HARI RAYA PENYEKEBAN
Penyekeban is one of the ceremonial days taking place during the Galungan period. When the day of Penyekeban has arrived, the fruits that will be used for the Galungan offerings are stored in a special place so that these will be ripe in time for Galungan Day. In particular these fruits consist of green bananas that are stored in huge clay pots and hung over a small coconut husk fire, which is done to ripen the bananas quickly. On Penyekeban the Balinese also prepare all kinds of cakes (jajan) for Galungan day. A very typical cake for penyekeban is ' tape', which is a kind of cake that needs fermentation to ripen.
Ethymology
Penyekeban is derived from the Balinese word nyekeb which means '(to) ripen fruit'.
Spiritual symbolism of Penyekeban
Besides its literal meaning of ripening fruit, Penyekeban also has a (more important) symbolic meaning in respect with the bhuana alit (the inner world of the individual human being). In spiritual sense the individual, just like the fruits, has to ripen in order to be in a position to siege over adharma, the selfish urges, desires, and actions of the ego, which in fact are the enemies of spiritual man. To the Balinese these enemies actually are the 'Sad Ripu' (six internal enemies), being: kama (lust), loba (greed), krodha (anger), mada (drunkeness), moha (confusion) and matsarya (envy). During the Galungan period these enemies 'attack' mankind in the form of Sang Kala Tiga.
Penyekeban therefore is also the day that the first of the Sang Kala Tiga, Sang Bhuta Galungan, descends to earth to tempt mankind to adharma.
Celebration date of Penyekeban
Penyekeban takes place three days before Galungan Day, at Redite Pahing, the Sunday of the 11th week of the Balinese Pawukon calendar, Dungulan.
|
