, and working as construction laborers. Since Tirta Empul Temple has become a popular tourist destination, many residents have started selling souvenirs at the Tirta Empul Art Market or working as photographers at the temple. Since 1998, many villagers have been assigned as kemit (guards) and cleaning staff at Tirta Empul Temple. Almost no residents work in hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, or on cruise ships.
In Manukaya Let Customary Village, there are 108 krama uwed or core families. They typically own about 25 are (0.25 hectares) of rice paddies and 15 are (0.15 hectares) of farmland. Family members who are not dedicated to work as craftsmen, construction workers, or traders automatically work in the rice fields or on the farmland. In the rice fields, they plant rice three times a year in a synchronized manner. Residents are not allowed to plant rice outside the times set by the subak (irrigation organization). On the farmland, they grow cassava, sweet potatoes, long beans, large chili peppers, bird’s eye chili peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, green beans, cucumbers, and spinach. They also grow horticultural crops classified as biofarmaka (medicinal plants), such as ginger, keji beling, turmeric, galangal, aloe vera, noni, temuireng, and temu kunci.
Some residents have fish ponds, but these have not yet been developed commercially. The types of fish raised include tilapia, gourami, catfish, and giant freshwater prawns. The household industries practiced by the community mainly involve textiles and furniture. Common textiles include saput cloth and destar headbands. The types of furniture produced include tables, chairs, cupboards, shelves, and frames. Additionally, some residents engage in wood carving and sculpture crafts.
In terms of occupations, the professions of the residents of Manukaya Let Customary Village are quite diverse, including farmers, livestock breeders (raising laying hens, cows, and pigs), farm laborers, teachers, civil servants, home industry workers, and cooks in eateries. Other professions include employees of regional-owned enterprises (BUMD), honorary staff in government offices, private sector employees, mechanics, shopkeepers, artists, transportation entrepreneurs, drivers, masons, barbers, tailors, carpenters, electricians, entrepreneurs, and wood carvers. In 2019, there were 57 residents working as civil servants, consisting of 22 people living in Banjar Manukaya Let, 30 people in Banjar Tatag, and 5 people in Banjar Bantas.
2. Social Organizations in Manukaya Let Customary Village
In Manukaya Let Customary Village, there are several social organizations involved in agriculture, social activities, arts, and culture. The agricultural organizations include a wetland subak (one organization), dryland or subak abian (three organizations), and a sekeha manyi (rice harvest group). In the field of arts, there is only one organization, which is a dance studio owned by the customary village for training prospective baris and rejang dancers. However, this studio does not offer commercial training; the training costs are fully covered by the customary village. Additionally, there is a sekeha pesantian with fifteen members.
Traditional and modern construction workers are organized into five groups and are spread across the three banjar. The organization responsible for security is the pecalang, whose members come from the three banjar. Besides the 108 members of the krama desa lanang (male village members), there is also a krama desa istri (female village members) with 108 members. Both the krama desa lanang and krama desa istri are known as pengarep, meaning they own residential land. Each banjar has sekaha teruna teruni (youth organization), some of whom are also members of the Sekeha Tari Baris and Sekaha Tari Rejang dance groups.
The customary village also has a sekeha gong with eighty members from the three banjar. Generally, they are skilled in playing various types of gamelan. Manukaya Let Customary Village possesses several sets of ancient gamelan instruments used during ritual ceremonies. They have two sets of gong kebyar, one set of selonding, one set of angklung, one set of bebunangan, and one set of bebarongan.
3. Knowledge System in Manukaya Let Customary Village
In addition to formal education, many villagers learn autodidactically. Most local residents attended elementary school in Banjar Manukaya Let. It was only around the 1980s that they continued to junior high school (SMP), and high school (SMA) education began around the 2000s. There are now dozens of individuals with a bachelor's degree (S-1) in this customary village. However, they generally speak Indonesian well, though they more frequently use Balinese when conversing with fellow villagers. Knowledge related to customs, religion, traditions, arts, and culture is mostly learned autodidactically from parents or senior local residents. The 150 families of the krama uwedan (core families) are the main caretakers of all temples in Manukaya Let Customary Village, including Pura Tirta Empul.
For the villagers of Manukaya Let, Pura Tirta Empul is particularly special due to its sacred spring. Not only do residents of Manukaya Let come to Pura Tirta Empul to seek holy water (nunas tirta), but Hindus from across Bali also visit to collect water for specific ritual ceremonies at this temple, known as the Holy Spring Temple. In Manukaya Let Customary Village, there are nineteen temple complexes supported by all village members from the three banjar (tempekan). Each pujawali (temple festival) is preceded by a ritual procession to Pura Tirta Empul to purify all pretima (sacred symbols) which are the seats or manifestations of the deity. This purification process is known as manca tirta, meaning the purification and sanctification using the five types of holy water that naturally emerge at Pura Tirta Empul.
Hindus from outside Manukaya Let also purify their pretima, such as Barong Ket, Barong Macan, Barong Landung, and Barong Bangkal, by carrying these sacred objects to Pura Tirta Empul. However, most Hindus collect holy water at Pura Tirta Empul by storing it in a container such as bamboo, jars, or closed glasses. The water is collected from the Pancaka Tirta springs, after first offering a pejati (ritual offering), then making a personal request for the holy water to Ida Bhatara (the deity). They also specify the type of water requested and its intended ritual use. The water collected is then taken back to the village or home with great respect. Anyone who collects water at Pancuran Panca Tirta is always accompanied by a kemit (temple guardian) who guides the proper procedure and ensures no defilement occurs, whether intentional or accidental, in the Pancoran Panca Tirta area. The sacredness of Pancoran Panca Tirta is so high that the kemit must guard it strictly and remain vigilant to prevent any defilement.
The villagers of Manukaya Let have a strong belief in the sanctity of the water that emerges from the grounds of Pura Tirta Empul. This water is considered extremely sacred and no longer requires mantra (sacred chants) from a pedanda (priest) because it is already holy water. Chanting might reduce its spiritual potency. This differs significantly from other holy sites in Bali, where the purification ritual often begins with offerings, usually a banten pejati (ritual offering), performed by a jro mangku or pedanda. Clean water from PAM (water company), wells, or springs is placed in a container on an altar, next to the offering. The jro mangku or pedanda chants mantras, offers the banten pejati to the deity, and requests that the clean water be sanctified for use in specific ritual ceremonies. The role of the jro mangku or pedanda is crucial in transforming clean water into holy water or tirta. According to Dewa Gede Juliana (37), a customary village spokesperson, the five types of holy water from Pancuran Panca Tirta are called Pancaka Tirta. They are as follows:
Another distinction of Pura Tirta Empul is its association with pitra yadnya (ancestor rituals). The people of Manukaya Let view Pura Tirta Empul not just as a temple but as a symbol of the niskala realm, representing heaven where the deity Indra resides. This belief is reinforced by physical evidence, such as the titi ugal agil or titi gonggang artifact located to the west of the main gate of the temple.
Unlike in other areas of Bali, the people of Manukaya Let do not perform the nyekah or ngasti ceremonies as part of their pitra yadnya. After the ngaben (cremation) ceremony, local residents perform a ritual procession around the titi ugal-agil or titi gonggang to symbolize guiding the spirit of the deceased to the heavenly realm. This procession includes a "targeting" ritual, which is exclusively conducted by the villagers of Manukaya Let and not permitted for outsiders. There is no need for a “meluasan†ritual, where one would typically visit a jro tapakan to communicate with the spirit of the deceased for special guidance on the ngaben ceremony. This is to ensure the spirit's journey to the heavenly realm is smooth and unobstructed.
Pura Tirta Empul is also unique in that no ritual ceremonies, such as pujawali, piodalan, penumpekan, ngeresigana, or pecaruan, are led by a pinandita or pedanda. All rituals at the temple are conducted by the Jro Mangku of Manukaya Let Customary Village.
According to local myth, long ago, there was a war between the subjects of King Mayadenawa and the residents of Manukaya. The forces of King Mayadenawa defeated the people of Manukaya by creating a toxic water (known as cetik) that emerged on the western side of Pura Tirta Empul. The thirsty Manukaya residents drank this toxic water, which caused many to faint. Seeing the dire situation, Sang Hyang Pasupati (the deity responsible for animating souls) instructed a sage named Bhagawan Narada to create holy water to counteract the poison and revive the poisoned residents. It is said that Bhagawan Narada could not perform his task well, meaning he could not create the life-giving holy water. Eventually, Sang Hyang Pasupati assigned Dewa Indra to descend to earth and prepare the antidote. Dewa Indra carried out the task successfully by planting a sacred staff near the toxic spring, from which emerged the holy water used to sprinkle the poisoned villagers. After some time, the villagers recovered and returned to normal life. Sang Hyang Pasupati declared that from then on, the water emerging from the staff's planting hole would be considered holy and did not require further chanting as it was already sacred and suitable for ritual use.
The people of Manukaya Let believe in the magical power of Sang Hyang Pasupati to ensure human safety. They desire that Sang Hyang Pasupati remains residing in their region. To this end, the community built a temple on a slightly elevated location near Pura Tirta Empul, named Pura Puncak. Thus, Pura Puncak and Pura Tirta Empul have a close historical relationship. Pura Puncak is considered the abode of Sang Hyang Pasupati, while Pura Tirta Empul is the residence of Dewa Indra. Pura Puncak is so sacred that it is seen as a "key" for some to access "spiritual energy". Entry to Pura Puncak is restricted, for instance, menstruating women are prohibited from entering as it could defile the sacred environment. Only postmenopausal women are allowed to enter Pura Puncak (interview with I Made Udara, June 27, 2020).