THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE'S SAFEGUARDING OF THE MAPAG TOYA RITUAL IN GIANYAR BALI BASED ON THE DIGITAL VISUAL NARRATIVE ARCHIVES

• Main Author: Josef Retno Budi Wahyuni, Maria
• Format: Dissertations
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/84486
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The Hindu Balinese community has meticulously preserved the agrarian cultural tradition known as the Mapag Toya ritual. It is within Subak's traditional water management system as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. The Mapag Toya ritual is defined by the strength of myths and symbols imbued with noble values. It is a manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana concept (parhyangan, pawongan, and palemahan). It is the harmonious relationship between humans, nature, and the Creator, aimed at achieving the balance of the universe, happiness, well-being, and prosperity (jagadhita) through the elements of water and rice. The Mapag Toya ritual is to be safeguarded continuously as a tradition. However, the younger generation of the Balinese community is influenced by modernisation. This has impacted their mindset and behaviour towards modern and economic orientations, leading to the extinction of subak due to land conversion, limited availability of clean water, environmental degradation, and a declining interest among the youth to work as farmers. Consequently, the message embodied in the cultural practice of the Mapag Toya ritual is affected over time. It is indispensable to preserve the Mapag Toya ritual. Traditional knowledge is becoming arduous to comprehend due to the global culture's pervasive absorption, facilitated by fluent access to information technology. There is a need to recommunicate the traditional knowledge and values of the Mapag Toya ritual, particularly the reverence for water, and transmit this knowledge to future generations through digital archiving. The digital archiving of the Mapag Toya cultural practice encompasses the rituals, symbols, and myths through a remediation process based on the Digital Visual Narrative of Mythography. This approach aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the values reflected in the Mapag Toya ritual to the younger generation of the Balinese community.