Once a Century: Pura Besakih and the Eka Dasa Rudra Festival

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Title
Once a Century: Pura Besakih and the Eka Dasa Rudra Festival
Original language
English
Author(s)
Illustrator(s)
    Publisher
    Penerbit Citra Indonesia
    ISBN
    ASIN: B0000CQIXM
    Publication date
    1982
    Subjects
      Find Book
      Ganesha Bookshop in Ubud and at www.ganeshabooksbali.com
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                      Description(s)

                      About the ceremony that takes place once every one hundred (Balinese) years. The movie "The Eleven Powers" also depicts this ceremony taking place in 1979. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFoG7xbx7n8&t=219s

                      Review(s)

                      By Johannes Bakker (Amazon) Because it only happens once every "one hundred" Bali years (which are not quite the same as years in the Gregorian calendar) the Eka Dasa Rudra ritual is not well known, even to people who have visited Bali for more than a month. But the last festival was held twice in a short time because the first one had been held too soon. Many people perceived the volcanic eruption that killed so many people as due to the bad timing of the Eka Dasa Rudra. Rudra is the highest god of the 8-9th century "Hindu-Buddhist" belief system that characterizes Bali today. He is often seen as a precursor to Siva (Shiva). Eka Dasa refers to the eleven corners of the Universe. Rudra-Siva has to be propitiated by offerings. Anyone with an interest in religion, ritual or anthropology in general will find this book fascinating. The details are accurate and the information cannot be found easily anywhere else. I am working on a journal article which will use this book (and many other sources) to discuss the central significance of ritual in a traditional, pre-modern society. Many people got interested in the Mayan prediction of the end of the world in 2012. But this book talks about an even more interesting "ancient" teaching.