We are on our way to the office when there is this sudden massive crowd that gathers just outside the Mataram Mall where the office is nearby.

Later then I realised from hubby's staffs (Dewa) that it is a festival called the Ngrupuk Parade. In brief, he said that the statutes are a form of devils and people are sending the devils which symbolised ill fortune and stuff to the temple whereby they will be burnt in return of good luck in the following new lunar year.

As curiosity gets better of me, I managed to google and found out even more exciting factual information about this festival which is unique. It's definitely something that is not available in my home country Singapore.

Quoted from many sources online:

Ogoh-ogoh are statues built for the Ngrupuk parade, which takes place on the eve of Nyepi day in Bali, Indonesia. Ogoh-ogoh normally have form of mythological beings, mostly demons. As with many creative endeavours based on Balinese Hinduism, the creation of Ogoh-ogoh represents spiritual aims inspired by Hindu philosophy.

The main purpose of the making of Ogoh-ogoh is the purification of the natural environment of any spiritual pollutants emitted from the activities of living beings (especially humans). The forms of Ogoh-ogoh represent the Bhuta-Kala (Bhuta: eternal energy, Kala: eternal time) or negative forces coexisting with humans and nature according to Hindu teachings. Each of the ogoh-ogoh figures is given the name of a Kala according to its shape. Some of them mean disease, drugs, conflict, greed and corruption.

A day ahead of the auspicious day, the Hindu community in Lombok, like in Bali, also perform the Pecaruan and Pengerupukan rituals, also called Tawur Kesanga, as the ritual is carried out on Tilem Kesanga, or the ninth month of the Balinese Hindu calendar. The ritual is aimed at driving away or eradicating the Buta Kala bad influences, or evil spirits that exist in human nature, or to harmonize the universe and its contents again. The Hindu community believes the ogoh-ogoh carnival could destroy Buta Kala’s inner self and turn it into a better self. For Hindu followers, life consists of positive and negative forces that coexist. Harmonization is necessary so the negative force, or Buta Kala, does not interfere with life. 

Ogoh-ogoh are usually made by the group of artists found in villages around Bali. After being paraded on a convoy around the town, finally it is burnt to ashes in a cemetery as a symbol of self-purification.

An Ogoh-ogoh is normally standing on a pad built of timber planks and bamboos. The pad is designed to sustain the Ogoh-ogoh while it is being lifted and carried around the village or the town square. There are normally eight or more men carrying the Ogoh-ogoh on their shoulders. This procession is accompanied by orchestral music performed by the youth. The use of flares is also a main part of the parade.

During the procession, the Ogoh-ogoh is rotated counter-clockwise three times. This act is done at every T-junction and crossroad of the village. Rotating the effigies during the cremational parade and the eve of Nyepi represents the contact of the bodies with the spirits. It is intended to bewilder the evil spirits so that they go away and cease harming human beings.

End of Quote

Along the way from office to the airport, we have witnessed many Ogoh-Ogohs in its most magnificent form. I am so glad that on this day, I have decided to make a trip outdoor from the usual routine at home.

Hubby has managed to snap a photo of the live Ogoh-Ogoh during its procession but the image is not too sharp but I thought it is nice just for sharing purposes.

Happy story continues... 2:09 AM