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Balinese Ngerebong ritual’s property right registered
A sacred Balinese Ngerebong ritual has been registered as a communal intellectual property right with the Law and Human Rights Ministry.
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A Balinese man dances while wearing a sacred Rangda (golden-haired and fanged figure that represents the goddess Durgha, also known as Shiva's wife) during Ngerebong. JP/Agung Parameswara (JP/Agung Parameswara)
Ni Komang Erviani
The Jakarta Post/Denpasar, Bali
A sacred Balinese Ngerebong ritual has been registered as a communal intellectual property right with the Law and Human Rights Ministry. The official registration letter was handed over by Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly to Bali Governor Wayan Koster during the Indonesian Intellectual Property Awards (IIPA), an event that celebrated World Intellectual Property Day in Kuta, Friday.
Ngerebong is a magical ritual held at the Petilan temple in Kesiman subdistrict, East Denpasar, every six months. The ritual falls eight days after Kuningan. Kuningan is celebrated as part of Galungan, which are a series of Balinese Hindu celebrations of dharma winning over adharma.
Ngerebong comes from two words: ngerehan (calling on a supernatural power) and bengong (amazement). During the ritual, some participants torture themselves with a kris to show the eternal spiritual protection from the gods for the land and people. The ritual aims to achieve harmony between humans, nature and gods.
Wayan Koster warmly welcomed the ministry’s decision to register the ritual as a communal intellectual property right. “It is a good move to register all cultural and traditional assets that are owned by our nation,” Koster said.
Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said intellectual property rights played a strategic role in boosting the national economy through the creative economy. “Intellectual property rights and creative economy practitioners can actively build synergy,” Yasonna said.
He added that intellectual property rights protection could give the country a competitive advantage.
“It has been proven that most developed countries are countries that appreciate the importance of intellectual property rights in developing their economy,” Yasonna said.
Read also: The magic of the Ngerebong ritual
During the event, Yasonna also granted "Permainan Sapi Sonok" from East Java intellectual property rights. At least 92 brand certificates were handed over to the East Java administration. Bali’s Law and Human Rights office was also given an award for initiating the development of intellectual property rights centers in nine regencies and cities across Bali. (mut)
