REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SINGARAJA -- Thousands of Hindus in Singaraja City, Buleleng District, Bali Province, thronged the Agung Jagatnatha Temple to offer prayers to commemorate Pagerwesi Holy Day to strengthen their faith and obedience to the God Almighty.

"People have gathered at the temple premises since 7 a.m. local time. They pray solemnly along with their families and friends," Dian Pramana Made Putra, one of Singaraja City's young Hindu leaders, stated here on Wednesday.

Putra said the Agung Jagatnatha was the biggest temple in Buleleng, the largest district in Bali, and was always thronged by Hindus across Indonesia's regions to celebrate religious holidays.

Moreover, Putra remarked that Pagerwesi Day was celebrated in a lively and colorful manner in Buleleng District compared to other religious days of Galungan and Kuningan.

"It has become our tradition in North Bali to commemorate Pagerwesi Day more solemnly than other religious days," Putra pointed out.

Putra stated that students from different areas of Bali Province studying in public and private universities in Singaraja City also came to worship the Almighty in the Agung Jagatnatha Temple.

"They usually do not return to their respective regions but pray in Singaraja City's Jagatnatha Temple as it is closer and easy to reach from the city area," Putra explained.

Meanwhile, Nyoman Suka Ardiyasa, an academician from the MPU Kuturan State College of Hindu Religion in Singaraja City, Bali Province, noted that Pagerwesi Holy Day offered a momentum to edify and increase compliance to the God Almighty.

He explained that the "pagar jiwa" offerings were the core ritual of the Pagerwesi celebration for most people. For pandits (sulinggih), Pagerwesi Day is an occasion of self-reinforcement as "Linga" or noetic body "Hyang Shiva" or the manifestation of God as Lord Shiva.

"By offering 'Sesayut Panca Lingga' or 'lima pilar batin,' all Sulinggih make themselves as the axis of the universe through a ritual of playing the script (aksara) of Brahma or 'ngarga,'" Ardiyasa added.

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