Hindus people held “melaspas” ritual at Bali toll before the bypass road over the water connecting Benoa Port to Ngurahrai Airport and Nusa Dua is opened for public.

“The ‘pemelaspasan’ ceremony as a form of gratefulness to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi because the toll construction has been done and fulfill people expectation,” said the Main Director of PT Jasa Marga Bali Tol, Akhmad Tito Karim, at Kuta, Badung Regency.

The ceremony centered at the NgurahRai toll entrance is started at 09.00 am led by three ‘sulinggih’ or Hindus priests, they are Ida PedandaGede Putra Bajing, Ida Pedanda Buda Jelantik, and Ida Pedanda Rsi Buana, and ‘pemangku’ (leader of ceremony in temples) who lives around the toll road.

The ceremony held by the government of Bali Province that is facilitated by Jasamarga Bali toll began with “Tawir Gentuh” ritual as a means to balance two different worlds in accordance with Hindus belief, namely real world (sekala) and unreal world (niskala).

After that ritual, it continued with “Pekelem”, which is bringing offerings and animals into the sea.

Then, it is continued with the main ceremony, which is ‘pemlaspasan’ as a form of gratefulness as the road construction spending Rp2.4 trillions has been finished successfully.

“We hope that the road is strong and useful for the community and the road users so that they could run smoothly and safe,” Akhmad added.

Meanwhile, Ida Pedanda Gede Putra Bajing said that the ceremony is a sequence of ceremonies conducted at the beginning of the road construction or is called “mulangdasar” on December 21, 2011.

“The ceremony aims at balancing the strength of ‘sekala’ (real world) and ‘niskala’ (unreal world) and expressing gratefulness toward the God,” he said.

The Hindus Priest explained that the essence of the ceremony is to purify and pray for it so that in the future it could bring goodness to all people as well as for people wealth.

The “pemelaspasan” ceremony was attended by Governor of Bali Made Mangku Pastika and staffs of Regional Admin Work Force (SKPD) of Bali Province, Badung Regent AnakAgungGedeAgung and other institutions.

Hundreds of people on the 12 kilometers length toll road were coming from Sanur, kedonganan, Jimbaran, Tuban and Serangan.

The plan is the toll that is built in 14 months will be opened officially by the President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on August 14, 2013, which is at the same time as Pagerwesi day.