Discover The True Bali in Tenganan Pegringsingan Village – Hearing the word traditional village is very rare, Bali has one of the most well-known conventional towns and in the 1970s, was named the most remote village, the Tenganan Pegringsingan. The village inhabited by the original Balinese Aga tribe still retains a rigorous tradition from their ancestors.
The town, located in Manggis Sub-district, Karangasem Regency in the eastern part of the Bali, has a unique Pandan War tradition that is most awaited by tourists because it is held once a year to honor Lord Indra as their god of war. Although living in strict customary rules, farming, carving, cockfighting, weaving, painting on palm leaves, plaiting, palm wine, and religious rituals and tourist visits are daily activities in Tenganan.
The Prasi Lontar is an oral and cultural tradition that since ancient times on the lontar leaves, which is believed to remain intact and last for hundreds of years. At present, the Lontar prasi manuscripts in Bali are respected because they have high historical, philosophical, and literary values. Prasi can consist of writing and drawing.
The script used is Balinese letters, while illustrations are made in the wayang style, but prasi in Tenganan is now also being developed with other images. The Prasi making using a knife-like tool that is etched into the palm leaves that have been dried, then stained with charcoal. The Prasi group is usually in the chain using the thread and bamboo.
In addition to lontar, woven craft by women in Tenganan Pegringsingan is also quite famous because it has high artistic value. In Tenganan Village, this woven fabric is called Gringsing fabric. Gringsing comes from the word “gring,” which means ‘sick’ and “sing,” which means ‘not.’ Previously, this woven fabric was made as a repellent reinforcement used in religious ceremonies, tooth cutting, weddings, etc. The double-weaving technique used here is rare because it only exists in three countries in the world, namely Indonesia, Japan, and India.
In Double Tie Weaving, the process is reversed. Making motifs, then the threads that have been patterned, are woven. The technique first makes Gringsing fabric motives of binding the weft (horizontal thread) and warp (vertical cotton) that is plain with a raffia rope and then dyed in natural dyes, then the yarn tied will remain dull. Because the manufacturing process is complicated, it certainly takes a long time. A large piece of cloth can take up to a year, while a fabric the size of a scarf takes about three months.
After discussing the lontar prasi and Gringsing woven fabric, it’s exciting. In addition to its unique community activities, another uniqueness in this village can also be seen from the ancient village architecture because there are still many buildings made with clay and stone structure. Also, don’t forget to hunt for other crafts. Such as painting eggs, sculpture, and many other arts that have also been developed by the community in Tenganan Pegringsingan Village.