Being an agricultural community the Balinese regard anything that helps them in farming highly. That includes livestock and farm animals like chickens, pigs and cows. Thus to show gratitude to these farm animals the Balinese celebrate Tumpek Kandang every six months.
Tumpek Kandang occurs every six months on a Saturday on the wuku of Uye according to the Balinese calendar. On this day, the Balinese present offerings to Rare Angon, the shepherd and celebrate all kinds of animals though farm animals take the centre stage. Farm animals are more emphasized due to their important roles in Balinese agricultural life. For example, cows and buffalos that help with plowing the fields (a majority of Balinese don’t eat beef) are given a special kind of offering, whereas chickens that are bred for poultry and eggs are given their own offerings. Ultimately, the offerings are directed towards Rare Angon who blesses the farm animals.
Tumpek Kandang is not only just about farm animals. In a more modern context the celebration of Tumpek Kandang is often related to wildlife preservation. Such celebrations can be seen at zoos or wildlife preserves in Bali where the staff hold large ceremonies in honor of the animals held in captivity. The essence of the ceremony is to maintain the balance between humans and nature as both parties are essentially mutual. Thus, the deeper meaning of Tumpek Kandang is to remind people to keep in touch with nature and be grateful for the blessings that nature has provided. In that sense, Tumpek Kandang can be seen in correlation with the other Tumpek days, such as Tumpek Pengatag (for plants and trees). It’s all about maintaining a harmonious relationship with all aspects of nature.
