Map of Bulian Village
The initial phase of Bulian Saa project ran from January to April 2024. This project is led by Udayana University – OCSEAN researcher I Komang Sumaryana Putra, who designed and guided the initiative. The team included Amrita Nugraheni Saraswaty (budget management), I Kadek Surya Jayadi (data collection for ritual language), Aldila Tania Agatha (community engagement for English teaching), and Ni Luh Made Maitrya Putri (anthropology student assisting with questionnaires).
During the fist phase the project team held meetings to define research goals, set up essential linguistic tools, finalized consent forms, and established communication with priests and village elders in Bulian village. With these preparations in place, the team successfully collected linguistic and cultural data from May 23rd to May 25th, 2024, contributing significantly to the preservation and understanding of the unique ritual language practiced in Bulian Village.
Bulian Saa, the ritual language of the village of Bulian, is unique in that it has retained some autonomy; its lexicon differs significantly from the ritual speech of other Balinese varieties (such as names of deities, names of temples, and of sacred trees; in addition, Bulian does not follow the typical three temple system commonly found in other villages in Bali). This can offer valuable insight into the history of the northern-central region of Buleleng, Bali. Until recently, documentation of Bulian Saa has been completely lacking. This project aims to fill this gap and add to the literature on the richness and diversity of Balinese ritual language.
The next step, scheduled for September, involves collecting local folklore and myths from around the village—particularly those related to the temple and the community. Simultaneously, since the local tourist guide community has recently formed, it becomes crucial to provide them with practical English training as part of our community service efforts.
The interview at Pura Maja Ghana before recording the ritual process
The recording of Saa at Pura Maja Ghana
The interview at Pura Taman Sari before recording the ritual process
The recording of Saa at Pura Taman Sari
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 873207.
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