2,500 Penjor Will Welcome the Delegates of G20 Summit in Bali, Here's the Meaning

TRIBUNBATAM.id, BALI - When in Bali, tourists can see decorations similar to banners which are usually installed on the roadside. The decoration is called penjor.  

In welcoming the delegation of the G20 Summit on the Island of the Gods, as many as 2,500 penjors were installed along certain roads. 

The G20 Summit will take place on November 15-16, 2022. 

The penjor used to welcome the delegates of the G20 summit is the penjor pepenjoran, because this type can be used at any time without having to do with traditional ceremonies. 

Penjor was installed from I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to meeting locations and hotels for the G20 Summit. 

The penjors that are installed are also divided into two types, namely the intermediate or intermediate types which are installed along the highway. 

There are also main types installed at the main G20 locations, namely The Apurva Kempinski Hotel, which is the meeting location, and the Mangrove Tahura Area, which is the banquet location. 

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Penjor is a bamboo stick decorated with leaves with a height of 10 meters, and symbolizes the highest mountain. 

In the Usana Bali lontar, which is quoted in the Philosophical Values of Penjor Galungan & Kuningan by I Made Nada Atmaja, et al, penjor is an offering to Hyang Batara Gunung Agung. 

The Balinese Hindus believe that Mount Agung is the place of Hyang Batara Putra Jaya and his gods and ancestors. 

The mountain is believed to be the palace of God with various manifestations, so that the penjor symbolizes gratitude and gratitude for the produce of the earth given by God, while Mount Agung is the giver of that prosperity. 

In Jayakasunu's, the penjor symbolizes Mount Agung.

Meanwhile, in Basuki Satwa's ejection, the mountain (giri) is a king dragon which is none other than Naga Basuki.

According to mythology, the base of Mount Agung is known as the linggih (dwelling place) of Sang Hyang Naga Basuki, whose tail is at the top of the mountain and his head is in the sea.

In Basuki Satwa, it means a mountain as a water storage reservoir which then becomes a river and finally empties into the sea. 

Therefore, the penjor decorated in such a way for religious or traditional ceremonies is also a symbol of the dragon.

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The Sanggah placed on the penjor is made of coconut midrib, and symbolizes the neck and head of Naga Taksaka. 

Gembrong made from coconut leaves and decorated in a circle near a coconut, depicting dragon hair.

Sampian penjor with its shaft, which hangs at the top end of the bamboo and is curved in shape is a symbol of Naga Basuki's tail.

The decorations that are attached from the bottom to the top of the penjor, generally consisting of hanging rice, cassava, corn, cloth, and so on, are a symbol of Naga Ananta Bhoga's feathers, as a place for growing clothing and food. 

(TRIBUNBATAM.id/LIA SISVITA DINATRI)