MATARAM — As part of the preparations for the 26th Undergraduate and 13th Postgraduate Commencement, Institut Agama Hindu Negeri (IAHN) Gde Pudja Mataram held a sacred Samawartana ceremony on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, at Pura Saraswati within the campus environment. The ceremony brought together academic achievement, Hindu spiritual values, and a strong message of service as graduates prepare to step beyond the university and into a wider social role.
More than a ceremonial prelude to graduation, Samawartana represents a significant transition in Hindu educational tradition. It marks the completion of the Brahmacari stage, a period dedicated to learning, discipline, knowledge, and character formation. At the same time, it symbolizes spiritual preparation for returning to society with the responsibility to transform knowledge into meaningful action.
The ceremony carried particular significance for IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram this year. According to the report delivered by the Chair of the Samawartana Committee, Ni Made Ayu Gempa Wati, S.Ag., M.Pd.H., the 2026 graduation cycle records the highest number of graduates in the institution’s history. A total of 288 students are graduating across two stages, reflecting the growing academic reach of IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram and its continuing role in preparing professionals and scholars across diverse fields of study.
The graduates represent a broad spectrum of academic disciplines, spanning undergraduate and postgraduate programs in areas including Hindu Communication Studies, Hindu Economics, Economic Management, Cultural and Religious Tourism, Hindu Religious Law, Customary Law, Philosophy, Hindu Religious Education, Hindu Arts and Cultural Education, and Early Childhood Education. This academic diversity reflects the institution’s commitment to developing graduates equipped to contribute across multiple sectors while remaining grounded in Hindu values.
Led by Ida Pedanda Gede Made Jelantik Dwija Gautama, the Samawartana procession unfolded in the sacred setting of Pura Saraswati. The ceremony served as a spiritual moment for the prospective graduates to seek purification, guidance, and blessings as they prepare to enter the next stage of their lives. The atmosphere throughout the ceremony was orderly, solemn, and deeply reverent.Rector of IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram, Prof. Dr. Ir. I Wayan Wirata, A.Ma., S.E., M.Si., M.Pd., congratulated the prospective graduates on completing their studies.
In his remarks, he highlighted the deeper meaning of Samawartana as a turning point from the structured world of academic learning toward a new responsibility as educated individuals who are expected to contribute to society.The Rector encouraged the graduates to carry their academic knowledge beyond the classroom and translate it into wisdom, integrity, and meaningful service. Their education, he emphasized, should become a source of benefit not only for themselves, but also for their families, communities, and the nation, while continuing to uphold dharma as a guiding principle.
The message also reinforced the educational identity of IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram, where academic excellence is closely connected with character and spiritual development. The completion of Brahmacari is not viewed as an ending, but as preparation for a broader journey, i.e., one that calls graduates to remain composed, resilient, and grounded in wisdom as they face the opportunities and challenges of life.The ceremony continued with a collective prayer and Mejaya-jaya, creating a deeply spiritual atmosphere as the prospective graduates received blessings for their next chapter. The orderly and solemn proceedings reflected the harmonious integration of academic tradition and Hindu spirituality that forms an important part of the educational culture at IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram.
For IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram, Samawartana is ultimately a reflection of the institution’s broader educational mission. It celebrates not only the completion of academic study, but also the formation of graduates who are expected to carry knowledge, character, and dharma into the world.As the graduates prepare to leave the campus and begin new chapters, IAHN Gde Pudja Mataram sends them forward not simply with academic credentials, but with a deeper calling to turn learning into contribution, values into character, and education into service.
(by: DKS)
