Subak inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

UNESCO has officially acknowledged Bali’s traditional subak agricultural system on its World Heritage List during the organization’s annual meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on June 29. Subak, along with other historical sites such as the Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route in Bethlehem in Palestine, the Nahal Me’arot/Wadi el-Mughara Caves in Israel, as well as Rock Island’s Southern Lagoon in Palau, were all named as World Heritage Sites.

UNESCO recognized subak as a Balinese cultural landscape of rice terraces and their water temples that cover 19,500 hectares.

Subak reflects the philosophical concept of Tri Hita Karana, which brings together the realms of the spirit, the human world and nature. The subak system of democratic and egalitarian farming

practices has enabled the Balinese to become the most prolific rice growers in the archipelago, despite the challenge of supporting a dense population.

Included in the UNESCO-recognized landscape are the 18th-century royal temple of Pura Taman Ayun in Badung, the Batukaru mountain reserve in Tabanan, the Pakerisan watershed in Gianyar and Lake Batur in Bangli.

The UNESCO acknowledgement, however, needs to be followed up by real action to preserve the sites. Many people will come to the sites. The government should manage them to anticipate the damage to the sites because of tourism

The government should immediately draft regulations to prevent land conversion, as well as to protect the farmers. Nowadays, the government doesn’t have regulations about managing subak sites, causing massive land conversion

Bali Cultural Agency head Ketut Suastika said that the government would follow up the UNESCO acknowledgement by drafting regulations to preserve subak and to develop a management system for the sites.

“Together with the regional administrations, we will divide the sites and the surrounding areas into several zones. The regulation will cover zoning of the areas,” Suastika said, adding that the Bali administration had drafted a by law on subak as part of its attempt to preserve it as a central pillar of the Balinese culture.

The government, he said, would also establish a special board to manage the world heritage sites. The board, he said, would meet stakeholders from all parties, such as the government, subak members, the tourism sector and academics.

Meanwhile, many domestic and foreign tourists have visited the world heritage sites.

via the bali daily

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Wayang Bali

Balinese Wayang Kulit shadow play takes place as a part of temple celebrations or other religious gatherings. The purpose of the Wayang is to bless the occasion by inviting ancestral spirits to visit the location.

Bountiful offerings are presented before, during, and after the performance, which may last from three to four hours. Balinese Wayang is not an all night performance as it is in Java. Plays usually begin sometime between nine and eleven o'clock.

The Stage and Screen
The screen is a sheet of linen about nine feet wide and four feet tall. The top and bottom are bordered with bands of black. It is stretched between two vertical bamboo poles. These poles are sometimes part of a bamboo platform built specially for the event. The poles can also be tied to the pillars of an existing "Bale" (bah-lay), a cement or tile platform with a thatch or tile roof and open walls.

The top of the screen is lashed to a horizontal bamboo pole bridging the top of the verticals. The bottom of the screen is staked into a long section of trunk from a banana tree supported by shorter pieces of banana tree set perpendicular and beneath each end. The banana log is used to hold the characters upright and in place on the screen by stabbing their pointed handles firmly into the soft banana bark.

Balinese Wayang is not always in shadow. Daytime Wayang is known as Wayang Leah. In place of the screen is a horizontal string supported about a foot above the banana log by two branches from a "Dap Dap" tree mounted at the ends.

The Balinese Dalang
The Balinese Dalang is often a kind of priest, performing acts of offering and cleansing. Mantras are recited before and after the performance. A primary purpose of shadow play is for the Dalang to make holy water. The water is used for prayer and to bless the area and participants.

Holy water is prepared by adding flowers to water from a high stream and reciting mantras with incense and sprinklings of rice. There is also an abundance of offerings presented at the time of making holy water.

Many traditions are upheld by the Dalang. Wayang may only be successfully performed on an auspicious day. The Dalang must enter the area from a particular direction. Before crossing the threshold, the Dalang judges the breath in his nostrils and steps in with the side of his body which is clearest.

A Dalang is usually accompanied by two assistants who sit to his sides in performance. They assemble the screen, help prepare the characters, and maintain the lamp. The assistants must know the stories very well to be effective, anticipating the needs of the Dalang.

A meal of the finest available food is offered to the Dalang, his assistants, and musicians before they perform. Sitting music begins when the Dalang has finished eating and is discussing local events with the hosts. The actual overture begins only when the Dalang is ready and cues the players.

The Dalang's pay for the performance is relative to the economic state of the hosting family or community. It could be only a few chickens or whatever the people can afford, or it could be a higher price. Either way, it is the responsibility of the Dalang to facilitate the religious event to the best of his ability, regardless of other factors.

The Wayang Play
The lamp is lit and the overture begins with a chiming Ginoman fanfare. The first event is the dance of the Kayon, the tree of life. Characters are then removed from the Gedog one by one. Those that will be used in the episode are placed on the banana log with their backs to the screen. Others are placed to the sides. The overture continues until all the characters have been sorted and removed from the banana log. The most prominent characters in the episode are the last to leave the screen, an indicator to the audience of which episode has been chosen.

The Tree of Life in the center of the screen awakes again to a strong wind blowing. This leads into a series of character meetings and travels which reveal the episode.

There is usually a love scene and a sad scene at some point in the story. Other events include chases, magical archery, and battle. The play ends with the Kayon planted firmly in the center of the screen with the attendants Tualen and Mergdah at it's sides. The Gamelan plays a series of closing pieces and the Holy Water is made.

Characters
The most popular Wayang characters in Bali are from the Mahabarata, Arjuna, Bima, Yudistira, and Krishna, and their opponents, Duryodana and Karna. Others include the monkey Hanuman, and the lovers Rama and Sita from the Ramayana.

Also popular are the servants. On the good side are Tualen and his son Mergdah. Delem and his brother Sangut support the other side. Two other servants appear regularly, Bu Tua, the old lady, and Suratma, the gate keeper of heaven.

Characters on the side of good always enter the screen from the Dalang's right. Other characters enter from the left.

Different styles of Wayang often use an entirely unique set of characters, such as Wayang Arja, and Wayang Gambuh, very old classical forms featuring the Panji stories. .

The Gedogan Shadow Box
The Dalang begins the overture with three thumps of the palm of his hand on the closed top of the wooden box which holds the characters. The characters are then removed one by one during the overture. The empty box, or Gedog (Geh-Dohg), is then used as an instrument. The vertical side of the Gedog closest to the Dalang is loosely hinged so that it produces a sound when slapped shut.

The Dalang uses small wooden mallets held between the toes of the right foot and in the left hand to strike the Gedogan in rhythm. These sounds add punctuation to speech and on screen action. They also cue the musicians to change, speed up or slow down.

Music
Balinese Wayang of the Mahabarata, known as Wayang Parwa, and Wayang Sapu Leger, for exorcism, is accompanied by Gamelan Gender Wayang. Gender Wayang consists of two or four metallophones with ten bronze bars each played with wooden mallets.

Many styles of Gamelan may accompany other types of shadow play. For the Ramayana story, Gender Wayang is augmented by a "Batel" ensemble including drums, gongs, flute, and other instruments. Wayang Gambuh uses an ensemble of meter long flutes, drums, gongs, and cymbals. Wayang Arja is accompanied by tiny flutes, drums, cymbals, and bamboo gongs. Wayang Tantri, a newer creation by Wayan Wija, uses Gamelan Semar Pegulingan.

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Bali Arts Festival

The Bali Arts Festival is a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions and other related cultural and commercial activities during which literally the whole of Bali comes to the city to present its offerings of dance, music and beauty. On display are trances from remote mountain slopes, forgotten or recently revived village dances, food and offering contests, classical palace dances, stars of Balinese stage, odd musical performances, "kreasi baru" (new creations) from the dance schools of Denpasar, as well as contemporary choreography and dance companies from other islands and from abroad.

It is a month long revelry that perhaps no other place in the world can put up on such a low budget as the Balinese. Not only is their traditional culture alive and well, but they have a tremendous pride in it.

It begins in the villages, where the seka or cultural groups are selected and organized at the regency level, vie with each other to perform the Arts Festival and thus display in front of a large audience the uniqueness of their village of birth and resting place of their ancestors.

The Bali Arts Festival is the Denpasar cultural event of the year, perhaps it would no be too far fetched to suggest that it is the cultural event of Indonesia. The festival is thus a unique opportunity to see local village culture both "live" and at first hand. Tourists are warmly welcomed.

The History of the Bali Arts Festival

When tourism took off after 1965, the Balinese insisted that it followed cultural guidelines: if tourism was to be accepted, it was to be a cultural tourism, or "pariwisata budaya".

As the Balinese put it: "Tourism should be for Bali instead of Bali for tourism." In time, this idea become national policy, as part of a larger revping of regional cultures for national purposes. The policy owes much to the former Director General of Culture (1968-1978) and Governor of Bali (1978-1988), Ida Bagus Mantra, an Indian-educed Balinese. It led, on the one side, to the creation of enclave resorts such as Nusa Dua to limit the direct impact of tourism, and on the other, to a long haul cultural policy aimed at nurturing and preserving the traditional agrarian culture while adapting it to the demands of modernity, and in particular of "cultural tourism".

At the village level, local music groups, dances and other cultural events were inventoried, then supported by a series of contests at the district and regency level. The ensuing competition energized the cultural life of villages, whose "young blood" was already being drained to the city by the process of economic change and urbanization.

Schools of dance and art were created, in particular the Kokar conservatory and the STSI School of Dance and Music. Beside research, these schools replaced the traditional master/disciple relationship by modern methods of teaching; standardized the dance movements, produced new types of Balinese dances for tourism and modern village entertainment. Most important, it enabled former students to return to the villages as teachers, where they diffused, beside the creed of cultural resilience and renewal, new dances and standardized versions of old ones.

Many of the performances are held at the amphitheater which can hold up to 6,000 spectators, in a temple-like stage.

Each year, the Bali Arts Festival, beside the fed classical dances of the island, such as the legong, gambuh, kecak, barong, baris, mask dances and the like, is based on the theme around which new "dance choreography" is produced and old village dances and activities revived. Over the years, the whole range of classical Balinese stories - Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sutasoma, Panji - have thus been turned into "colossal" Sendratari Ballets.

The main challenge to the Arts Festival is obviously economic in nature. As village life is increasingly feeling the strains of monetary considerations, dancers, musicians and others cannot be expected to continue participating simply for the sake and the pleasure of it. As costs soar, new sources of financing have to be found. The obvious answer is the private sector and in particular the tourism industry. The greater task then is to convince the hotels, travel agencies and tourist guides to be more participatory in the Arts Festival rather than to their own sponsored events.

Considering the pride the Balinese have in their culture, and the adaptability and dynism they have always demonstrated, this little hurdle can be overcome. Trust the Balinese. They will eventually succeed to transform their tradition into a modern, Balinese culture of their own.

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Nyepi, Bali's New Year (Silent Day)

Every religion or culture all over the world has their own way to define and celebrate their new year. For example, the Chinese have the Imlek year and to celebrate it, have, as they called it in their own language, "Gong Xi Fat Choy". The Moslem societies have their Muharam year, and any of the people over the world using the Gregorian calendar, celebrate the New Year on January 1st.

The same thing also occurs in Bali, however the Balinese use many different calendar systems. They have adopted the Gregorian calendar for business and government purposes. But for the endless procession of holy days, temple anniversaries, celebrations, sacred dances, building houses, wedding ceremonies, death and cremation processes and other activities that define Balinese life, they have two calendar systems. The first is the Pawukon (from the word Wuku which means week) and Sasih (which is means month). Wuku consists of 30 items starting from Sinta, the first Wuku and end up with the Watugunung the last one. The Pawukon, a 210-day ritual calendar brought over from Java in the 14th century, is a complex cycle of numerological conjunctions that provides the basic schedule for ritual activities on Bali. Sasih, a parallel system of Indian origin, is a twelve month lunar calendar that starts with the vernal equinox and is equally important in determining when to pay respect to the Gods.

Westerners open the New Year in revelry, however, in contrast, the Balinese open their New Year in silence. This is called Nyepi Day, the Balinese day of Silence, which falls on the day following the dark moon of the spring equinox, and opens a new year of the Saka Hindu era which began in 78 A.D.

Nyepi is a day to make and keep the balance of nature. It is based on the story of when King Kaniska I of India was chosen in 78 A.D. The King was famous for his wisdom and tolerance for the Hinduism and Buddhism societies. In that age, Aji Saka did Dharma Yatra (the missionary tour to promote and spread Hinduism) to Indonesia and introduce the Saka year.

The lead upto Nyepi day is as follows:

• Melasti or Mekiyis or Melis (three days before Nyepi)
  Melasti is meant to clean the pratima or arca or pralingga (statue), with symbols that help to concentrate the mind in order to become closer to God. The ceremony is aimed to clean all nature and its content, and also to take the Amerta (the source for eternal life) from the ocean or other water resources (ie lake, river, etc). Three days before Nyepi, all the effigies of the Gods from all the village temples are taken to the river in long and colourful ceremonies. There, they have are bathed by the Neptune of the Balinese Lord, the God Baruna, before being taken back home to their shrines.

• Tawur Kesanga (the day before Nyepi)
  Exactly one day before Nyepi, all villages in Bali hold a large exorcism ceremony at the main village cross road, the meeting place of demons. They usually make Ogoh-ogoh (the fantastic monsters or evil spirits or the Butha Kala made of bamboo) for carnival purposes. The Ogoh-ogoh monsters symbolize the evil spirits surrounding our environment which have to be got rid of from our lives . The carnivals themselves are held all over Bali following sunset. Bleganjur, a Balinese gamelan music accompanies the procession. Some are giants taken from classical Balinese lore. All have fangs, bulging eyes and scary hair and are illuminated by torches.The procession is usually organised by the Seka Teruna, the youth organisation of Banjar. When Ogoh-ogoh is being played by the Seka Teruna, everyone enjoys the carnival. In order to make a harmonic relation between human being and God, human and human, and human and their environments, Tawur Kesanga is performed in every level of society, from the people's house. In the evening, the Hindus celebrating Ngerupuk, start making noises and light burning torches and set fire to the Ogoh-ogoh in order to get the Bhuta Kala, evil spirits, out of our lives. 

• Nyepi
  On Nyepi day itself, every street is quiet - there are nobody doing their normal daily activities. There is usually Pecalangs (traditional Balinese security man) who controls and checks for street security. Pecalang wear a black uniform and a Udeng or Destar (a Balinese traditional "hat" that is usually used in ceremony). The Pecalangs main task is not only to control the security of the street but also to stop any activities that disturb Nyepi. No traffic is allowed, not only cars but also people, who have to stay in their own houses. Light is kept to a minimum or not at all, the radio or TV is turned down and, of course, no one works. Even love making, this ultimate activity of all leisure times, is not supposed to take place, nor even attempted. The whole day is simply filled with the barking of a few dogs, the shrill of insect and is a simple long quiet day in the calendar of this otherwise hectic island. On Nyepi the world expected to be clean and everything starts anew, with Man showing his symbolic control over himself and the "force" of the World, hence the mandatory religious control.

• Ngembak Geni (the day after Nyepi)
  Ngembak is the day when Catur Berata Penyepian is over and Hindus societies usually visit to forgive each other and doing the Dharma Canthi. Dharma Canthi are activities of reading Sloka, Kekidung, Kekawin, etc.(ancient scripts containing songs and lyrics).

From the religious and philosophy point of view, Nyepi is meant to be a day of self introspection to decide on values, eg humanity, love, patience, kindness, etc., that should kept forever. Balinese Hindus have many kind of celebrations (some sacred days) but Nyepi is, perhaps the most important of the island's religious days and the prohibitions are taken seriously, particularly in villages outside of Bali's southern tourist belt. Hotels are exempt from Nyepi's rigorous practices but streets outside will be closed to both pedestrians and vehicles (except for airport shuttles or emergency vehicles) and village wardens (Pecalang) will be posted to keep people off the beach. So wherever you happen to be staying on Nyepi Day in Bali, this will be a good day to spend indoors. Indeed Nyepi day has made Bali a unique island.

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Kasta in Bali

Kasta is a position or rank brought from the descendants of hereditary Each. Caste in Bali is divided into 5 namely:

1. Ida Bagus / Ida Ayu (Brahmin)

2. Tjokorda / Agung Gde (Ksatrya)

3. Dewa (Ksatrya)

4. Gusti (Waishya)

5. Jaba (Sudra)

Usually the same caste or fam also often called clans, and the most prominent of the caste in Bali is the use of language is often difficult to understand because every caste has a different language from another caste.

Of the five castes which are of the Brahmin is no right for the 1-4 is no 5 is the sudra. Brahmanic are people who have the high position in the kingdom on the first date, while the sudra is the kingdom of the soldiers or ordinary citizens.

What is the difference between Dewa with Agung? Ksatrya caste Brahmins came from. Because the king that require advisers and generals of war. Kesatrya ( Agung) are a people in the king's appointed as advisors for this caste usually have a mindset that is more intelligent than Ksatrya (Dewa), and while to become commander of the war because of temperament are more emotional than the "Agung" so there was a difference of caste in because of the different temperaments.

But often there is friction on the Brahmins, a caste eventually arise again in the Pande call or nation or the Brahmins who do not use the title or chestnut again. Pande again divided into two namely: Pande Mas and Besi.

Nation Pande Mas assigned as an artist and the crown jewel of the Brahmins. And while for Pande Besi assigned as an artist or a war weapon which we know the term as Mpu.

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Batik to be listed as intangible heritage wonder

Batik is a popular decorated textile but for Javanese, it means much more -- it embodies a philosophy that holds importance from the cradle to the grave.

It is still a common practice to wrap newborns in batik cloth, and a piece of batik selendang (scarf) is regularly used to carry the baby around.

When someone dies, batik will cover the body of the deceased and seven pieces of batik are usually used to cushion the corpse. At this time, batik with a parang rusak pattern or a bird design are not supposed to be used.

The values represented in Indonesian batik are considered significant enough by advocates to push the government to nominate it for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'s list of intangible cultural heritage, which will be first inscripted in September 2009.

The plan -- set in motion by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN), the Indonesian Batik Museum Institute and batik communities -- is expected to be realized before the nomination deadline of Aug. 31 this year.

UNESCO's program specialist for culture, Himalchuli Gurung, said there were two intangible heritage lists, made possible under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which was enforced in April 2006. Indonesia ratified the Convention, which has some 90 member states, in October last year.

The two lists are the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Gurung said in other countries, the inventory work has been completed much faster, making the nomination process easier. Japan, for instance, has an institute especially assigned to do the job.

"There's discussion that China might propose 50 since they're way ahead in documentation...," Gurung told The Jakarta Post.

UNESCO will also incorporate the 90 Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity proclaimed between 2001 and 2005 -- before the Convention went into force -- into the Representative List.

The Masterpieces include Albanian polyphonic folk songs, a Zimbabwean dance and Ugandan bark cloth-making.

From Indonesia, UNESCO proclaimed wayang puppet theater and Indonesian kris among the Masterpieces in 2003 and 2005 respectively.

Gurung was aware of the recent "tension" between Indonesia and neighboring Malaysia, allegedly for claiming Indonesian traditional arts, from batik to songs and dances.

She said both countries could "have" batik, and the material could be found around the world, like in African or Indian batik.

"But the thing is, Indonesian batik is so meaningful in a sense that it still has the traditional practice, rituals and customs behind it.

"Again, the value of batik is its intangible heritage, like how it is made, and it is still widely used for rituals, like wedding ceremonies. So it's more about the meaning behind batik, the philosophy."

A paper presented during the recent discussion with UNESCO, organized by KADIN, explored the close connection between the Javanese philosophy of life and batik, which includes gamelan traditional orchestra, court dances, religion, wayang puppet shows and dance drama.

The paper -- which included contributions by noted designer Iwan Tirta and batik collector and writer Asmoro Damais as members of the Indonesia Batik Museum Institution -- found the connection between gamelan and batik showed in that many batik patterns share similar names with certain gamelan melodies, like Gending Pandelori, Srikaton, Pisanbali, Kawung and Gambirsawit.

Batik is also inseparable from Javanese life -- annual offerings to the guardians of Java's main volcanoes and the Goddess of the South Sea still include pieces of batik cloth.

In weddings throughout Central Java, the patterns of sidomukti, sidoluhur, sidoasih, sidomulyo, wirasat and truntum are used to bless newly married couples and their parents.

The rulers of Yogyakarta and Surakarta Palaces always use prescribed patterns like the parang design.

Batik worn during dress rehearsal of the sacred Bedaya Ketawang dance is always the kampuh parang rusak, while for other Bedaya and Serimpi dances, the batik is always a parang pattern, in this case parang curigo latar putih, parang rusak or parang kusumo.

Various characters in wayang kulit (shadow puppet), wayang golek (wooden puppet) and the most recent wayang orang puppet theater, wear prescribed batik patterns that suit the characters' personality -- the third brother of the Pandawas, Raden Arjuna and his devoted wife Dewi Sumbadra, always wear a parang rusak klitik pattern.

There is also a belief that certain patterns bring bad luck if worn on unsuitable occasions, such as the tambal pattern, which is avoided by a bridal couples as it is feared to bring in patchy luck, like the material's patchwork pattern, while the kawung pattern should not be used to cover the body of a person who dies on a Saturday.

Yogyakarta Sultan, for instance, never wears the kawung pattern since it is considered to be a forbidden pattern for royalty.

The museum members said batik had a legacy that married the tangible -- the cloth and the income -- with the intangible: the moral teachings and religious beliefs of Javanese philosophy.

"It has been lifted to a national iconic art, and it is still going strong," the museum members said.

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Balinese Kite Season

The months of July through until September marks kite flying season on the island of Bali and the skies are filled with all sorts of wonderful handmade creations. Children learn to make their own kites from a very young age and limited resources such as a few strips of shaved bamboo, a plastic bag and length of string can be turned into a prized flyer.

There two common types of kites that the Balinese prefer to make and fly. There is a small lightweight fighting kite called rerean as well as a slightly larger traditional styled model that is referred to as bebean.

The rerean is a simple construction made from plastic or very thin paper. Owners go to great lengths to prepare the strings of these fighting kites by applying a sticky concoction of crushed glass and glue to make the line razor sharp. Once in the sky an opponent is found and the pair of kites duel by dodging and teasing each other until with one swift manoeuvre a line is cut. The losing kite disappears into the breeze and is trailed on the ground by a group of barefoot children hoping to claim it as their own.

The larger bebean can literally stay up in the air for days providing there are favourable wind conditions. These attractive looking kites are constructed from coloured plastic or parachute fabric. Whilst up in the air these kites make an unusual twanging sound created by a length of palm leaf attached to the frame that vibrates in the wind.

Every year Bali hosts an annual kite festival and competition on the black sand beach of Padang Galak, just north of Sanur. Although this festival initially started out as a local event, in recent years it has attracted international interest with enthusiastic entrants from America, Australia and Japan.

The Balinese prepare for the festival by collaborating with members of their immediate community to create large-scale communal kites out of flexible rods of bamboo and parachute fabrics. All construction costs are covered by generous donations from within the local neigbourhood.

These monster sized kites have to be transported to the festival site on the back of a truck in a colourful procession. Boys dress in traditional attire and the entire ensemble is accompanied by Balinese music of brass gong instruments and clashing cymbals.

It often takes several strong boys to actually get these kites into the air so evaluation can commence. Judges score on appearance, colour combination, balance and the overall dynamics of each kite. A winning entrant has to be visually appealing, but also harmonize with the wind. The most wonderful thing about kite flying is that it defies social barriers. Everyone can participate and enjoy this activity – whether they are young, old, rich or poor.

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Tajen, Balinese Cock Fighting

Cockfights are staged in Bali on auspicious days in conjunction with Hindu ceremonies that require a sacrificial blood offering. The spilt blood is combined with a series of complicated purification offerings to appease the negative forces of the underworld. The Balinese believe that by performing such rites they are satisfying the hunger of the evil spirits that often disturb man and his environment. Chickens are used as they are one of the most accessible creatures from the animal kingdom that roam around village compounds with relative freedom in search of food scraps.

Cockfights for religious purposes are usually staged within the outer courtyard of a temple complex and consist of only a couple of rounds using different cocks each time. Those attending dress accordingly, in traditional sarong and behave as if they are attending any other ceremonial event. However, the Balinese obsession with gambling means that some cockfights, or tajen as they are locally known, are sometimes staged for pure pleasure. Although gambling in Indonesia is considered highly illegal, recreational cockfights are held around the island, but in relative secrecy. Police crackdowns in recent years have seen a huge decline in this blood sport that was once a thriving activity for village men.

To prepare for a cockfight a piece of land is cleared and the ground swept of debris. A makeshift square arena is constructed from lengths of bamboo with the size depending on how many spectators are expected to turn up for the event. Women do not usually attend cockfight apart from a handful of enterprising stallholders who sell coffee, cigarettes and grilled sticks of satay to the spectators. The fights are governed by a complex set of rules; which above all relies on a system of mutual respect and trust. Before a bout commences, the pair of cocks are matched to ensure a fair fight. Many Balinese believe that if a chicken has an unusual colouring or some sort of physical abnormality such as an extra claw it will prove to be a powerful fighter. A popular choice of cock is the betet, a breed that was introduced from the Philippines that has the ability to leap several metres into the air.

Negotiations take place between the owners of the cocks as well as some minor preparations before the commencement of the fight. A professional handler positions and tightly binds razor sharp blades to the natural spur of the claw of each cock. Betting from the audience begins and it is a noisy affair with bids and odds shouted from each end of the arena. Official judges are positioned in each corner of the arena and a time-keeper sounds a bell to indicate each round. As the cocks are released they charge at each other in frenzy. A bout is often over in a matter of minutes with the defeated cock injured with a blood wound. Once all bets are settled in a gentlemanly fashion, all cocks that have survived or didn’t have the opportunity to fight are bundled back into bags made from woven palm leaves ready for the next event.

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Barong Dance

Barong is probably the most well known dance. It is also another story telling dance, narrating the fight between good and evil. This dance is the classic example of Balinese way of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history being blended into one reality.

The story goes that Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was condemned by Erlangga's father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow, she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to come after Erlangga. A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were too strong that Erlangga had to ask for the help of Barong. Barong came with Erlangga's soldiers, and fight ensued. Rangda casted a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.

Somebody can die or get seriously injured in a Barong dance. It is said that if Rangda's spell is too strong, a weak soldier may not be able to resist it, even with the help of Barong. He may end up hurting himself with his own keris.

The masks of Barong and Rangda are considered sacred items, and before they are brought out, a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerrings must be presented.

There are several versions of the Barong Dance, as Bali has an abundance of myths and legends. There is Barong Ket, Barong Asu (Dog Barong), Barong Macan (Tiger Barong), Barong Bangkal (Pig Barong), Barong Gajah (Elephant Barong) and others.

One of the well known stories on which the Barong Dance is based, is the Kunti Seraya. The plot is very intriguing, showing the effect of the Gods intervention upon the people through supernatural powers.

It is told that Dewi Kunti, from the royal family of Hastinapura, was very ill. As a devotee of the Goddess Durga, she seeks help, however, the Goddess tells her that the price of health is her own son, Sahadewa. It seems that the Goddess fancied Sahadewa's young and luscious flesh for her dinner.

Dewi Kunta recovers from her illness and it is time to pay the price. She regrets her decision to pay the price but a promise is a promise. One of the Goddess's followers put her into a trance and enters her body. She becomes a terrifying creature and unconsciously beats Sahadewa mercilessly. She then takes him to an unpenetratable jungle and ties him to a tree. Later Sahadewa is given immortality by God and she overcomes the wrath of the Goddess and she is able to release her son.

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Black and White Cloth

Poleng, or chessboard pattern of attracting black and white squares is surely the most distinguished motif of Balinese cloth. One can hardly miss the presence of a poleng cloth around him due to the striking contrast of colors used in the motif. But poleng is not made for attracting attention of the onlookers, it express Balinese point of view towards life.

Since Poleng is the national color of Bali, it can be found virtually everywhere in the island. Poleng clothes are usually wound round big tree trunks, big rocks, statues and shrines. Banners, flags, and umbrellas that are used in a procession of the ceremony sometimes made of poleng clothes. Poleng clothes are also used by the Balinese traditional security forces (pecalang), poleng cloth is considered to be an obligatory part of pecalang outfits. There is also a warrior dance (baris) which is called Baris Poleng. As its name suggests, the dancers’ apparels consist predominantly of poleng clothes.

Poleng cloth is always associated in a way or another to the realm of netherworld. Shrine that is decorated with poleng cloth is usually the shrine dedicated to the spirit of the place where the shrine located, not for gods. Rangda, the personification of negative force of the universe, queen of evil, wears a poleng shawl and when Rangda mask is kept in the box, it is wrapped with poleng cloth. The giant paper doll, ogoh-ogoh, which depicts the evil spirit, is usually dressed with poleng cloth. Stone temple guardians which stand to the left and right of the entrance door of the temples are also wrapped with poleng clothes.

But, what is the significance of poleng cloth? The chessboard pattern of alternating black and white squares of poleng signifies Balinese concept of rwa bhineda, a Balinese view of mutual dualism that make up the whole world. In other word, it is about two opposite thing that depend on each other to exist, such as day and night, low and high, dry and rainy season, bitter and sweet, black and white, etc. Balinese believe that the balance of this mutual dualism will brings prosperity and peacefulness to the mankind. This concept of balance is expressed perfectly by the poleng cloth – the number of white square is always equal with the black one.

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Penjor, Balinese Symbol of Dragon and Mountain

The penjor is a tall, curved bamboo pole decorated with coconut leaves with an offering at the base. This is one of the media used by Hindus in Bali as part of almost every important ceremony, especially for the anniversary temple celebrations.

The Sri Jaya Kasunu manuscript states that the penjor symbolizes the mountain and the mountain itself is the symbol of the universe. Therefore, for the Balinese the penjor is synonymous with Mount Agung, the highest and holiest mountain in Bali.

The aim of erecting penjors at Galungan is to show devotion to God in His manifestation as Hyang Giri Pati (the God of the mountain). Mountains with deep forests hold a lot of water, which flows into rivers. This then fulfils water needs for irrigation and drinking water.

During Galungan celebrations, each family erects a penjor outside their gate, which makes the whole neighborhood look splendid.

Material for a Penjor

The basic material of a penjor is a curved bamboo pole. The pole is then decorated with yellow coconut leaves, pala bungkah (roots - sweet potato or cassava), pala gantung (fruit - cucumbers, oranges, bananas), pala wija (cereal - rice, corn), plawa (leaves), traditional cakes, 11 Chinese coins, and a small shrine with some offerings.

All materials for a penjor constitute peoples' basic needs, signifying that we should take care of those things. In addition, livestock sacrificed for the ceremony are believed to become better creatures in their next life.

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Indonesians are the Most Smiley and Pleasant People in the World

The 2009 Smiling Report, conducted by two obscure Swedish organisations called Better Business and the International Mystery Shopping Alliance (IMSA), analyses how likely shop, hotel, and office staff are to smile at and greet customers or people they are required to deal with as part of their job.

66 countries were surveyed and 2.5 million probing questions were asked during 2008 and in the Smiling category Indonesia was found to lead the way with a whopping 98% Smiling Rate. The most miserable customer service staff were in Pakistan, with a hopeless 44% Smiling Rate.

On the Greeting front Indonesia again had a near perfect 98% score, but this time grudgingly having to share top spot with Hong Kong. The gruff customer service staff of Morocco were weakest with pleasantries, with only a 48% Greeting Rate.

However in a third category, “Add-on sales“, an

alyzing the rate at which sales assistants suggest additional products or services to customers, Indonesia couldn’t claim first place honours. Instead Pakistani shop staff made up for their woeful 1 in 2 lack of smileyness and took the

number one rank with an 82% rate of sugges

ting extras. The Finns, on 3%, were the least

imaginative in this area.

The Smile of Made Mangku Pastika, Governor of BAli

In general the Report found that worldwide smiling and greeting rates in shops and offices had been on the decline since 2004.

The industry where smiling was most common was Health & Beauty with 86% worldwide, greetings were most likely in government service departments (94%) while the Business to Business area was lowest for both categories, 52% and 70% respectively.

In Stockholm an Indonesian embassy representative, Dody Kusumonegoro, proudly informed Indonesian media of the Report recently, and noted that his hosts the Swedes ranked a lowly 24th for Smileyness.

our President, Susilo Bambang Yudoyono also does it

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Constructions And Symbols in The Temple

Kori Agung
This type of gate is said to show the reunion of the halves of the Candi Bentar. Shrines for offerings often flank such gates.













Candi Bentar
The split gate, or Candi bentar, looks like a single edifice split through the middle. The carving is normally mirrored on either side while the center cleft is kept smooth to emphasize the division of the two sides.












Meru
The towering Meru with its tiered sugar palm fiber roofs and elegant silhouette is the prima ballerina of many temple courtyards. This Balinese pagoda, a shrine to the higher deities, always has an odd number of roofs, with a maximum of 11. The number depends on the status of the divinity in the local hierarchy. That is why, based on the concept of Mandala that the function of each meru are;
1. Meru with 3 tiered roofs are dedicated for Tri Murti (Hindhu Trinity )such as Brahma (creator), Wisnu (preserver) dan Siwa (destroyer/dissolver).

2. Meru with 5 tiered roofs are dedicated to Panca Dewata such as: Iswara, Brahma, Mahadewa, Wisnu dan Siwa.

3. Meru with 7 tiered roofs are dedicated tor: Sapta Dewata such as: Iswara, Brahma, Mahadewa, Wisnu, Siwa, Sada Siwa dan Parama Siwa.

4. Meru with 9 tiered roofs are dedicated to Nawa Sanga Dewata such as: Iswara, Maheswara, Brahma, Rudra, Mahadewa, Sangkara, Wisnu, Sambhu dan Siwa.

5. Meru with 11 tiered roofs are dedicated Eka Dasa Rudra Dewata such as Iswara, Maheswara, Brahma, Rudra, Mahadewa, Sangkara, Wisnu,Sambhu, Siwa, Sada Siwa dan Parama Siwa. Meru, a shrine with one tiered roof, one with 2 tiered roofs, is not called ‘Meru’ but ‘pelinggih Gedong’ or “Gedong jajar /Gedong Sari” functioned to worship “Purusa-Pradana aspects (Male – Female) it is usually connected with worshiping the ancestors. Note that the number of tiered roof of the Meru doesn’t show the height of the god’ degree the people worship to.

Kul-Kul
Bale kul-kul, The wooden bell, where the wooden bell is hung and , is not a shrine; it is used to call villagers for any certain of reasons, including a regular assembly, a fire, or a sudden bereavement. A Kul-kul, most commonly a four-poster pavilion, has one or more slit wooden drums hanging within it. They rhythm of the drum beats varies according to the reason for the purposes. The pavilion, is a tall, mason stereo bate, often straddles a wall corner.









Waist Wast
The Selendang (waist sash) symbolically ties of the lower appetites. It is obligatory for anyone entering a temple to wear one. A white outfit with a selendang is worn by the priest when performing holy duties.

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Balinese Community System

Balinese Community System

One of the images of the Balinese unique is collectively strong oneness among Balinese and there are seven things wrapped the Balinese to be a strong Community which has the identity and tenacity of culture: (1) most of them bound by Hindu Religion as a pioneer of religion in Indonesia. (2) They are bound with some of praying place (Pura), (3) Balinese people bound by family system, (4) They are bound by the community surrounding them like Banjar or Desa Pekraman. (5) They are also bound by race system which get in heritance from the ancestor hereditarily, (6) Some of Balinese farmers are bound with Traditional Irrigation System which is called Subak, (7) Balinese also bound by Indonesia Government System.

Balinese Life and Structure

Generally, the Balinese Community System is oriented by two structures (Social Traditional Structure and Social Formal Structure). The Social Traditional Structure has based on the long story from before Hindu era until now and Social Formal Structure is bound of the Balinese integrity into Republic Indonesia since 17 August 1945 . The most familiar Balinese Life Concept which is called "Tri Hita Karana" and it is believe will bring them into prosperous where this concept has three angle point in the Balinese in order to keep the good balance between human and environment, human and human the last one human and god.

BANJAR

Banjar is a group of social community that has band of area, activities and social life. The purpose of Banjar is to held each other in line with the social activities like wedding ceremony, people death, take a part of refurbishment of temple, road, cleanliness of the area, security protection and do all the activities together in economic, social and ritual field. The Banjar is lead by Klian Banjar, which is consisted of 50 - 200 family leaders.

SUBAK

SUBAK is a social-economic organization to organize the irrigation system in Bali where the member it self is from the owner of the rice field. The focus activities of Subak is around the irrigation of the rice field and beside of that it is also has the economic activities and done some religious activities in Pura Subak. In Bali there are about 1300 Subak, where the structurally consist of Subak Tempekan and Subak Gede. Subak it self is lead by 'Pekaseh' and he/she organize and arrange the water irrigation system, irrigation maintenance, to schedule the rice plantation including the cleaning of insect program.

SEKAA

SEKAA is a group of social community, which has proposed to conduct the special event and inclined based on voluntary. The Sekaa is built based on the same propose, norm and activities. In Bali, there are a lot of Sekaa that effect to all aspect Balinese life from the security, social, environment, religion, economic, art etc. The most of Sekaa in Bali is more glow is Art Sekaa and based on survey is about 1500 organization.

GOTONG ROYONG

GOTONG ROYONG is a fundamental of Balinese solidarity which is used on the day life of Balinese based on reciprocity where the activities given will get the obligation to return as sociality. A base of Gotong Royong is forming to help each other and free social activities.

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Festival

Being in Bali lets you experience the endless series of offerings, purification, processions, dances, and dozens of other religious rites that Balinese devote their lives to. They believe that life on earth is one stage in the continuity of existence. The cycle begins at birth and it is a cherished event. The umbilical cord is preserved and kept for life, and the birth is attended by the entire family and a holy man who invokes spiritual powers to aid the delivery. Death is merely a rite of passage when the soul is freed. It will commence its great journey before being reborn into a future generation.

There is a myriad of festivals in Bali. Some are dedicated to the art of woodcarving, the birth of a goddess, and percussion instruments. Other festivals include temple festivals, fasting & retreat ceremonies, parades to the sea to cleanse villages, special prayers for the dead, nights of penance (sivaratri), harvest festivals (usaba), blood sacrifices, and house deity anniversaries (odalan sangguh).

Religious Festivals

Religious festivals include odalan, which signifies the anniversary of a temple's founding. These festivals last a couple of days to a week. Temples are beautifully bedecked with flowers, palm leaves, flags and bamboo towers, complete with noisy parades, food offerings, and prayers that add religious fervor to the festive ambience.

Melasti, another religiously inclined festival, is a purification festival held the day before Nyepi. On Melasti, villagers will dress in their finest and make their way to the sea or holy springs. They would carry umbrellas, offerings or flowers, and fruit and sacred statues. The statues are affectionately washed with water, and pigs would be sacrificed by holy men as offerings to their gods. This festival must be carried out amid the din of gamelan and drums and lots of merry shouting. All must then fall silent the following day on Nyepi.

Nyepi is a festival that marks the beginning of a new lunar year and usually falls during the spring equinox (late March or early April). On this day, everyone in Bali including tourists must remain silent. No one is allowed to work, travel or partake in any indulgences. Visitors are advised to observe this custom and to stay within their lodgings for the day. It may seem like a day is wasted, but the previous night's festivities would have sapped substantial energy and spirit to make up for the day of stillness. It is believed that evil spirits will leave the island, thinking that the place is uninhabited due to the complete stillness.

Galungan is another festival related to religion. It is observed in the eleventh week of the 210th day in the Balinese calendar and celebrates the creation of our world. Bali's most significant annual event, locals will spend the day visiting family, friends and neighbors decked in their finest and indulge in heavy feasting.

Ten days after Galungan is Kuningan. This festival commemorates the end of the holiday season. On this occasion, ancestors are worshipped and honored with celebrations held at the water temple Tampaksiring, along with other events at Bangli and Ubud.

The restoration of balance between good and evil is also commemorated. Eka Dasa Rudra is the island's most important festival and is originally held every hundred years. It is now being revised to hold the festival more frequently and the next one is yet to be announced.

Non-Religious Festivals and Holidays

If you are in Bali between July and October, you will have the opportunity to experience the Negara bull races. The pampered bulls are spruced up with accessories, hitched in pairs to makeshift chariots, and steered by jockeys who combine their riding skills and tail twisting to induce maximum performance.

Then there is also the rice harvest festival, which is dedicated to the rice god Dewi Sri. This is a blessed season for the villages and the entire place will be repainted and decorated with flags. An atmosphere of happiness pervades. Small straw rice-god dolls are placed throughout the fields and villages as a tribute.

Indonesia's Independence Day falls on August 17, when the Republic of Indonesia achieved independence from the Dutch.

Balinese ceremonies are normally held during late afternoons or evenings when the day is cooler. They also hold firm to the belief that the island is owned by the supreme god Sanghyang Widhi, and has been handed down to the Balinese in sacred trust. To show their appreciation, the people fill their waking hours with symbolic activities and worship. If you see a procession of women garbed in traditional wear, carrying small bowls or balancing towering offerings on their heads, or a group of batik-clad men with headcloths, just put on a shirt, grab your camera and mingle with the crowd - you will always be welcomed.

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