Bali is one of the tens of thousands islands in the Indonesian archipelago that lies between the country’s most populated island, Java and Lombok. It is also one of the country’s most developed provinces with the capital in Denpasar, located on the southern part of the island.
Bali is divided into 8 regencies (Badung, Bangli, Buleleng, Gianyar, Jembrana, Karangasem, Klungkung and Tabanan) and one city (Denpasar). Unlike most of the Muslim-majority Indonesia, around 94% out of Bali’s 3 million population adhere to Balinese Hinduism, which is a combination of the existing local beliefs and Hindu influences.
As the main tourist destination in Indonesia, Bali is renowned for its highly developed arts, including music, dance, sculpture, painting, metalworking and leather. The island is also the home of wildlife such as hundreds of bird species (including the endangered Bali Starling), Indian Muntjac, Mouse-deer, Leopard Cat, Black Giant Squirrel, and several species of macaque and leaf monkey.
The island’s countless natural irresistible charms have awarded Bali as one of the world’s most visited holiday destination. With its tropical climate (temperatures averaging 31 degrees Celsius, 88 Fahrenheit). Bali is warm all year round – which is perfect to explore its smoking volcanoes, stepped rice fields, remote beaches, towering cliffs, famous surf breaks and the majestic thousand-year-old temples.
The hospitable and friendly natives of Balinese and their way of life are by many considered as a magnet, inspiring those who have been in the island to go back again and those who have not to come.
Before Entering a Temple, Please Remind Yourself
1. To respect the place and its people: it is sacred, so do not make noise or damages and act normal
2. That a woman who is having her period, is not allowed to enter the temple
3. To not walk in front of a praying person
4. That a priest is very important, so whenever he is praying, don’t sit higher than him and don’t bother him with your flash from your camera
5. That you should also not take flashing pictures of other people praying
6. To wear a sarong and a ribbon when you attend a ceremony (those are often provided to you when necessary)
Go Green in Bali
Bali is a beautiful island to visit and like many other tourist destination, being such a popular spot brings many problems. One concerning problem come to notice is the ever growing environmental problems that effect this paradise island. Hopefully the travelers will take (little) time to read these points and take them to action, in order to lessen the damage.
1. Refill your water bottle
Instead grabbing a new bottle of mineral water, why not keep that bottle and refill it.
2. Please don’t litter
It’s a habit we should all try to keep, and that is just ‘don’t littler’. If no trashcan is in sight, just keep it in your bag or pocket until you come across one and then dispose of it correctly.
3. See some rubbish, pick it up
Add that little extra part in keeping Bali clean by picking scraps of trash ignorant people have discarded carelessly and then find the appropriate place to dispose of it.
4. Reuse or refuse plastic bags
Sometimes shops will still put your goods into plastic bags. It’s ok to refuse the plastic bags, if you’re carrying your own. You may get a strange look from the cashier, if so, just explain your trying to ‘keep Bali beautiful’.
5. Walk more!
To keep the air of Bali cleaner, it’s always better to walk. Other than being a healthy alternative, you may accidentally stumble onto a small store or unseen bar which you may have missed.
6. Eco-travelling
What better way to enjoy the beautiful scenery of nature in Bali than to take an eco-tourism tour. Many companies provide trips into the untouched wilderness of Bali, or the unspoiled coral reefs.
7. Lights out
Leaving your AC on is a huge waste of valuable electrical energy. It’s better to turn off your AC and lights before heading out.
8. It’s better to go out for dinner
It is sometimes tempting to take-away food to enjoy in the comfort of the place you are staying but the packaging of the food adds up to the pile of trash that is thrown away.
9. Support local industries
Sending imported goods uses up much of the worlds fossil fuel resources, compared to using products already available in Bali. By supporting local industries we can also improve the economy for the community in Bali.
10. Water preservation
The amount of clean water in Bali is slowly becoming scarcer due to over use. Small things we can do to help over come the water crisis are by taking shorter showers and turning off the taps when we brush our teeth.
Balinese Rice
Rice is the basis of life, therefore certain rituals must be done from planting to harvesting.
Most of Balinese haven’t had a complete meal unless they have had rice. As you probably know, rice is the basic food for most of Asians. However, it is more than just staple food for Balinese, it is the basis of life itself. Endowed with such fertile and arable lands, the Balinese also practice their creativity with the rice and offerings to show their gratitude. Therefore, in treating rice as the basis of life, the Balinese hold certain rituals from planting to harvesting.
The rituals of planting, maintaining, irrigating and harvesting rice certainly enrich the cultural life of Bali. At the beginning of planting time, after the water buffalos walk the rice fields several times, ceremonies are held to carry the young stems of rice that have been nurtured in a special nursery. On each section of the rice fields, the corner nearest to Mount Agung will receive the hone to be the first place to receive the young stems. The planning and responsibility of the irrigation and planting schedule are arranged through subak, a Balinese system that ties together rice cultivation with its water temple system. Throughout growing time and at harvesting, ceremonies are also held and offerings are presented to Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice. This is why in the middle of rice fields you often find little shrines with neatly decorated flowers, fruits and offerings. The belief that the gods and goddesses appreciate the mundane pleasures as much as the mortals is an important aspect of religious life in Bali. Treating the cycling process of planting and harvesting rice with so much respect is also believed to please the gods: which in effect, would also please the humans with abundance of crops.
Sarong
Sarong is a length of fabric wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women. In Bali, when attending Hindu ceremonies, it is a must for everyone to wear sarong. There are two types of ceremonial/praying sarong, and they are called kamen (inner layer) and saput (outer layer). Women only wear kamen during the ceremony while men wear both kamen and saput. Colors of the ceremonial sarong normally include grey, black and white which represent the three major Hindu Gods (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva). Sarong is not a must when laying offering or conducting prayers in home temples. As tourism brought a substantial influence to the island, Bali currently is also known for its colorful beach sarong with floral, striped, crocheted and animal patterns.
Gecko is ‘God’
Gecko may be small, but he had a giant-sized problem, at least according to an interesting Balinese folktale about this animal. Every night he was awakened by the fireflies outside his window. And when Gecko didn’t get his rest, he got a little grumpy. So he went to Elephant as the head of the village to complain. His request that the fireflies stop working at night set off a comical chain of problems for everyone in the village. Through this cumulative tale from the Balinese tradition, Gecko learns that his well-being depends on that of the entire village, and now he can finally go to sleep, a little wiser.
Aside from being told as a personified animal in the folktale, a number of Balinese people believe that geckos are the ‘Home Gods’. These Balinese deem that the geckos in their homes are the ones protecting them from all the bad influences from the outside.
The other Balinese people who don’t see the geckos as gods still consider this particular animal as creatures that can bring goodness and luck. It is, therefore, many Balinese families lay offerings not only for their ancestors and gods, but also for the geckos occupying their homes. The offerings are meant for the geckos to not create disturbances and bring prosperity to the homes; probably, just like it is told in the folktale, also to make it easy for the geckos to go to sleep at night (thus, not making noises).
Geckos certainly hold a special position within the Balinese tradition – despite its famed reputation as the mosquito extinguisher. Since there are many geckos to find in Bali, it’s a good chance for the non-believers to test whether or not this animal could really do the ‘curse’. However, we urge you to just keep your curiosity for yourself because, ‘god’ or not, geckos are living creatures too
Ten Dramatic Balinese Dances
Along with the Hindu religion, the Indian influences in Balinese dances are also significant. Balinese strong identity adapts these various influences with native religion of animism and folklore traditions, creating an expression distinctively flavored by Balinese ethnicity. Some of the dances are intended to appease the gods and goddesses, with the hope that they will bless the village. Other dances also manifest the great complexity of Balinese daily lives which are never detached from their religious beliefs. Much like the training of gamelan orchestra players, dance training begins when one is still very young.
1. Rejang
Rejang is a slow dance in which the dancers (who are all females) move in a slow and noble fashion towards the altar, twirling fans or lifting their sashes. Their costumes range from a very simple attire to an elaborate dress complete with headdress.
2. Pendet
This dance is usually performed by married women, moving in very dignified and elegant way to carry and present offerings to the gods and the goddesses.
3. Janger
Janger is performed by young girls. The girls are open shouldered, dressed in a piece of cloth wrapped around the chest, and a batik wrap on the waist down. Most of the dances are performed sitting down, with highly coordinated hand, shoulder, and eye movements.
4. Baris
Literally means warrior formation. Baris is a warrior dance usually danced by men. The movements are dramatic. It is hard to distinguish whether it is the dancer that follows the orchestra, or the other way around. You could say that they both go off into their own dimensions, yet at certain well-defined times meet to create an astounding tapestry. The dancers wear elaborate head decoration, from a gold-coated head band to leaves and strings of frangipani blossoms.
5. Gambuh
Gambuh is a dance drama. It tells the courtly story of a Javanese prince in his quest for a beautiful Balinese princess.
6. Barong
Barong is probably the most well know dance that narrates the fight between good and evil. This dance is the classis example of Balinese way of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history being blended into one reality.
7. Sang Hyang Dedari
This dance is performed to entertain the gods and the goddesses to appease them or to ask for their blessings. A bad harvest or an outburst of an illness may call for such a dance. The preparation for this dance may take months, as prepubescent girls who have never danced are trained to relax their mind to be able to get into a trance state. The gods and the goddesses will enter their bodies as they enter trance, and they will dance with movements that they have not mastered in their normal state. They may act and sound like a horse or a monkey. When they collapse, the village women will chant to ask the gods and the goddesses to peacefully leave the bodies of the young girls.
8. Kebyar
Kebyar is usually dance by two women with beautiful, long ,shinny black hair accentuated at the top by a band of frangipani blossoms. Fans on hand, they move dramatically. Feet are strongly grounded, and hands and feet move abruptly.
9. Legong
The dance of legong is the most feminine dance. It is usually danced by two females before they reach puberty (in fact, they must retire by the time they reach puberty).
10. Kecak
Kecak is a spectacular dance usually performed at night, surrounding a bonfire. This dance is also know as The Monkey Dance, for the movements may remind us of monkey’s movements. There can literally be one hundred or more bare-chested men, sitting down on the ground surrounding the bonfire, led by a priest in the middle. The only tunes to accompany them are the beats of their palms hitting their chests, their thighs, or other part of their bodies, or their claps, rhythmically accompanied by shouting and chanting.