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ABOUT BALI
Geographically, Bali is situated between the islands of Java & Lombok. Bali is small, stretching approximately 140kms from east to west and 80kms north to south. The tallest of a string of volcanic mountains that run from east to west in Gunung Agung , which last erupted in 1963. Located just 8° south of the Equator, Bali boasts a tropical climate with just two seasons (wet & dry) a year with an average temperature of around 28° Celsius. The wide & gently sloping southern regions play host to Bali’s famed rice terraces, which are amongst some of the most spectacular in the world. In the hilly northern coastal regions, the main produce is coffee, copra, spices, vegetables, cattle & rice.
The Balinese have strong spiritual; roots & despite the large influx of tourists over the years, their culture is still very much alive. The main religion is Agama Hindu Dhama which originated in India but the Balinese religion has a blending of Hindu, Javanese & ancient indigenous beliefs. It is very different from the Hinduism practiced in India today.
Naturally creative, the Balinese have traditionally used their talents for religious purposes & most of the beautiful work to be seen here has been inspired by stories from Ramayana & other Hindu epics.
The majority of Bali’s 3 million+ population live, for the most part, in tight village communities with large extended families. The largest towns are Denpaser (the capital) & Singaraja in the north. The main tourist area stretches from Kuta to Seminyak. Kuta became a major attraction during the tourist boom of the 70’s because of its famous white sand beaches, the surf & stunning sunsets.
Today, the Kuta to Seminyak stretch is a major tourist destination with hundreds of hotels, villas, bars, restaurants, shops & markets. Those in search of a more peaceful holiday experience tend to head for the more sedate resorts in Sanur (20 minutes from Kuta) & Candi Dasa on the east coast or head north to Lovina. Nusa Dua on the southern most peninsular (known as the Bukit) houses many five-star hotel resorts. The central village of Ubud, in the hilly Gianyar region, has also blossomed as a tourist attraction & is now considered to be the artistic & cultural centre of Bali.
CULTURE & HISTORY
It appears that the main religion around 500 A.D. was predominately Buddhist in influence. In 670 A.D. the Chinese scholar, Yi-Tsing) on a trip to India reported having visited a Buddhist country called Bali. It wasn’t until the 11th century that Bali received the first strong influx of Hindu & Javanese cultures. With the death of his father around 1011 A.D., the Balinese Prince, Airlanggha moved to East Java & set about uniting it under one principality. Having succeeded, he then appointed his brother, Anak Wungsu, as ruler of Bali. During the ensuing period there was a reciprocation of political & artistic ideas. The old Javanese language, Kawi, became the language used by the aristocracy, one of the many Javanese traits & customs adopted by the people.
With the death of Airlanggha, in the middle of the 11th century, Bali enjoyed a period of autonomy. However, this was short lived as in 1284 the Esat Javanese King Kertanegara, conquered Bali & ruled over it from Java. In 1292, Kertanegara was murdered & Bali took the opportunity to liberate itself once again. However in 1343, Bali was brought back under Javanese control by its defeat at the hands of the Gajah Mada, the famed general in the last of the great Hindu-Javanese empires, the Majapahit. With the spread of Islam throughout Sumatra & Java during the 16th century, the Majapahit Empire began to collapse & a large exodus of aristocracy, priests, artists & artisans fled to Bali. For a while Bali flourished & the following centuries were considered the Golden Age of Bali’s cultural history. The principality of Gelgel, near Klungkung, became a major centre for arts & Bali became the major power of the region, taking control of neighbouring Lombok island & parts of East Java.
THE EUROPEAN INFLUENCE
The first Dutch seaman set foot on Bali 1597, yet it wasn’t until the 1800’s that the Dutch showed an interest in colonising the island. In 1846, having large areas of Indonesia under their control since the 1700’s, the Dutch government sent troops into northern Bali. In 1894, Dutch forces sided with the Sesak people of Lombok to defeat their Balinese rulers. By 1911, all Balinese principalities had been defeated or had capitulated leaving the whole island under Dutch control. During World War Two the Dutch were expelled from the island by the invading Japanese forces who had occupied Indonesia from 1942 to 1945.
After the Japanese defeat the Dutch tried to regain control over their former colonies but on August 17 1945, its first President, Sukarno, declared Indonesia independent. After four years of fighting & strong criticism from the international community, the Dutch government finally ceded & in 1949 Indonesia was recognised as an independent sovereign country.
THE PEOPLE
Life in Bali is very communal with the organisation of villages, farming & even the creative arts being decided by the community. The local government is responsible for the schools, hospitals, clinics & roads but all other aspects of life are placed in the hands of two traditional committees. The first, Subak, concerns itself with the production of rice & & organises the complex water irrigation system that traverses the island from the mountains to the coastal plains. Everyone who owns a Sawah, or padi field, must join their local Subak which ensures every member gets their fair share of the irrigated water. The other community organisation is the Banjar, responsible for all village festivals, marriage ceremonies & cremations. Most villages have at least one Banjar & all men have to join once married. Banjars, on average, give membership to 50 -100 families & all Banjars have their own meeting place called the Bale (pavilion) Banjar. As well as being used for regular meetings the Bale is used by the community members for gamelan orchestras & traditional drama groups rehearsals.
RELIGION
Balinese people are Hindu yet their religion is very different from the Indian variety. The Balinese worship the trinity Brahma, Shiva & Vishnu who are seen as manifestations of the Supreme God Sanghyang Widhi. Other Indian gods like Ganesha (the elephant-headed god) also appear but more commonly. Shrines associated with the many gods & spirits, uniquely Balinese, are found all over the island. Balinese people strongly believe in magic & the power of the spirits basing most of their religion on this. They believe good spirits dwell in the mountains & that the oceans are home to demons & ogres. Most villages have three main temples, namely: (1) the Pura Puseh, or “temple of origin” facing the mountains; (2) the Pura Desa, or village temple normally found in the centre; and (3) the Pura Dalem, aligned with the sea & dedicated to the spirits of the dead. Aside from these “village temples” almost every house has its own shrine. Some temples, for example the Pura Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung, are considerably more important & people from all over Bali travel there to worship. Offerings play a significant role in Balinese life as they appease the spirits & thus bring prosperity & good health to the family.
Every day small offering trays (canang sari) containing food, flowers cigarettes & money are respectfully placed on shrines in temples, in front of houses & businesses & at dangerous crossroads.
Festivals are another great occasion for soothing the Gods. The women carry huge beautifully arranged pyramids of food, fruit & flowers on their heads while the men may conduct a blood sacrifice through a cockfight. The Gods are invited descend & join the festivities with music & traditional dancing. This kind of event is extremely exciting, memorable & well worth attending.
ARTS & ARTISTS
Artistically, Bali is a mixture of cultures & traditions. The Balinese have a natural capacity for absorbing different cultural elements & blending them with their own. For centuries artists & craftsmen in Bali worked under the beneficiation of priests & ruling classes, decorating palaces & temples. The artists never signed their work & usually lived closely together in special villages.
As their designs followed strict aesthetic & religious guidelines the artists generally didn’t have to much room for personal expression. With the arrival of Europeans artists in the beginning of the 20st century this soon began to change. Local artists started to develop their own styles.
