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| Ngaben or cremation ceremony is one of the ritual activities performed at customary village. (BTN/doc) |
According to the
lecturer of customary law of the Udayana University, Prof Dr. Nyoman Sirtha,
the customary village in Bali was estimated to have existed since the presence
of the sage Mpu Kuturan during the administration of Dalem Waturenggong.
Earlier, in Bali lived and developed about nine schools of Hinduism that were
worried to result in disharmony. The King Waturenggong asked Mpu Kuturan to
take any measure to anticipate the matter.
Mpu Kuturan then
unified the nine schools or sects into Shiva-Buddha. After organizing a
congregation in the Samuan Tiga Temple, it was born the concept of customary
village along with its trinity temple namely the Puseh Temple, Baleagung Temple
and Dalem Temple. Pursuant to the concept of Tri Murti (trinity), each family temple was equipped with three-chambered
shrine. Since then, the social and religious life in Bali was getting organized
and better. The chief of customary village was called bendesa adat or uluampad.
His responsibility was to lead the indigenous village related to religion and
customary affairs. In carrying out the duties, the customary village was
completed with by-laws in what the so-called awig-awig adat.
According to the
book entitled Pemberdayaan Desa Pakraman
(Empowerment of Customary Village) written by Prof. Dr. IB Gunadha, the by-laws
regulated three key points namely harmonious relationship of human to God (Parahyangan), human to fellow humans (Pawongan) and human to its environment (Palemahan).
