The Function and Meaning of the Dewa Ruci Statue in the Perspective of Balinese Culture

Abstract

Statue is one type of fine art that gives an aesthetic experience through its three-dimensional form. Ruci or Nawa Ruci is a manifestation of God, Ida Sang Hyang Widhi, in a form that is one and absolute. The Ruci statue shows physical beauty and complete structure, where each figure connects and supports the others in its overall composition. The statue has several functions, such as sacred function, ritual or ceremony function, and religious-aesthetic function. The Ruci statue also symbolizes a snake or dragon in the ocean waves, describing the many bonds and challenges of human life in the real world that always move uncertainly. Bhima is shown as the microcosmos or as a human being who is searching for his true self. Ruci or Acintya in the statue represents the sense of “self” that exists in every human. Therefore, the real meaning of the Ruci statue is the dialogue between the human soul (atma) and the highest soul (paramatma) in the process of finding the true essence.