ASTRONOMICAL ASPECTS OF BALINESE SAKA CALENDAR

• Main Author: EVIJULIYANTI , PUTU
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/30049
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

<p align="justify">The Balinese Saka Calendar is the calendar system used by Balinese Hindus to determine the religious ceremony/worship and appropriate days for conducting a particular activity. The origin of Balinese Saka Calendar cannot be separated from the Indian Calendar as well as Ancient Javanese Calendar which has been used for a long time in Java. Nowadays, Balinese Saka Calendar is a calendar system that adopts three calendar systems simultaneously, namely the Gregorian, Pawukon, and Saka luni-solar systems. Preparation of the Balinese Saka Calendar is closely related with Wariga system, that is the belief of the existence of character in each element of the Balinese Saka calendar, which originates from Jyotisa Vedanga. Jyotisa Vedanga is a branch of the Vedic Scriptures that specifically outlines of astronomy and astrology. <br /> <br /> Literature study and interviews with experts in the field permit to produce information about the constituent elements of Balinese Saka Calendar. The Indian Saka luni-solar calendar element has a major influence on the Balinese Saka Calendar. The astronomical concepts used in the Indian Saka luni-solar calendar is still used in the Balinese Saka Calendar in determining the cycle of the days, months and year. Then, it is found that another element, that is part of the Pawukon system, is related more to astrology rather than to astronomy. Religious elements and aspects of astrology are still highly considered in the Balinese Saka Calendar because the calendar is not merely used as a time keeping system by Balinese Hindu communities, but it also has an important role to determine the days of worship and a appropriate days for conducting various activities. <p align="justify"> <br />