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One Sky One
World founder, Jane Parker-Ambrose had the good fortune to experience the
magic of Bali, its kites and kite fliers as a guest of the Bali Kite Organization,
"Perlasi-Bali" at the 16th Annual Bali International Kite Festival,
July 8, 9 & 10, 1994. Sky
Times is grateful to Jane, the Bali Kite Organization and Festival
Chairmen, Anom Cakra and Nyoman Adnyana for the information provided for this
article.
Jane took with her
to Bali, the OSOW "Kite That Will Fly Around the World" and it was
flown at the festival on Saturday, July 9th. The 50 square foot parafoil was launched in Bali with the
help of American OSOW supporter Mitchell Ladis and Singapore business
executive and well-respected kite flier, Michael Seet. Jonathan Socher of the Big Wind Kite
Factory in Maunaloa, Hawaii, was the catalyst in making Jane's trip and the
flight of the OSOW kite possible and he, too, was in attendance. The kite was first launched in
Denver, Colorado at the 7th Annual OSOW on October 11, 1992 and has been on
an extended journey to kite festivals around the world. As in other locations, a banner,
which, along with others, will accompany the kite and fly from its tether,
was signed as an expression of global friendship and concern by many of the
Balinese people at the festival.
Jane was honored to be asked to address the thousands of people in
attendance and she took the opportunity to express the good wishes and
desires of the thousands of kite fliers involved with OSOW in countries
around the world for peace and global harmony with nature.
According to Jane,
there was a special distinction to have had the OSOW kite flying in
Bali. For her and many others
who have experienced Bali, there exists on this island a very special
mystique. It flows through its
culture and the spirit of its people and is even sometimes suspended in the
very air above it.
Bali lies
between the Jawa Sea and the Indonesian Ocean, west of the Pacific and east
of the Indian Oceans. Ascending
from the sea as a volcano and relatively small in comparison with its
neighbors, it is one of a chain of what are now known as Indonesian islands. With its spiritual heritage in the
Hindu religion, its culture is unique and its traditions deeply rooted. The Balinese are a peaceful and
loving people. One Family One
World: A common adage in Bali, the people accept this idea from youth, for it
is an age-old doctrine: Make peace in the world, for humankind is one big
family. Kite fliers constitute
one important group in this family who recognize that the blue sky where they
live and the fields upon which they fly are shared by others in the family everywhere.
Not surprisingly,
the kite in Bali is more than just a plaything; it is not only for fun. Kite flying there has a cultural and
spiritual role in the life of the Balinese people and is an integral part of
their mythology. Kites are not
to the Balinese just flying objects rather they are living ones. Tradition relates kites to the myth
of the god Siva, one of the main aspects of the supreme God. His manifestation as "Rare
Angon", a young cowboy, is regarded as the god of kites. The kite is thereby interpreted to be
an intermediary between the middle world of humans and the upper world of the
Gods. It is not a small matter,
therefore, to make a kite (especially a big one).
Although
smaller kites are made by individuals, mostly children, large ones are a
collective endeavor. Some Balinese "Banjar's" (a local collective
neighborhood association) do not hesitate to raise funds for the making of
their local kite, which can cost up to several hundred thousand rupiahs
(nearly a thousand dollars).
Sometimes big kites are also made by youth associations or local
family groups.
Before a kite
is designed and made, advice is sought from the wise men of the village. The
local sage will consult the traditional calendar to decide the best day to
begin the construction.
Offerings are made when the kite is completed so that the kite and the
people are "selamat"; safe and sound. The kite is not launched
before it has been blessed with a sprinkling of holy water by a temple priest
("lest the deity owning the kite get upset and put some villager in a
trance").
A feast is
held to complete the procedure. When the kite is brought to the festival
field to be flown, it is accompanied by the collective creative spirit of the
village people and escorted by an orchestra playing "gamelon"
musical instruments. The kite is
kept in the Banjar collective hall or a special shed is constructed to store
the kite until it is time for it to fly again.
These huge
kites are in the forms of fish called "Bebean" or they are oval
with pointed wings curved backward called "pecukan". Somewhat like
"pecukan" is "Janggan" with a mask head of either a bird
or a dragon. Some kites are also
made in the form of Superman. If
the "banjar" is traditionally minded, they may represent characters
from the Balinese puppet show theater such as "Gatotkaca" or
"Hanoman" who are reputed for their ability to fly. The kites have
very colorful, lengthy and wide tails, which can be as long as 6 meters.
Their construction and flying are a team effort.
A special
feature of the traditional Balinese kites is the "guwangan"
hummers, a rattan band stretched on a bow made of bamboo or wood. As the kite
is launched and when it flies it makes a pleasant droning sound. Numbers of kites with guwangan
hummers flown together create harmonious music that is heard throughout the
flying area.
The Bali
International Kite Festival (Lomab Layang-layang Bali) provides the people of
Bali an opportunity to display their cooperative creative spirit and to
receive recognition. The
Festival has also become a significant tourist attraction. At the 1994 festival there were
approximately 5,100 kite fliers participating. There were 340 international
and local kite club teams. Each Balinese kite flying group is composed of
15-25 kite fliers. The July 1994
event hosted kite teams from 11 foreign countries. An estimated 60,000 people
attended the events held in two locations in the three days period. The festival receives support from
the Government of Bali and sponsorship from such companies as Coca Cola,
Bintang Beer and others.
The Balinese
participants are also inspired by a competition in which three categories of
kites are judged:
Traditional
Kites - Janggan, Bebean and Pecukan
Kites.
(The sound of the guwangan hummers is one
of the
criteria in judging the traditional kites).
Creative
Kites - three dimensional kites such as
sail
boats, cars, birds, bats, wagons, etc.
Fighting
Kites - small Jawan-jawan Kites the lines
of which
are coated with fine ground glass in order
to cut
through the lines of competing kites.
Prizes
consist of certificates, winner's cups, and cash. The judges are made up of experts such as art and
educational educators; renowned Balinese kite makers (Undagi), designers and
professors from the University of Archeology of Udayana Bali.
In Bali art,
culture, community, spirituality and a symbolic outreach to higher purpose
and world peace have been embodied at an unparalleled level through their
wonderful kites and the Annual Bali International Kite Festival. Details about attending next and
future year's events are available from: Bali Kite Organization,
"Perlasi-Bali", Jl. Parman/Niti Mandala, Denpasar, and Bali,
Indonesia. Phone: 222387, 226313, 224671 or FAX: 236037.
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A
Balinese “Pecukan” Kite is launched by its “Banjar” neighborhood association
creators at the 1994 16th Annual Bali International Kite Festiva.l
Bali
Festival Chairmen, Nyoman Adnyana (L) and Adnom Cakra (R).
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