The Balinese Pawukon calendar is one of two calendar systems used on the island, but by far the Pawukon calendar dictates much of ritual life on Bali. The pawukon cycle consists of 210 days (30 seven-day weeks), whilst the Saka Calendar follows 12 cycles of the moon (roughly 355 days)
The Pawukon calendar is incredibly interesting both in its use and in its symbolism, steeped in storied mythology and moral teachings. You can also listen to the NOW! Bali Podcast Episode on the same subject below.
Contents
• Saraswati, The Goddess of Knowledge
• The Myth of Watugunung
• Cycles of the Pawukon
Saraswati, The Goddess of Knowledge
The Balinese-Hindu have a day dedicated to the goddess of knowledge, Saraswati. She is said to rule over books, lontar manuscripts and all objects associated to providing or obtaining knowledge. On her festival day, all of these objects may not be used, as they are presented with offerings. The ritual is done in one’s private house for one’s own books, but one also visits, with offerings, all the balian usada (traditional ‘doctors’), or other people of knowledge one may have consulted since the previous Hari Saraswati (Saraswati Day).
Among the offerings one usually finds a uniquely shaped rice effigy in the shape of two geckos (male and female). The gecko, known locally as the cicak is the traditional symbol of Saraswati: the gecko is said to have a spiritual sensitivity with the dimensions of purusa and pradana, the male and female aspects respectively. Together, these aspects are considered the source of life. But also, the cicak listens to people’s secrets, even in their private chambers, like the western parallel of being a ‘fly on the wall’. It is thus all knowing.
Hari Saraswati, or the day of knowledge, takes place on the last day of the 210-day Pawukon (also pewukon) calendar, which comprises 30 weeks (wuku) of 7 days. Why does the day of knowledge fall on this particular day?
The Pawukon calendar is referenced for Bali’s many rituals, defining the days of market and most temple anniversaries. Hari Saraswati and the names of all the individual weeks are related to the Balinese story of the prohibition of incest. Bali’s own Oedipus tale.
The Watugunung Myth
In this long-known myth, Watugunung, an ancient king, commits a mortal sin: he unknowingly makes love to his own mother, Sinta. After running away as a child, the supernaturally gifted Watugunung grew to become a powerful ruler. He defeated and took over 27 kingdoms, presiding over their princes (wuku). In search of a queen, he was advised to take the two princesses of Jalasanggara, Sinta and Landep, who had been abandoned by their king. Watugunung took them both as his wives. Much time later, it was revealed that these princesses were in fact his mother and his step-mother.
Watugunung’s unnatural action was discovered by the gods who, after much conflict, were able to defeat him. He was killed numerous times by the god Wisnu, only to be resurrected by Siwa. It was decided that instead of eternal damnation for his sins, Watugunung was to be made an example for humankind. This would be done by making him the protector of the calendar and the master of its final week.
This story forms the structure of the Pawukon calendar: Sinta, Landep, Watugunung and the 27 princes make up the 30 wuku (weeks). Sinta marks the first week, and the final week is Watugunung, commemorating the characters descent and downfall and finally, on the last day his enlightenment: Hari Saraswati, the day of knowledge. This is the separation of the incestuous son and mother, a ‘cleansing’ marked by the start of a new calendar cycle. Watugunung thus becomes a ‘martyr’ of humankind, his sins forever to be an example and a reminder.
At the same time as Watugunung’s enlightenment by the gods, mankind was bestowed with Wariga, knowledge of time and calendar. Thus, the calendar is not simply a measure of time, it is symbolic of, and provides guidance for, cosmic order. This why the Pawukon calendar is at the centre of ritual schedule in Bali.
Cycles of the Pawukon
Illustration by I Nyoman Darta
The 30 weeks of seven days is but one of the ‘cycles’ that are found within the Pawukon calendar. There is another system of cycles called wara that include one-day to ten-day cycles. These wara each have a name and value defined by its positioning on the cosmic rose of the wind, the pangider-ider. I.e. a day for each ‘wind direction’, with its associated gods, colours and more.
The most important wara for ritual purposes are the three-day cycle (triwara), the five-day cycle (pancawara ) and the seven-day cycle (saptawara). The way the days of these various waras add up define the pure, or impure, quality of the “day” in question.
In this complex computation, how specific days of one wara overlaps with a day of another wara is what defines auspiciousness or indeed inauspiciousness of a specific date. This ability to ‘decode’ the the calendars is what is the art of Wariga, and is why the Balinese will seek the consultation of priests and holy scholars to find ‘good days’ for specific ceremonies, from weddings to metatah (tooth-filings) and ngaben (cremations).
Cyclical auspicious days also occur every 210-days, the most important of which occur during an overlap day with Kliwon (fifth day of the five-day cycle). For example, an important ritual day occurs when the Kliwon intersects with Kajeng (third day of the three-day cycle), making what is known as Kajeng-Kliwon, which is one makes offerings to the demonic forces. This therefore takes place every 15 days, based on the frequency of intersections.
Another highly important intersection is between the Saniscara (seventh day of the seven-day cycle) and Kliwon. On the seven-day cycle, Saturday is considered the last day of the week, and when this overlaps with Kliwon we get Saniscara-Kliwon, better known as the ‘Tumpek’ ritual days.
Taking place every 35 days, the Tumpek days mark the date of what may be Bali’s more recognisable ceremonies, each dedicated or paying homage to a particular aspect of Balinese life. There are six Tumpek days, which are: Tumpek Landep, honouring weapons and metal objects; Tumpek Uduh, honouring plants and vegetation; Tumpek Kuningan, honouring ancestors; Tumpek Krulut, dedicated to music; Tumpek Kandang, a blessing of animals; and Tumpek Wayang, paying homage to the important shadow puppets, or wayang. Each Tumpek is also pays homage to a different deity associated with that particular aspect of life.
Hopefully what this demonstrates is that a calendar in Bali is more than just a means to measure time. Its very ‘origins’ heavily imbued with moralistic symbolism, though perhaps lost on today’s generation, and its inner workings are dense with important religious interconnections. This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding the full breadth and depth of the Pawukon calendar, but certainly provides an important foundation to make sense of the whirring cycle of ceremonies we see around us on the island of the gods.
