‘Siat Sampian’: A Centuries Old Unique War Performance at Samuan Tiga Temple ( 2 )

The brilliant and influential priest Mpu Kuturan was able to encourage the participants to accept at least three concepts for both the Hindu beliefs and their community life. The first, the notion of Tri Murti, that is the three manifestations of God including Brahma, Wisnu, and Ciwa, each respectively being a Creator, Carer, and Destroyer. The second, the idea of the customary village known as desa pakraman along with its three village temples (Khayangan Tiga). The last is the three spaces of a household's temples and shrines or sanggah kemulan. All of these three-based concepts had been, and are now still, the backbone of the Bali Hindu religion. The term desa pakraman had long been forgotten, having been replaced by the Dutch term of desa adat (customary village). However, since early 2000, amidst the attempt to revitalize indigenous values, the Balinese once again use the term desa pakraman and are aware that the term has been passed down from Mpu Kuturan. Along with the popular use of the term desa pakraman, the Balinese also reflect again on the importance of Samuan Tiga temple.
Actually, Samuan Tiga temple is as important as the Hindu mother temple Pura Besakih, in Karangasem. This can bee seen from the ritual day of both temples that fall on the same day which is the 10th purnama (Purnama Kadasa, fall every April). In order to give more preparation time and to pray for the general public and in particular the congregation, the ritual at Samuan Tiga temple is delayed to the following full moon, which is the 11th purnama. Thousands of people, mainly from Southern Bali, come to perform worship to Samuan Tiga on each day of ritual. In addition to that, in the last ten years, the pilgrimage (tirta yatra) of this local region has become popular amongst the Balinese, therefore many people visit Samuan Tiga temple to pray, notably on the full moon day.