baliplus Calendar of Events, bali events,bali calendar, ceremony in bali
  • 1st
    Ascension Day is a Christian holiday on the 40th day after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
    .....
  • 6th
    International No Diet Day (INDD) was started in 1992 by Mary Evans Young. INDD remains necessary because the media, the medical community, family, friends, and society in general constantly send messages that fat is ugly, unhealthy and to lose at all costs. ......
  • 11th
    Pentecost is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter Sunday (the tenth day after Ascension Thursday). Historically and symbolically related to the Jewish harvest festival of Shavuot,......
  • 17th
    Tumpek Wayang or Tumpek Ringgit is a special day of thanks for the gift of art. A blessing ceremony is given to the set of a shadow puppet play for magic power and proper function. ....
  • 20th
    Waisak is a Buddhist holiday to celebrate the birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.....
  • 20th ~ 25th
    Pesta Kesenian Bali Kota Denpasar will be held in front of Pura Jagatnatha as part of the Sightseeing Denpasar 2008 agenda
  • 31st
    World No Tobacco Day was created by World Health Organization in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and to prevent the death and disease it causes.
baliplus whats news,quick reference to the best events this month, bali news
  • Hatten Wines Sanur welcomes new managing director Don Buchanan. The native Australian came aboard based on his vast experience and love for good wine and traveling around the world
  • Bedugul farms’ organic vegetables, fruits and spices, Australian meat, Jimbaran Bay’s fish melded by the finest Western and Asian cooking techniques, sprinkled with Balinese ingredients add up to a scrumptious mixing bowl of cuisine splendor…all for you at Suarti Maestro Fine Dining and Gallery.....
  • Why retrieve healthcare outside the country if you could easily have it here in Bali? Sayan Aesthetic Institute will facilitate your needs; from dental to cosmetic treatment..
  • Behold the nine refurbished villas of Kayumanis Ubud Private Villa. It is only a preamble of the completion of 13 Deluxe Pool Villas and an individual Honeymoon Suite in August 2008 ...
  • The Spa at Bali Hyatt features four double villas and four single treatment rooms creating a single venue for all treatments. Flip for a day of leha-leha (relaxation) with treatments like The Raharja; Serenity in Heaven, Path to Swarga Loka and Surya Cooling. ..
  • Curiosity killed the cat. Rush to find out your astrological personal taste in the menu of Voila Restaurant at Villa Mahapala. And for your astrological drink personality, ask the bartender of Zodiac Bar for assistance...
  • Find the kind of space you need. A variety of studios, hotel rooms, suites, and penthouses are what you’ll get in Outrigger O-CE-N Bali. Located in prime palm-fringed beachfront on Legian Beach between Kuta and Seminyak,...
  • Maximum privacy in luxury is what you’ll encounter at Jamahal Private Resort and Spa. Opened in June 2008, it has now extended its ten successfully operating Garden and Pool Villas...
  • Kriya Spa, the “wellness sanctuary” of Grand Hyatt, ensures a personal journey into the loving hands of Balinese and Indian healing treatments of natural essences, herbs and roots catered to your needs.......
   
 
 

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Tuban - Denpasar 80362 - Bali

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baliplus cover story

With an international flavour of French influence, CasCades Restaurant at Viceroy will have your appetite dancing…

CasCades Restaurant at Viceroy Bali

baliplus curent features
  • 24 hours a day ready staff to cater every need for couples at Bali Luxury Villa Collection......
  • C’est bon! Find the French and Indonesian taste heritage at Warisan......
  • Health always comes first and BIMC is there to attend your illness......

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brief introduction to bali - geography, people, religion
 
.// History
.// The People
.// Religion
.// Dance & Drama
   

HISTORY

Although there are no artifacts or records dating back to the Stone Age, it is believed that the first settlers on Bali migrated from China around 2500 B.C. By the Bronze era, around 300 B.C., a fairly evolved culture already existed on Bali. The complex system of irrigation and rice production, still in use today, was established around this time.
It appears that the main religion around 500 A.D. was predominantly Buddhist in influence. In 670 A.D., a Chinese scholar (Yi-Tsing), on a trip to India, reported that he had visited a Buddhist country called Bali.
It wasn’t until the 11th century that Bali received the first strong influx of Hindu and Javanese cultures. With the death of his father around AD 1011, the Balinese Prince, Airlanggha, moved to East Java and set about uniting it under one principality. Having succeeded, he then appointed his brother, Anak Wungsu, as ruler of Bali. During the ensuing period there was a reciprocation of political and artistic ideas. The old Javanese language, Kawi, became the language used by the aristocracy, one of the many Javanese traits and customs adopted by the cause.
With the death of Airlanggha, in the middle of the 11th century, Bali enjoyed a period of autonomy. However, this proved to be short-lived, as in 1284 the East Javanese King Kertanegara, conquered Bali and ruled over it from Java. In 1292, Kertanegara was murdered and Bali took the opportunity to liberate itself once again. However, in 1343, Bali was brought back under Javanese control by its defeat at the hands of Gajah Mada, a general in the last of the great Hindu-Javanese empires, the Majapahit. With the spread of Islam throughout Sumatra and Java during the 16th century, the Majapahit empire began to collapse and a large exodus of aristocracy, priests, artists and artisans to Bali ensued. For a while Bali flourished and the following centuries were considered the Golden Age of Bali’s cultural history. The principality of Gelgel, near Klungkung, became a major centre for the Arts, and Bali became the major power of the region, taking control of neighbouring Lombok and parts of East Java.

The European Influence

The first Dutch seamen set foot on Bali in 1597, yet it wasn’t until the 1800’s that the Dutch showed an interest in colonizing the island. In 1846, having had large areas of Indonesia under their control since the 1700’s, the Dutch government sent troops into northern Bali. In 1894, Dutch forces sided with the Sasak people of Lombok to defeat their Balinese rulers. By 1911, all the Balinese principalities had either been defeated in battle, or had capitulated, leaving the whole island under Dutch control. During World War II, the Dutch were expelled by the Japanese, who had occupied Indonesia from 1942 to 1945.
After the Japanese defeat, the Dutch tried to regain control of their former colonies, but on August 17, 1945, Indonesia was declared independent by its first President, Sukarno. After four years of fighting and strong criticism from the international community, the Dutch government finally ceded and, in 1949, Indonesia was recognized as an independent country.

THE PEOPLE

 
    
Photo by Sonia Prabowo

Life in Bali is very communal with the organization of villages, farming and even the creative arts being decided by the community. The local government is responsible for schools, clinics, hospitals and roads, but all other aspects of life are placed in the hands of two traditional committees, whose roots in Balinese culture stretch back centuries. The first, Subak, concerns the production of rice and organizes the complex irrigation system. Everyone who owns a sawah, or padi field, must join their local Subak, which then ensures that every member gets his fair distribution of irrigation water. The other community organization is the Banjar, which arranges all village festivals, marriage ceremonies and cremations. Most villages have at least one Banjar and all males have to join one when they marry. Banjars, on average, have a membership of between 50 to 100 families and each Banjar has its own meeting place called the Bale Banjar. As well as being used for regular meetings, the Bale (pavilion) is where the local gamelan orchestras and drama groups practice.

RELIGION

The Balinese are Hindu yet their religion is very different from that of the Indian variety. The Balinese worship the Hindu trinity Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, who are seen as manifestations of the Supreme God Sanghyang Widhi. Other Indian gods like Ganesha (the elephant-headed god) also appear, but more commonly, one will see shrines to the many gods and spirits that are uniquely Balinese. Balinese believe strongly in magic and the power of spirits, and much of their religion is based upon this. They believe that good spirits dwell in the mountains and that the seas are home to demons and ogres. Most villages have at least three main temples, namely: (1) the Pura Puseh, or ‘temple of origin’, facing the mountains; (2) the Pura Desa, or village temple normally found in the centre; and (3) the Pura Dalem, aligned with the sea and dedicated to the spirits of the dead. Aside from these ‘village temples’, almost every house has its own shrine. Some temples, for example, Pura Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung, are considered especially important and people from all over Bali travel there to worship.

Offerings play a significant role in Balinese life as they appease the spirits and thus bring prosperity and good health to the family. Every day small offering trays (canang sari) containing symbolic food, flowers, cigarettes and money, are placed on shrines, in temples, outside houses and shops, and even at dangerous crossroads.

Festivals are another great occasion for appeasing the gods. The women bear huge, beautifully arranged, pyramids of food, fruit and flowers on their heads while the men might conduct a blood sacrifice through a cockfight. There are traditional dances and music and the gods are invited to come down to join in the festivities. The festivals are usually very exciting occasions and, if you are in the are, well worth observing. Please refer to the back page (‘A Word of Advice’) for Rules.


For those of you interested in learning Balinese dance, there are classes available and viewers are welcome. Ask your hotel for details on scheduled classes or when it may be possible to watch Dr. I Wayan Rai S. teach at the Denpasar Institute for the Arts (ASTI).

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