Bali For Travelling - Guidance Before Visiting Bali Island

Where to eat in Amed

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Along the coastal strip of east Bali lies Amed village. As a tourism destination Amed refers to a long stretch of coast running from the village of Culik about 14 km eastwards incorporating the seven villages of Amed, Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah, Selang, Banyuning and Aas. The coastal views here are nice with slow pace of life. Though Amed is a newly developed destination but you can find some good places to eat there. Here are some of them.

Garam Cafe

Located at Hotel Uyah, Garam Cafe offers selection of local and international dishes. This restaurant has view of salt production field, on the dry season (April – September) you can see the production of salt in traditional way, the waitress is more than happy to explain the process of salt making.

Amed Cafe

Amed Cafe (62 363 23473) offers a good selection of international food with reasonable price. This cafÃ© has good location and free internet access.

Sails

Located at Lipah village, Sails (62 363 22006) is a great restaurant with nice setting. With clean and modern nuance, Sails gives cozy atmosphere as well as extensive well thought out menu, worth a visit. Provides free pick up and drop-off around Amed area.

Barong Cafe and Restaurant

Barong Cafe and Restaurant (62 81 80 55 85 010) offers good selection of Indonesian and international cuisine. Provides free pick up and drop-off around Amed area.

Another nice place to eat is the tiny, friendly Restaurant Gede, located against the mountain after a steep descent from the Indra Udhayana Hotel, serves good fresh fish and seafood. Its terrace offers a view of rocky mountain slopes.

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

What to do in Amed

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Amed is an excellent choice for those who long for serenity and quiet surrounding, a good place for honeymoon and getaway vacation.Â While staying in Amed there are some activities you can do here to give your vacation a little more color.

Sailing and fishing

Early morning fishing and sailing is superb in Amed; you can see hundreds of traditional fishing boats depart for their fishing exploration with beautiful red sunrise on east horizon as background. You can enjoy the sunrise while fishing or sailing. Join the early morning rush for mackerel and sunrise

Snorkeling

Due to small number of visitors Amed’s sea life is healthy and abundant’ a good news for those who want some good snorkeling. You can enjoy good snorkeling within few meters of the shore. There is a small World War II Japanese wreck in quite shallow water off Lipah Beach.

Diving

Amed has some good diving spots in Jemeluk Bay both from the beach and from boats in deeper water. Beware of the drops off that reach the depths 40 meters plus right after a gentle slope out from shore. Amed has good and healthy coral with various fish. For experienced divers, there are some good drift dives further east at Selang and Bunutan.

Massage

For those who go to Amed just for relaxing and doing nothing, you can have a traditional massage while relaxing on the beach especially at Lipah.

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

Visiting Amed

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:46:00 +0000

Situated at Bali east coast Amed is with the nearest town, Amlapura, around 44 km away, Amed is a tourist destination that is suitable for those who longs for a quiet rustic scene and serene atmostphere. In the tourist vocabulary the word “Amed” refers to a 15-km stretch of coast from Amed via Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah Beach, and Banyuning to Aas.

To reach Amed youcan get a shuttle bus from Candidasa. The easiest way to reach Amed is still to hire your own transport with a driver. Public transportation in Amed is rare, There are bemos (mini buses) from Culik as far as Aas but mainly in the morning. Later in the day it is almost impossible to find transport; again the easiest way to get around is to hire a car and driver. Motorcycles are also widely available for rent.

Amed is well-known as diving and snorkeling site especially the Japanese wreck at Lipah, as for nightlife, compare to other destinations in South Bali, you can safely assume that there is no nightlife in Amed, save dining with friends, tasting the potent Arak Madu (Balinese local spirit mixed with honey and lime), enjoying live music at Wawa-wewe restaurants or if you are lucky you can watch the traditional genjek performance.

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

Jemeluk and Its Salt

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:30:00 +0000

The village of Jemeluk near Amed in Karangasem regency now begins to explore and develop their resources in order to compete the neighboring villages such as Amed that have already enjoyed the limelight of tourism for years.

Jemeluk not just offer a beautiful a clean beach free of hawkers and peddlers with stunning sunrise to behold but also a unique traditional salt making activity that have been the main occupation for many inhabitants of Jemeluk for generations. And traditional salt making is the trademark of Jemeluk that is used to give a unique characteristic to the Jemeluk beach.

The traditional salt making activity in Jemeluk is programmed to be a tourist attraction though the activity of salt making can only be seen during the dry season (from April to October), the best time to see this traditional salt making activity is around July and August.

The process of making a salt using traditional Jemeluk technique can be summed up as follow:
First, the seawater is taken from the sea then the seawater is poured on a specially prepared land to increase the salt concentration of the soil after that the soil of field with high salt concentration is leveled in order to allow the soil to dry evenly.

The drying process usually takes three days then after three days the salty soil is raked and filed into a bamboo cone then the salty soil inside the bamboo cone is pressed by walking on it.

After the salty soil become solid, the seawater is poured into the cone, the salty soil filter the sea water and the filtered sea water that is dripping from the cone is collected in a big palm tree trunk then the filtered sea water is transferred to wooden drying pans made of palm tree trunks. The filtered seawater is allowed to evaporate under hot tropic sun; the seawater evaporates leaving the salt crystals ready to be harvested.

This traditional salt making process can be seen in Hotel Uyah Amed that arranges a daily program of traditional salt making during the dry season.

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

Visiting Padang Bai

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 23:30:00 +0000

Padang Bai is located at Manggis district, approximately 53 kilometers from the city of Denpasar or approximately 30 kilometers from Amlapura. From Kuta, can be reached with the drive takes about 3 hours. This region is the region that connects the port of sailing between the islands of Bali and Lombok island. It was here that the landing of the tourists who visited Bali by sea are transported by cruise ships.

Location Padang Bai is located on the coast road Klungkung, Karangasem majors turn to the right. In Padang Bai is now there were several inns and restaurants for tourists who enjoy a vacation there, and the tourists who will go or who had just come from Lombok. Here also is the traditional canoes and small motor boats are ready for hire to enjoy the water attractions. On the Parker area, the stores were lined with souvenir sellers are quite interesting wares.

For the purpose of crossing to Lombok is ready to ferry services which serve tourists or people who go to Lombok, four times a day crossing.

What’s interesting about this object is to place the protected bay of the black rock solid so that the life under water is safe. On the east coast of Padang Bai clean white sand and thick it fun for swimming or sunbathing. Fish are milling through the rock, interesting to be enjoyed by diving or snorkeling.

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

Balinese Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

As a Balinese I often attend friends’ Balinese wedding so more or less I know what to do and to expect at a wedding party. But for foreigners who are invited to a traditional Balinese wedding, they may have no idea about it.

The procession of Balinese wedding involves two parts. In the morning, the couples will be legalized as a wife and husband by the holy priest. This ceremonial event is attended by only family members and nearby neighbors. Soon after the wedding ceremony, usually in the afternoon, the new married couple will hold a reception at the broom’s house. The lovely couple will change their Balinese wedding costumes to modern design of traditional kebaya.

In the case that you would attend the reception, it is in your hand to wear kebaya or semi formal outfit. It is not an obligatory but if you see money-box picture on the invitation card, you may drop USD 3-5 in the box at the reception desk.

At the broom’s house you will be welcomed by young girls from broom’s family who will assist you to take snacks and drinks and maybe wedding souvenir. Then you can sit anywhere in the house yard enjoying snacks while waiting the couple comes to you. Don’t expect any emotional speech. The married couple will walk around and say hi to each of you. This is your opportunity to congratulate them and wish them happy. Walking around and say hi to each of the guest is intended to make the couple closer with their friends. The concept is to know broom’s friends for the bride and vice versa.

After having chit chat with you, they will invite you to take your meals on the buffet tables. In the meantime you are enjoying Balinese dishes, they continue walking and saying hi to others. Once you have done with your meals, you may take photo with the couple, go home, or have talk with friends whom you meet there.

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

Addressing the Needs of Emerging Indonesian Backpackers

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:56:00 +0000

In the last five years, the numbers of Indonesian backpackers who travel the archipelago has increased steadily. More and more Indonesian travels in backpacker style to the exotic regions of Indonesia and other interesting places around the globe. This increase is a result of steady growth of Indonesian economy for the last decades, the increasing number of young middle class and aggressive travel and tourism campaign from Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industry. On the other hand the surging number of Indonesian backpackers also creates increasing demands for facilities such as youth hostel or budget hotels and of course the most efficient way to find these types of accommodations.

This increasing demand for hostels and budget accommodation has been anticipated by the rapid growth of hostel and budget accommodation in East Indonesian regions such as Labuan Bajo, Sulawesi especially Makassar, Bunaken and Toraja area , Maluku and Papua. Bali is a bit different there are more and more city hotels established in Denpasar and Kuta area that offers good accommodation with reasonable price. For the west region of Indonesia, Sumatera especially area around Danau Toba, Way Kambas and Aceh also open more budget hotels.

The problem of finding a hostel or budget accommodation efficiently for backpackers has also been addressed by hostel booking website, especially Hostelworld.com. Hostelworld.com is pioneer in providing online hostel or budget hotel booking facilities for the budget, independent and youth traveler. Its travel social network ratings, reviews, integrated video, podcasting, online travel store and guides make backpacker traveling easier and more enjoyable. This is a useful tool for backpacker and budget travelers that at the end will make backpacking more and more popular.

Increasing number of hostels and budget hotels combines with reliable hostel booking website such as Hostelworld.com will eventually keep more and more young Indonesian pack their backpack and start backpacking.

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

Truly Trunyan

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Trunyan. Some people recognize this name as a unique village situated in Bangli regency in which the dead body is simply put under the Trunyan trees. No cremation, no burial, just let the earth change the dead body to be it should be and the soft fragrant Truyan tree surprisingly sweep away the bad smell of the dead body. Actually, it is not the only unique thing. Trunyan conceals other unique things named Batara Datonta and Barong Brutuk.

People in Trunyan call it Batara Datonta; a naked sacred statue, 4 meters in height. This statue which is considered as stone-age relic has a vivid carving especially on the face. The right hand is flexed on the axe above its shoulder; looks like he wants to stab somebody with the axe. Further Datonta’s penis dangles downward in which a hole-a symbol of vagina- is there below the penis. It is not a nasty talk. Hindu community believes that Lingga-Yoni or a symbol of Adam-Eve is the vital part in human life.

This naked sacred statue stands firmly there in Pancering Jagat Temple. People in Trunyan consider it as a symbol of one of the gods that this statue is called Batara Datonta. Batara Datonta has unen unen- the guards- which are symbolized with 21 masks.

These masks are often to be used when a dance named Barong Brutuk is shown in celebration of Pancering Jagat Temple’s anniversary. Barong Brutuk is another dance type of Barong which is danced by men, the member of youth organization. 42 days before dancing Barong Brutuk, the chosen men have to follow a series of purification activity such as: learning the sacred holy song, collecting banana leaves to make the costume of Barong Brutuk, and not doing any activity with the girls.

Barong Brutuk will be danced at 12 o’clock before noon until 05.00 pm. Portraying the concept of dichotomy in human life that is male and female, the dance is not only sacred but also entertaining. Beside the sacred procession conducted by the dancers and holy men, the show of Barong Brutuk is also followed by traditional game. The spectators can grab and tear the dried banana leaves from Brutuk’s costume while the dancers have the right to prevent it using whip. The leaves which are successfully to be grabbed then will be spread out on the field to make it fertile.

Trunyan. It seems that this village conceals many things; many sacred things. A unique village with various unique things; the dead body under the trees, naked sacred statue, and Barong Brutuk

If you wan to make trip, click here

View Trunyan Village in a larger map

Source:http://blog.baliwww.com

Gunung Kawi: A Historical Tourism

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 22:30:00 +0000

Among the travelers, especially for those who are interested on antiquities, Gunung Kawi is an appealing tourist attraction. Gunung Kawi refers to a complex of 9 rock-cut candi (shrines) carved into the cliff face, located in Tampaksiring, Gianyar Bali. The existence of these fascinating shrines which are 7 mt in height is connected with the biggest Bali Empire.

In the report written by Udayana University’s research team, it is mentioned that this shrine complex was discovered by a prominent resident (an occupation similar to governor) named HT Damste in 1920. Since that time, the government carried out restoration so that the researchers as well as visitors can enjoy the elegance and grandeur of this shrines standing along the river Pakerisan.

Famous historian, R. Goris mentioned in his articles that Gunung Kawi Temple is the place to honor King Udayana and his family. It is a conclusion after researching the inscription using Kadiri Kwadrat letters. Kadiri Kwadrat is the letters which was used by people in Kadiri Empire, East Java. For sure, Kadiri Empire was related to Bali Empire on that time since King Udayana Warmadewa from Bali married to Gunapriya Dharmapatni, the daughter of Empu Sendok from Kediri. With Dharmapatni, King Udayana had Marakata, Erlangga and Anak Wungsu.

Later on, Erlangga governed East Java and Bali was ruled by Anak Wungsu from 1049 – 1077. Under his rule, Bali was so peaceful and its land was so fertile. In the meantime, Kadiri Kwadrat letter was still used during his reign. Anak Wungsu was respected very much that when he died, his ash was put in one of the shrines. On the northernmost candi, there is a sentence in Kadiri Kwadrat letter mentioning “The King was buried in Keris (Pakerisan)”. On the candi number two, an inscription “rwanakira” meaning ‘my two children’ was carved on it. Those two children whose ash put on the shrines are Anak Wungsu and Marakata.

Meanwhile, the other 4 shrines occupying an area on the west of river according to R. Goris are estimated as the places of the concubines of Anak Wungsu. On the southwest, there is candi number ten with “rakryan” inscription. Based on that fact, this candi is arguably considered as the place of prime minister in Anak Wungsu dynasty.

Although, the candi complex at Gunung Kawi is the place for royal family’s ash, it is not kind of graveyard. It is a holy candi where people can honor King Udayana and Anak Wungsu.

View Gunung Kawi in a larger map

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

Underpass To Be Constructed To Parse Congestion in Southern Part of Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:03:00 +0000

When you are riding motorbike from your hotel in Kuta to tourist destinations you will notice that the road is so crowded. Even you often moan because you need to struggle with the congested road. Bali government besides launching Bus Trans Sarbagita also proposes to build underpass at Dewa Ruci Junction to solve this problem.

On November this plan which cost the government IDR 300 billion will start to be executed. The land acquisition will be finished on October and the land owner has been given understanding that this project is for sake of infrastructure. As described by detikNews.com, the government has acquired 6200 sqm land around Dewa Ruci area for the sake of upcoming underpass construction.

This underpass which will be 450 meters in length, 18 meter in width, and 5,2 meter in height will be located exactly under the current by pass. Based on the schedule this Dewa Ruci underpass in Badung-Bali is targeted to be finished on November 2013 before the date of APEC International Conference in which Bali will be the host of this big event. Since this underpass will be one of supporting accommodations of APEC Conference.

Balinese especially youngsters welcome positively this idea since it can minimize the congestion. Though they also think that underpass is not a solution if it is not followed by the activation of public transportation, they wish underpass will work to parse the congestion.

Let’s see in 2013, whether or not the congested road especially in southern part of Bali can be minimized by the existence of Dewa Ruci underpass. What do you think?

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

The Real Bali Adventures

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0000

The best way to enjoy Bali is enjoying every ‘adventure’ which can be experienced on the road, on the beach, and in various occasion. After leaving your comfortable Bali villa, you will face exciting ‘adventures’ which may make you bad mood or more enthusiastic depend on how you figure them out. No panic is needed. Some tips provided to make your life in Bali little bit better.

A Dog Attack

Rabies though not an epidemic in Bali, there is still some cases of it. The local government has tried to give vaccine to dogs but as human being we have to be careful when we meet any dogs on the road. So when you get barking dog in front of you on the way back to your Bali hotel show no fear, bite your tongue and show it to the dog or whistling. The dog will not bother you anymore. But if the dog bites you, get anti-rabies serum immediately in the hospital. Don’t wait until tomorrow.

Getting Sick

People who have visited Bali could suffer from some problems on their stomach like diarrhea because of gastronomical delight. No need to worry because Imodium which you can get it in the local pharmacy will cure you within a day. If you are in the medical prescription just bring your medicines. When you travel alone and suddenly get headache or diarrhea, ask for help from Bali hotel’s or Bali villa’s staff. They will be very helpful.

Traffic Jam

Unquestionably Bali is more crowded. However local government has realized one solution lately by operating Bus Trans Sarbagita. This bus will drop and take you in the area of Sanur, Kuta, and Nusa Dua. And you don’t need to spend 10 minutes trapped in the jam. However, compared to Jakarta, Bali is considered vacant. Personally I have no problem with normal congested road in Bali.

Annoying Street Vendors/Beach Hawkers

Pushy beach hawkers can be so annoying. When you are lying on the sun bed and the hawkers come to you, close your eyes and pretend to be asleep. How to bargain is also important when you are keen to buy their product. If they ask you to pay IDR 50.000 for nail polish for example, bargain it at half price. If they refuse it, increase your price gradually. Keep bargaining until they agree with your price. If at the stage they are so persistent try to leave them. If they call you back then you can get what you want based at the price you asked. If they don’t then the price of the thing you want is indeed a normal thing.

Tourist Invasion

Rent a private Bali villa can be a good solution. You will have serene surrounding, private facilities, and no need to share them with other guests. To get utmost satisfaction, Bali villa will be an oasis and the gate leading you to the peaceful home away from home.

Getting Ripped-Off by Taxi

Once you are getting in the taxi, the first thing you should check is the taxi meter. The starting point for taxi in Bali is IDR 5.000. If you notice the taxi meter shows more than IDR 5.000 ask the driver to reset the meter before driving. If you want to go to a far place load yourself with information of standard fare from staffs at your Bali hotel or Bali villa. So when negotiating with the taxi driver up front, you can judge whether or not the taxi driver offers a fair fare.

Being Chatted-Up with Unwanted People

Sometimes, when you relax on the beach, a group of students come to you. What they want is just train their English. Well, you can have a chit chat for a couple of minutes, help them in understanding English is such a good thing. But when they take many time and you feel bothered just be honest to them that you want to relax.

Getting Lost

Getting Lost in Bali? Why don’t bring a map with you? Or install GPS on your mobile phone?

Spending Unnecessary Money

In Bali it is very easy to spend money by buying nice clothes, yummy food, great liquor, even when a cute girl come to you and you treat her drink. No tips for this except controlling yourself.

Flat Tire

On the way back to your Jogya villa or Bali hotel, you just got flat tire. The world seems so dark and your mood turns to bad. Well, don’t be panic. Ask the local about the nearby machine shop. Or if you get flat tire on the night call the rental company to discuss what should you do with that rented motorbike. For this reason you have to make sure that you carry a phone number which can be reached after office hours. Voila!

source:http://blog.baliwww.com

Makepung: Bull Race

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:33:00 +0000

Makepung or bull race is the only spectacular crowd-gather event that is held in Jembrana Regency. Even the regency itself is nick named after this sport event, Bumi Makepung or Land of Bull Race.

The origin of Makepung is quite a mystery, some say it began as nothing more than rivalry between local farmers; others assume that it is introduced by Madurese migrants to celebrate the end of the rice harvest.

This ancient competitive race takes place on a race track about 800 meters long situated outside Negara, the capital city of Jembrana. The races are usually held three times a year, in August, September, and October.

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Only the handsomest, sleekest water buffaloes are chosen to compete. Once a bull has been chosen as a racer, it receives endless care and attention from its owner. It lives in luxury unlike its unfortunate brother or sister which works the fields. Potential champion is housed separately in comfortable lodging and fed special protein diet full to enhance its racing performance.

The Makepung starts in the morning and by mid-day it’s all over. Early in the morning, 100 water buffaloes decorated with colorful silk flags, ribbons and jangling bells are led into the race track by their owners. Hundreds of spectators are already gathered, mostly men and boys. The owners parade their buffaloes on the race track before the crowd of spectators. This prelude may take an hour or so.

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After the parade session is over, the buffaloes are striped off from their ornaments and a pair of buffaloes is teamed with a brightly clad jockey. The paired buffaloes are yoked to a rickety, gaily decorated two-wheel chariot. Two pairs of water buffaloes or more compete in each race. To gain speed, the jockeys twist the bull’s tail and lash their backs with whips. These heavy, awkward looking, clumsy and meek animals transform into galloping juggernauts, capable of tremendous speed (60 kph). Entrants are judged not only for speed but also awarded point for strength, color, and style. The winning bulls are used for stud and fetch up to twice market value when sold.

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A variation of makepung is the magembeng, in which a pair of bulls is harnessed together and decorated with elaborate ornaments. Huge wooden bells (gembeng) are hung around their necks, making distinctive sounds as the bulls race across the field dragging the colorfully dressed jockeys behind them on the skids.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Subak Irrigation Management (III)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:29:00 +0000

In order to produce an optimum quantity of rice a complete farming tools is necessary. Balinese farmer has a wide selection of farming tool based the activity in the field. For example:

1. Land preparation
Land preparation is first step of rice growing phase; these are the tools which are used for land preparation:
a. Hoe (with one tooth, two teeth, four teeth, and six teeth)
b. Sorok (spade)
c. Tulud (leveler)
d. Penampad (long knife)
e. Tengala (plow)
f. Lampit (leveler pull by bull)

2. Seed plantation
After land preparation was finished, the farmers are ready for seed plantation, various tools they are used are:
a. Arit (sickle)
b. Penyepitan Bulih (seed germ pincher)
c. Tempeh (seed basket)

3. Weed extermination and fertilizing
Weeds are serious disturbance to the growth of paddy and fertilization is essential. The tools for exterminating the weed and fertilizing the crop are:
a. Kikis (weeding knife)
b. Pengrondoan (raking)

4. Waiting paddy to ripe
Near harvest, the farmers are waiting rice to ripe. They made scarecrow to protect the crops fro sparrow, and noisy bamboo to make a loud noise to scare the sparrow. The tools for this phase are:
a. Kepuakan (noising bamboo)
b. Lelakut (scarecrow)

5. Harvest
Harvest is always a time of joy for the farmer and of course a time for hard work. The tools that are used for harvesting are:
a. Anggapan (rice pinnacle cutter)
b. Sanggah Dewa (Spirit house of Dewa Nini (female spirit of rice)
c. Penatapan (tool for leveling the bind paddy)
d. Pangeretan tali (tool for tighten the paddy bind)
e. Arit (sickle)
f. Tali penepukan (rope for binding paddy)

6. Transporting and storing rice
After harvesting the farmers carry the rice stalk from rice field to the granary in their house compound.Women carry the rice by putting the on their head and man by putting them on their shoulder. The tools for transporting and storing the rice are:
a. Pega (tool for conveying the rice stalk form the ground to the head)
b. Sanan (a long bamboo or wood for carrying the rice stalk on the shoulder)

7. Rice processing
The rice processing is usually conducted in a house compound. The tools for rice processing are:
a. Nyiru (winnowing basket)
b. Sidi (sieve)
c. Lu (tool for pounding the rice)
d. Sok (basket)
e. Ketungan (tool for pounding the rice)

8. Grain processing
The grain processing is the last phase in rice production based on Balinese traditional rice production process. The tools used in this process are:
a. Lesung (mortar)
b. Nyiru (winnowing basket)
c. Panarak (basket)
d. Patan (rice measurement device: 0.5 kg)
e. Cengkilik (rice measurement device: 0.25 kg)
f. Lu (tool for pounding the rice)

All these tools are traditional farming tools; the advance of technology brings modern tools and machine to the rice field such as tractors, backpack fertilizer pump, harvest machine and many type of grain processing machine. These new devices are used wisely by the Balinese farmers in accordance with Tri Hita Karana principle. Not just the tools that undergo a change but also the subak as an organization can not escape from the clutch of change.

Water management in Bali is not only a matter of distributing water among farmers within a subak, but also among several subak in a river course. In a river stream there are usually dozens of subak. Often, several subak share a dam. The water is then divided through diversion weirs further down into the single subak. To improve irrigation water management and coordination the government implemented another irrigation management level in 1981, a federation of several subak which share irrigation infrastructure. They were called subak gede. The term subak-gede has been known already during the period of the Dutch occupation and means literally large subak.

The main responsibility of the subak-gede is optimal water distribution amongst the five subak. Thesubak heads come together several times per year to discuss how the water is distributed for the next few months. As irrigation water is the crucial ecological variable, the cultivation cycles have to be staggered within the five subak. Also, the regular face-to-face interaction among the five subak heads allows greater flexibility in water management during times of water shortage. The strengthening of the intersubak institutions brought benefits to the irrigation system. The establishment of the subak-gedehas enabled the subak heads to coordinate and prepare certain larger rice cultivation ceremonies together and therefore reduce time and labor input as well as expenditures.

All that change show the great adaptability of Subak to modernization and development. Despite of its great adaptability Subak does not lose its hallmark as a product of traditional Balinese culture. Subakstill preserves its Tri Hita Karana principle as its code of conduct, code of honor, and code of life.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Subak Irrigation Management (II)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:25:00 +0000

The general Balinese philosophy guiding the subak system adheres to the principle of Tri Hita Karana which emphasises that happiness can only be reached if the Creator (God), the people (the farmers) and nature (the rice fields) live in harmony with each other. Based on this philosophy are the ceremonies which are a substantial part of the rice cultivation cycle. The ceremonies are carried out at the various temples which are associated with the subak.

They are organised hierarchically as follow: the simple shrine (chatu) at the individual water inlet, Bedugul temple at the dam or tunnel intersection, Ulun Suwi / Ulun Carik temple at each subak area, penyungsungan subak temple ’sanctuaries which were originally desa temples that one or more subaks helped to worship, after which in the course of time, all the expenses connected with the temple services and offering ceremonials have, gradually fallen to the subak or subaks and Ulun Danu temple, the Baliwide inter-subak temple at the crater lake Batur, the most sacred lake in Bali. For all the temples and other places of worship there are certain times when religious ceremonies are held, either periodically or as occasion demands.

The periodical ceremonies are divided into ngerainin and ngebekin or ngusaba. Ngerainin consists of making a flower offering in the puras ulun charik and penyungsungan subak; it takes place on certain favorable days (rerainan) such as full moon, new moon, Wednesday-Kliwon, Anggara Kasih (Tuesday-Kliwon), and the like, and is performed by the pemangku without the members of the subak being present. No ngerainin takes place at the chatus, which, since they are not puras, do not have pemangkus.

The harvest festival is celebrated in the last stage of the ripening of the rice, in alternate years as ngebekin and ngusaba. New moon is considered a favorable time for ngebekin, while ngusaba takes place at full moon. The former ceremony has the character of an offering to the demons; the latter, primarily a festival of thanksgiving to the deity, is more elaborate than ngebekin and is often accompanied by the Placing of festive Poles of bamboo (penjor) each kesit (field).

The ceremonies are not just performed based on the calendar but also carried out regularly following the stages of rice growth and the sequences of rice farming activities (which are quite similar with the rite of passage) starting from land preparation which is presided by “water opening ceremony”; seeding; transplanting; blooming of rice plant; milking; harvesting until the harvest being stocked at granary. The rituals may be performed individually by each farmer at his own altar as well as in a joint cooperation with other members of the same subak or even different subaks at relevant temples according to the kind of ceremony to be performed.

In effort to keep harmonious relationship with other living creatures such as pests and insects, rice farmers in former times used not to kill them, but rather they performed ritual known as nanglukmerana (“avoid pest attack ceremony”). This ritual is still practiced until today by Balinese farmers. The philosophical meaning of this ritual is that not to kill any creature as could as possible but just to protect the crops from pest attack. In some places, many subaks still used to perform “rat cremation ceremony” as a form of nangluk merana ritual, by praying for God’s blessing so that no pest would attack their crops. Other important rituals that need to be mentioned here are the so called tumpek uduh (“flora day ceremony”) and tumpek kandang (“fauna day ceremony”). Each of these rituals is performed every 210 days on Saturday based on Balinese calendar. These rituals symbolizing the biodiversity preservation efforts of Balinese rice farmers.

The Tri Hita Karana philosophy is also the basis for the clearly defined rules of a subak, called awig-awig. This set of laws regulates rights and duties among the members. It includes public obligations, regulations concerning land and water use, legal transactions of land transfers, and collective religious ceremonies. For instance, all members have the right to the same share of water at all times. This principle of equitable water sharing is put into action by fixed proportional flow division structures.

Subak internal matters are handled by the pekaseh, the subak head who is democratically elected by all members of the subak. He is responsible to overlook the irrigation management within the subak area, to schedule cultivation cycles and to organise subak ceremonies. He is supported by several assistants, such as the vice subak head (petajuh), the secretary (penyarikan), the treasurer (petengen or juru raksa), the messenger (kasinoman), special helper (saye) and the heads of the sub-subak groups. Biggersubak are divided into sub-groups, called munduk. Munduk may have a separate inlet from the subakmain canal. A munduk usually comprises an average of 20 to 40 farmers.

Every munduk is headed by a pengliman who receives direct orders from the pekaseh and is responsible for all matters related to the munduk. As a sub-group of the subak, the munduk has to follow the subak rules and regulations. However, certain organisational and water management issues can be decided autonomously on the munduk level. The munduk is an important dimension within the subak. Day-to-day cultivation decisions are made on this level and provide the fine-tuning of the subak water and crop management – not always following the subak laws by doing this. The relationship betweensubak and munduk is to facilitate top down and bottom up information flow.

Members of subak also form an informal group which is called sekaa, in order to make ease a certain working activity on the rice field by working together on a certain field and certain activity. For examples: sekaa numbeg (for land cultivation), sekaa jelinjingan (for water tunnel maintenance), sekaa sambang (for water and pest surveillance), sekaa mamulih (for seed plantation), sekaa majukut (for plants surveillance), sekaa manyi (for harvest work), sekaa bleseng (for carrying paddy to the barn). These sekaa may recruit workers outside subak members. The code of work in these sekaa is simple, “I scratch yours you scratch mine.”

The indigenous social-administration organization in subak also supported by efficient and effective water system. Subak’s water system comprise of many parts such as empelan (dam) functioned as water reservoir, aungan (tunnel), telabah (primary waterway), tembuku aya (primary inlet), telabah gede (secondary waterway), tembuku gede (secondary inlet), telabah pamaron (tertiary waterway), tembuku pamaron (tertiary inlet), telabah penyacah (quaternary waterway), tembuku penyacah (quaternary inlet), tembuku pengalapan (individual inlet), tali kunda (individual waterway). Subak’s water system also has complementary part such as penguras (flushing), pekiuh (overflow), titi (bridge), Jengkuwung (small tunnel), abangan (off-land tunnel), petaku (waterfall structure), and telepus (siphon).

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Subak Irrigation Management (I)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:22:00 +0000

Balinese rice cultivation is famous all over the world for its efficient use of irrigation water. At the heart of irrigation management are the water user associations called subak. They are the backbone of Balinese rice cultivation.

Subak has been described by several authors. It is commonly recognized as an autonomous socio-religious association which deals with matters related to the cultivation and irrigation of rice. They have evolved over centuries, organized by the farmers themselves without (or little) guidance from central authorities. The subak are considered to be one of the most effective irrigator organizations in the world.

The subak is a mixture of different units within a clearly defined geographical area. They are:

a. It is a technological unit including a main water inlet and a complex system of collectively owned in virilocal residence sons stay in the father’s compound uniting the men of a given patrilineal group. Irrigation canals which secure equal access to irrigation water to all the subak members. The water shares are determined by a combination of area sizes and mutual agreements, and technically implemented with fixed proportional flow division structures.

b. It is a physical unit. The boundaries of a subak are defined by all the rice fields which receive water from the subak irrigation infrastructure. The rice fields are also part of the nearest customary village. Yet, the subak does not correspond to the social unit of the village (Bray, 1994).

c. It is a social unit comprising all farmers who cultivate land within the subak boundaries and receive water from the subak irrigation infrastructure. The farmers live in the surrounding villages.

d. It is a legal unit given the status of customary law societies with clearly defined rules and regulations written down in a law book called “awig-awig”. This set of laws regulates rights and duties among the members. It includes public obligations, regulations concerning land and water use, legal transactions of land transfers, collective religious ceremonies, and sanctions when breaking the subak laws. Theawig-awig of subak has been passed down orally over generations. Nowadays, however, most subakhave a written version at their disposal.

e. It is a religious unit including ceremonies on the individual level, the subak level, and the inter-subaklevel. The ceremonies vary in scale, involvement and duration. The ceremonies ask for protection against pests and diseases, and honour god for letting human beings work the land. The most elaborated ones involve all subak who receive water from the same Crater Lake.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Balinese Temple Network

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:15:00 +0000

More than 20,000 temples are scattered all over the island of Bali. All these temples are linked one and another create hundreds of temple networks based on the function of the temple and the clan of their congregation (network of clan temple). Each network has a central temple from which the network starts. The central temples can be everywhere; they are not localized in one area.

The function based temple networks involves only functional temples, or temple of professions, such as Melanting temple (temple of the trader), Ulun Suwi or Ulun Carik Temple – Ulun Suwi temple is an irrigation temple that belong to a subak (traditional water management group), and Banuan temple (dry fields temple).

Pura Melanting, Pulaki – Singaraja

The melanting temple network consists of thousands of melating temples that spread all over Bali. Each traditional market in Bali has its own Melanting temple (temple of trader) from which the traders and businessmen ask for fortune; these temples create melanting temple network with its central temple located in west Buleleng, near Perancak.

Pura Ulun Danu Batur

Ulun Suwi temple networks consist of hundreds ulun suwi temples that spread all over rice fields in the island. There are several networks of ulun suwi temples in Bali; each has different central temple and its own area. Since all rice field irrigations in Bali get their water from the lakes, the central temple of an ulun suwi temple network is the lake temple (Pura Ulun Danu) that is situated around the lake from which this ulun suwi temple network get its water. For example Pura Ulun Danu Batur (Lake Batur Temple) is the central temple an ulun suwi temple network which consists of hundreds of Pura Ulun Suwi (irrigation temple) which spread all over Rice fields in east and central Bali.

Pura Meduwe Karang

The banuan temple networks is a network consists of hundreds of Pura Banuan (dry field temple) that spread all over Bali. Banuan temple is a temple dedicated to the spirit of the land so it will gives his blessing to the cultivators of the dry land. The central temple of this banuan temple network is Pura Meduwe Karang (owner of the land temple) in Kubutambahan village, Buleleng regency.

The clan temple network is a network of temples which belong to a particular clan. For example Pande (blacksmith) clan temple network consist of dozens of clan temples of Pande clan that spread all over Bali. Each clan in Bali has its own temple network and its own central temple, for example, the Tarukan clan temple network has its central temple in Tarukan village, Gianyar; the central temple of Pande clan temple network is located in the complex of Ulun Danu Beratan Temple.

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan

How is the clan temple network formed? At first the members of a clan were concentrated in a village and built their clan temple there. With the passing of the time, there are steady increased on the number of clan members. Some of them settle down in far away villages and built a branch clan temple there. Big clan such as Pasek has hundreds of branch clan temple which spread all over Bali.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Temple and Society

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:12:00 +0000

Temple and societies in Bali has a unique bond in which a temple serves as part of identity of a society. All traditional Balinese social unit from households to kingdoms, possess their own temples where offerings are offered to the deities concerned with their affairs, for example market deities in the market temple, ancestors in the household and clan temple. In other words, each social unit forms congregation of specific temple or shrines, which symbolically defines its place in Balinese social universe.

This principle has survived into modern era, as banks, government offices, and even tourist hotels construct small temple on their ground, which superficially establish their existence but as for identity more light have to be shed on this matter.

The Subaks or irrigation organizations have their water temple in which Dewi Danu, the goddess of lake or other deities which has strong relation with the farmers and agricultural activities are venerated. The traditional markets have their market temple in which Dewi Melanting, the goddess of trade is given homage. The traditional institutions have obvious relationship with particular deities and give identity to their temple and institution. While modern institutions like office buildings have no immediately obvious relationship with particular deities and so it is difficult to assign any identity to the temple and to know which deities should be invited on the temple anniversary.

Unlike traditional Balinese temples which consist of collection of shrines for specific deities which show the identity of the temple – whether it is a clan temple or water temple. The temples of new institution usually only has a single shrine which is known as padmasana (the lotus throne or throne of God) which is the place where God is revered. The reverence of God in these new temples gives no specific identity to these new temple since all temples has a shrine to venerate God and hence the temple does not give any identity to these new institutions.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

About Subak

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:08:00 +0000

Rice is the staple diet of the Balinese and a great deal of effort goes into sustaining this vital foodsource. Past generations of farmers have painstakingly transformed pockets of natural landscape into the most intricate network of rice terraces and canals.

One of the most important elements of the entire rice cultivation process is a shared irrigation system run by an organization called Subak. This collective basically refers to a group of farmers who have adjacent fields and the organization ensures that each piece of landscape receives fair distribution of the precious water that is sourced from a local spring. These farmers also cooperate to repair aqueducts and dikes, prevent theft and invariably attempt to solve the minor problems that arise between neighbours.

Any farmer owning rice terrace land in Bali must become a member of the Subak. There is periodical voting amongst the constituents to elect a head of the organization. Although being chosen as the head of the Subak is an unpaid role, it is often compensated by extra water supplies if required. Each Subak committee holds regular meetings to decide plantation and harvest dates as well as what insecticides to use and when to perform certain ceremonies to bless the land. In addition, every Subak cooperative maintains a small temple in amongst the rice fields where the deities of rice and water are worshipped.

In the region of Tabanan, which is Bali’s most fertile rice growing district, there is a unique Subak Museum that is dedicated to the entire rice growing process. It houses a collection of tools and equipment that have been implemented by farmers over the generations. The museum is a legacy that delves into the ancient Balinese Hindu philosophy and ideology of rice growing.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Magecel: A Unique Balinese Pastime

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:01:00 +0000

Magecel is a unique Balinese pastime which strongly related to cockfighting. Magecel can be defined as an activity of fondling and exercising fighting cock. As any activity in Bali, magecel is done collectively; sometimes four up to a dozen men bring with their fighting cocks sit under the canopy of banyan, other big tree or in the hamlet meeting hall fondling and discussing the merit and demerit of their own fighting cocks, sometimes mock battles without steel spurs are staged to exercise the fighting ability of the cocks.

The most favorite topic of conversation during the magecel is the Pengayam-ayam. Pengayam is knowledge of fighting rooster, the law of cockfighting, in short anything related to the cockfighting.Pengayam is written on sacred palm leaves manuscript. The knowledge of pengayam is unbelievably intricate and detailed. There is a mind-boggling classification of cock by color, shape, configuration, neck ruff, and other characteristics. Certain color of cocks should fight cock of other colors only during specific phases of the moon, on specific days, at specific times of day, from specific direction in the ring, and so on. This is subject of endless discussions during the magecel activity.

The magecel activity gives Balinese men bad stigma of lazy men. The visitors which come to Bali can easily make a conclusion that Balinese women are working busily for the family and while the Balinese men are busy fondling their fighting cocks. This picture is not always true. Nowadays, the magecelactivity is usually done late in the afternoon or early in the evening, after the working hours or on the holiday.

The magecel activity can be found easily in the rural area, urban populations in the city rarely enjoy this pastime anymore. The magecel activity is strongly related to the existence of cockfights. After the government banned cockfighting in 1981, the megecel activity decreased slowly in frequency, and quantity of the participant, but the strong resilience of cockfighting and the relatively high frequency of illegal and legal cockfights preserved this pastime.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Through The Eyes of Researcher: Cockfight and Balinese Men

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 23:57:00 +0000

Here is an interesting excerpt on cockfight and Balinese men taken from Clifford Geertz’s writing entitled “Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese Cockfight”. It will give you an interesting insight on the relation between cockfight and Balinese men

As much of America surfaces in a ball park, on a golf links, at a race track, or around a poker table, much of Bali surfaces in a cock ring. For it is only apparently cocks that are fighting there. Actually, it is men.

To anyone who has been in Bali any length of time, the deep psychological identification of Balinese men with their cocks is unmistakable. The double entendre here is deliberate. It works in exactly the same way in Balinese as it does in English, even to producing the same tired jokes, strained puns, and uninventive obscenities. Bateson and Mead have even suggested that, in line with the Balinese conception of the body as a set of separately animated parts, cocks are viewed as detachable, self-operating penises, ambulant genitals with a life of their own. And while I do not have the kind of unconscious material either to confirm or disconfirm this intriguing notion, the fact that they are masculine symbols par excellence is about as indubitable, and to the Balinese about as evident, as the fact that water runs downhill.

The language of everyday moralism is shot through, on the male side of it, with roosterish imagery. Sabung, the word for cock (and one which appears in inscriptions as early as A.D. 922), is used metaphorically to mean “hero,” “warrior,” “champion,” “man of parts,” “political candidate,” “bachelor,” “dandy,” “lady-killer,” or “tough guy.” A pompous man whose behavior presumes above his station is compared to a tailless cock who struts about as though he had a large, spectacular one. A desperate man who makes a last, irrational effort to extricate himself from an impossible situation is likened to a dying cock who makes one final lunge at his tormentor to drag him along to a common destruction. A stingy man, who promises much, gives little, and begrudges that is compared to a cock which, held by the tail, leaps at another without in fact engaging him. A marriageable young man still shy with the opposite sex or someone in a new job anxious to make a good impression is called “a fighting cock caged for the first time.” Court trials, wars, political contests, inheritance disputes, and street arguments are all compared to cockfights. Even the very island itself is perceived from its shape as a small, proud cock, poised, neck extended, back taut, tail raised, in eternal challenge to large, feckless, shapeless Java.

But the intimacy of men with their cocks is more than metaphorical. Balinese men, or anyway a large majority of Balinese men, spend an enormous amount of time with their favorites, grooming them, feeding them, discussing them, trying them out against one another, or just gazing at them with a mixture of rapt admiration and dreamy self-absorption. Whenever you see a group of Balinese men squatting idly in the council shed or along the road in their hips down, shoulders forward, knees up fashion, half or more of them will have a rooster in his hands, holding it between his thighs, bouncing it gently up and down to strengthen its legs, ruffling its feathers with abstract sensuality, pushing it out against a neighbor’s rooster to rouse its spirit, withdrawing it toward his loins to calm it again Now and then, to get a feel for another bird, a man will fiddle this way with someone else’s cock for a while, but usually by moving around to squat in place behind it, rather than just having it passed across to him as though it were merely an animal.

In the houseyard, the high-walled enclosures where the people live, fighting cocks are kept in wicker cages, moved frequently about so as to maintain the optimum balance of sun and shade. They are fed a special diet, which varies somewhat according to individual theories but which is mostly maize, sifted for impurities with far more care than it is when mere humans are going to eat it and offered to the animal kernel by kernel. Red pepper is stuffed down their beaks and up their anuses to give them spirit. They are bathed in the same ceremonial preparation of tepid water, medicinal herbs, flowers, and onions in which infants are bathed, and for a prize cock just about as often. Their combs are cropped, their plumage dressed, their spurs trimmed, their legs massaged, and they are inspected for flaws with the squinted concentration of a diamond merchant. A man who has a passion for cocks, an enthusiast in the literal sense of the term, can spend most of his life with them, and even those, the overwhelming majority, whose passion though intense has not entirely run away with them, can and do spend what seems not only to an outsider, but also to themselves an inordinate amount of time with them. “I am cock crazy,” my landlord, a quite ordinary afficionado by Balinese standards, used to moan as he went to move another cage, give another bath, or conduct another feeding. “We’re all cock crazy.”

The madness has some less visible dimensions, however, because although it is true that cocks are symbolic expressions or magnifications of their owner’s self, the narcissistic male ego writ out in Aesopian terms, they are also expressions- and rather more immediate ones-of what the Balinese regard as the direct inversion, aesthetically, morally, and metaphysically, of human status: animality.

The Balinese revulsion against any behavior as animal-like can hardly be overstressed. Babies are not allowed to crawl for that reason. Incest, though hardly approved, is a much less horrifying crime than bestiality. (The appropriate punishment for the second is death by drowning, for the first being forced to live like an animal.) Most demons are represented-in sculpture, dance, ritual, myth-in some real or fantastic animal form. The main puberty rite consists in filing the child’s teeth so they will not look like animal fangs. Not only defecation but eating is regarded as a disgusting, almost obscene activity, to be conducted hurriedly and privately, because of its association with animality. Even falling down or any form of clumsiness is considered to be bad for these reasons. Aside from cocks and a few domestic animals-oxen, ducks-of no emotional significance, the Balinese are aversive to animals and treat their large number of dogs not merely callously but with a phobic cruelty. In identifying with his cock, the Balinese man is identifying not just with his ideal self, or even his penis, but also, and at the same time, with what he most fears, hates, and ambivalence being what it is, is fascinated by-The Powers of Darkness.

The connection of cocks and cockfighting with such Powers, with the animalistic demons that threaten constantly to invade the small, cleared off space in which the Balinese have so carefully built their lives and devour its inhabitants, is quite explicit. A cockfight, any cockfight, is in the first instance a blood sacrifice offered, with the appropriate chants and oblations, to the demons in order to pacify their ravenous, cannibal hunger. No temple festival should be conducted until one is made. (If it is omitted someone will inevitably fall into a trance and command with the voice of an angered spirit that the oversight be immediately corrected.) Collective responses to natural evils-illness, crop failure, volcanic eruptions-almost always involve them. And that famous holiday in Bali, The Day of Silence (Njepi), when everyone sits silent and immobile all day long in order to avoid contact with a sudden influx of demons chased momentarily out of hell, is preceded the previous day by large-scale cockfights (in this case legal) in almost every village on the island.

In the cockfight, man and beast, good and evil, ego and id, the creative power of aroused masculinity and the destructive power of loosened animality fuse in a bloody drama of hatred, cruelty, violence, and death. It is little wonder that when, as is the invariable rule, the owner of the winning cock takes the carcass of the loser- often torn limb from limb by its enraged owner-home to eat, he does so with a mixture of social embarrassment, moral satisfaction, aesthetic disgust, and cannibal joy.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Tajen Cockfighting Today

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 23:53:00 +0000

There are many articles or essays in the net which explains cockfighting in Bali in remarkable detail but they are all in the past. So I will give information in relation with cockfighting in Bali after the 1981 ban up to present days.

In 1981 the government of Indonesia banned the cockfighting but the practice has merely moved away from prying eyes so that it is less obvious but still very real. Cockfighting runs in the blood Balinese menespecially the older generation, Fred B. Eiseman, Jr author of Sekala Niskala wrote “So popular has cockfighting been in Bali for so many decades, that it is about as realistic to tell a Balinese man that he cannot participate in his favorite sport as it is to tell the sun not to rise”.

In the reign of Mangku Pastika (as a head of Bali Provincial Police), the campaign against cockfighting reached its peak, the secular tajen (cockfighting for gambling purpose) virtually vanished from the island but the Tabuh Rah (cockfighting for religious purpose) survived until present day. Tajen has become a rare event.

Though the secular tajen virtually vanished from the earth face, the gamblers found a way to satisfy their gambling lust. The Tabuh Rah was modified to fulfill the need of the gamblers. The Tabuh Rah usually consist of three matches (telung sahet) and of course this three matches will not satisfy the need of the gamblers, three matches was expanded to eight or ten matches.

This modified Tabuh Rah did not last long. The police grew vigilant and they stop the match when the third match was finished. This situation made the gamblers turn to their only hope to deities in some temples.

Some temples in Bali are well known for holding tajen for 7 until 42 days. This kind tajen can not be touched by the police since it is protected by the deity of the temple where the tajen is held. The deities of these temples are fond of tajen, pestilence and misfortune will fall on the congregations of these temples if the tajen is not held. Of course there were many police officers who tried to stop this tajen but after they stopped this tajen, they usually got an accident or paralyzed by mysterious illness. They can only be saved or healed after asking forgiveness to the deity in the temple where the stopped tajen is held. Sometimes the punishment from the enraged deities cost the lives of the officers.

This tajen is usually held to celebrate the temple ceremony (every 210 days). Thousands of gamblers will come from all over Bali. The passionate game is held without any fear, the former glory restored but the economic crisis and the drawback of tourism have taken their toll the size of the bet is reduced significantly nevertheless the joy, the laugh and the tears are still there.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

On Villa Design in Bali

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 23:48:00 +0000

Driving through the tourism areas of Bali, you can hardly miss to spot hundreds of villas that have established over the last decade. Take a look on these villas especially their designs while you are driving and your drive will turn into architectural trip around the world.

Many of these villas are masterpiece of architectural designs which remind us of European palace and castle, Japanese and Chinese house, Hawaiian hut, North African Kasbah or Hollywood mansion. Yes, there is a need to be different and special. This need seems to be fulfilled by the unique designs of these villas; adding different nuances to the paradise island of Bali and giving you a chance to taste a bit of Africa or Japan while spending your vacation in Bali.

Some villas combine the foreign architecture with traditional Balinese architecture or decorations creating a West-meet-East, East-meet-East, or Mod-ethnic design, in order to infuse the sense of familiarity into the exotic atmosphere of Bali as well as creating a culture-friendly design.

Bali Villas – A Private Piece Of Paradise

All luxurious Bali Villas in villas-bali.com have been filtered in order to provide you the best Bali Private Villa in experiencing holiday, wedding, honeymoon which guarantee Privacy and Outstanding Personalized Service.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Discover The Uniqueness of Bayung Gede (II)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:44:00 +0000

Bayung Gede is the mother of Balinese ancient villages concealing many unique things. For those exceptionally different customs, this village located in Bangli regency is never missed by visitors who have insatiable hunger for Balinese ancient culture. On the previous article, it has been discussed about the unique customary leadership structure. On this piece of writing, other unique customs will be revealed.

Generally, Balinese people have a custom to bury the placenta of the babies. But, Bayung Gede community places placenta in a coconut shell and hang it up on a tree in the graveyard. It sounds terrifying spooky but this tradition is still going on for years and years since hundreds years ago.

Since hundreds years ago also in Bayung Gede there is a different burial system for female and male dead bodies. Female is the symbol of earth and male is the symbol of sky and so the burial position is exchanged. The female dead bodies are buried into usual upward position while the male bodies are laid facedown. These positions according to Wayan Suwela describe the meeting of the sky and the earth.

Besides the three unique traditions above, the decision to use Bayung Gede as a model of community – based tourism project has to do with another unique custom. In Bayung Gede, new married couples are forbidden to step into home yard. They are also not considered as the part of Bayung Gede community before giving tumbakan (sort of dowry) in the form of two cows to the village and fasting. Is that all? No. New married couples are obliged to do panyekeban procession (live in a separated place to become mature people) in a small hut far away from the center of the village.

This village whose people work mostly as farmers indeed does not have written customary law. People of Bayung Gede live based on the convention which still exists since years ago and this is a fact that they can be able to live peacefully using only the convention.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Discover The Ancient Uniqueness of Bayung Gede (I)

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:41:00 +0000

As a matter of fact, Bangli is the home of many villages which still hold ancient Balinese culture (Bali Aga). Panglipuran village is one of them concealing very ancient but exotic architectures. Bonyoh and Sekardadi are the other two. And Bayung Gede is the mother of the Balinese ancient villages.

Fresh air with silent green surrounding will welcome people at Bayung Gede. No one would expect that this village hides privileged customary leadership structure, privileged rules for new married couples, and privileged way in burial. For those unique cultures, Bayung Gede becomes one of 20 villages in Indonesia which attract Indonesian government to develop the tourism at this village in which the origin of the name is still unclear.

There are two versions. First report is related to a long complex myth involving the Lord Siva’s asceticism. This version is hard to be accepted by many people as facts of history. Another logical version was stated by Wayan Suwela. He argued that the name of Bayung Gede is actually Bayu Gede or “Super Power”. In the past, the ancestors needed big big power to clear a dense forest land to be a place for many people to live.

And at that place in which the origin is the forest land, people are still faithful to the ancient customary leadership system called Paduluan Sasih Nem Belas. This structure consists of 4 important positions and 16 subordinates. These 4 important persons who have titles Jero Kubayan Mucuk, Jero Kubayan Nyoman, Jero Bahu Mucuk, Jero Bahu Nyoman are free from customary fine and responsible to prepare the ceremonial stuffs. Each person of Bayung Gede community will definitely be in that structure one day as long as the person matching up to the criteria.

Paduluan Sasih Nem Belas only has responsibility in the area involving ceremonies while Kelihan Desa runs the system of government. However, Bayung Village has no customary written law or awig-awig. They use and strictly follow only the convention.

source:blog.baliwww.com/

Gumang Hill

noreply@blogger.com (Admin) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:04:00 +0000

Gumang Hill is situated in Bugbug village, on the road between Candidasa and Amlapura in Karangasem Regency. This hill overlooks the majestic Mount Agung on the north and Lombok strait on the east. During a favorable weather Mount Rinjani and the island of Lombok can be seen from this hill. Gumang Hill is not a tourist resort,so there is no such a thing as entrance fee.

The peak of Gumang hill can be reached just by 40 minutes hiking and climbing from the road on the foot of the hill. On the peak of the hill you can find an old temple that is called Pura Bukit Gumang by the locals. This temple is guarded by a band of monkeys that not just roaming the temple precinct but also the forest on the slope of the hill, and sometimes they can be found searching for food on the shrines on the foot of the hill.

Gumang Hill has a great mount Agung and ocean view during the daytime, but the best panorama Gumang hill has to offer can be seen early in the morning. Yes, the view of sunrise from this hill is superb especially during the dry season (late in April up to early in October) but for the sunrise I recommend you to climb this hill around July and August.

Hunting a snapshot of sunrise from the peak of this hill is quite an adventure. There is no camping site on the peak of the hill so you have to climb the hill early in the morning (around 5 AM) in order to get to the top of the hill right in time for the sunrise. The best spot for capturing the sunrise is on the east side of the peak, right on northeast side of the temple.

The beauty of the views that you can see from the peak of Gumang is worth every ordeal you take in climbing this hill. Just take a look on the pictures to see what I mean.

source:blog.baliwww.com