Bali Travel Guide and Review – Part 2

Bali Travel Guide and Review – Part 2

Article by Dave Waldheim

A Bali Guide that has complete details of Balinese history, culture and includes reviews and resources

Balinese Castes

The Balinese Hindu religion regards a traditional caste system though it has never been as divisive as its Indian ascendant. This is for the most part due to the fact that over 90% of Balinese consist of to the lowest ‘Sudra’ caste, and in India would have been seen as ‘untouchable’. Given their dominance such postures in Bali would not be realistic. Nevertheless, inter-marriage remains rare and discouraged.

The three upper castes are together recognized as the ‘Triwangsa’ (‘three peoples’) representing Brahmana, Kesayatria and Wesia. Caste is specified by birth but is rarely reflected in a person’s line of work, although only a Brahmana can be suited to be a Pedanda high priest, and only Brahmana may take the task of rectifying masks from the ‘Barong’ dance as they harbour the force to protect themselves from the evil spirits.

Balinese Names

Upon hearing a Balinese friends name, you can establish some elements of his or her background. First, the name will often indicate the cast to which they belong. For instance, if you meet someone named Ida Bagus, you recognize they belong to the highest Brahmana caste or, if they are named Gusti, they will almost for certain belong to the Wesia caste. The Balinese also name their children in order of birth. Together with a personal name, unique in the family, a Balinese child will be awarded a more common name. The firstborn is often Wayan or Putu while the second born in general carries the name of Made or Kadek. The third child usually is Nyoman or Komang and the fourth is always Ketut; with the birth of a fifth child, the naming cycle commences again.

Children

The Balinese dote on their children, a devotion that no doubt contributes to the calm and relaxed behaviour of the island’s population. At birth the baby’s umbilical cord is buried with oblations to protect them throughout their lives. Until the child reaches three months of age, they are permanently carried as it is regarded as unclean and disrespectful if they should touch the ground before that age. Balinese children are discouraged from crawling, believed to be only the actions of an animal, and learn to walk at a very young age. Upon reaching 105 days, the baby will be ornamented with bracelets and anklets. A further 105 days later, a ceremony is held to signify their entry into adulthood. The passage through puberty is celebrated with a tooth filing ceremony, aimed to flatten any pointed teeth that may represent evil and designed to curb sinful emotions and actions such as greed, anger, jealousy, stupidity, and adultery. .

Religion

Bali is a predominantly Hindu Island, surviving in an Islamic nation. Minority populations of Muslims, Christians and Buddhists are also found on the island.

Little is known of the introduction of Hinduism in Bali though it doubtlessly involved the Indian traders who came to these parts for the spice trade over two thousand years ago. Given its physical isolation from the ancestral religion, Balinese Hinduism has since developed into a unique version of the ancient faith. Although the basics remain the same, many of the gods worshiped on Bali are unknown in India and vice versa. Vast Hindu kingdoms were also found in neighbouring islands but they disappeared soon after the Arabs became interested in the archipelago, bringing with them Islam to Indonesia’s shores. Bali held little interest for the Arab traders so it was largely left alone. Throughout Indonesia, traditional beliefs in mysticism and the spiritual world continue to be strong, despite the common practice of imported faiths that forbid such strong beliefs.

While the impact this has had on the Islamic faith is often controversial, for the Balinese, the two have simply blend to create the distinctive religion they follow today.

Life in Bali revolves around the temple. There are literally thousands of temples throughout the island, ranging from small backyard shrines, to large public temple complexes. These temples play host to hundreds of ceremonies each year; colourful public displays of Balinese devotion to their gods. Each temple is dedicated to a specific god or goddess. For example, every village has a “Pura Dalem”, a temple devoted to the god Shiva, the ‘destroyer’. It is at the Pura Dalem, that ceremonies for the dead are held, most commonly cremations.

The biggest celebration in Bali is that of Nyepi, the Balinese New Year. In the weeks leading up to Nyepi, each Balinese village laboriously creates an elaborate giant paper mache “ogah ogah”. On the eve of Nyepi, men from the village parade these creations through the streets, setting off firecrackers and ceremoniously fighting the ogah ogah’s from other villages. This lively festival represents the purging of all evil from the island of Bali. Late that night, before Nyepi officially begins, each village must set fire to their ogah ogah, thereby banishing the bad spirits from their village. These days these giant statues are really quite spectacular and competition means much time and money can be spent. As a result some villagers are reluctant to destroy their works of art as required by their religion, creating some discontent and criticism from the community. After all this commotion, on the day of Nyepi, no Balinese may leave their home or light their lamps. The more devout will spend the day preying with their families. This rule of no activity applies to tourists as well and the streets are policed to ensure absolute silence.

to be continued…..

About the Author

Bali Travel Guide is a comprehensive guide to the island of Bali, a collaboration by Jenifer Bird and Dave Waldheim. A complete Bali introduction with travel tips, reviews and bali hotels such as the Ritz Carlton Bali. You can collect the parts of this travel guide here from this website or download it as a comp