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In many more ways than one Bali is the exact opposite of the West; While Westerners open the New Year in revelry, the Balinese open their own New Year in silence. This is Nyepi Day, the Balinese Day of Silence, which begins on the day, following the dark moon of the spring equinox, and opens […]

The Balinese, through the execution of various forms of upacara (ceremonies), do so by active voluntarism; participating and contributing – a common Balinese term known as Ngayah. Though it takes up much of their time, money and energy, they are nonetheless pleased to carry it out. The Balinese way of life and Hinduism are both

The chain of ceremonies that follow a cremation, the memukur, best translated as escorting one’s soul to heaven is actually a much more delicate and costly ritual than the grand cremation ceremony itself. The cremation ceremony on this island has always been very fascinating for visitors to Bali. So grand is every cremation ceremony that

Lontar is derived from rontal, which is composed of two Old Javanese word, ron and tal. Ron means leaf and tal means rontal tree, member of the palm family (Borassus flabellifer) which is also widely called siwalan tree. Rontal tree grows slowly compared to coconut tree. Rontal trees can easily be found in arid and

In Balinese mythology, Leak is Balinese Magic the wicked witch. Leak meaning witches and evil means. Leak can only be seen at night by the shamans hunters leak. In daylight he looks like a human being, while at night he was in the cemetery to find the organs in the human body uses to make

Rituals and activities in Bali are predetermined by whether a certain day is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Virtually every Balinese household possesses a unique Balinese calendar for this kind of adherence. In general, Easterners believe that each and every single thing boasts meaningful attributes. Chinese heritage has its Feng Shui, a concept of bearing and orientation

Saraswati is the Goddess of leaming, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means “essence” and swa means “self.” Thus Saraswati means “the essence of the self.” Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative

Every six months the Balinese Hindus celebrate the great day of Galungan when the ancestor spirits come down to the earth to dwell again in the homes of their descendants. The spirits are entertained and welcomed with prayers and offerings. ‘Penjors’, long bamboo poles are erected together with a little bamboo altar from which hung

The most important of the Balinese ritual is that includes funeral rites and cremation or Ngaben. To maintain and preserve every aspect of the Balinese’s cultural life, A cremation or Ngaben is a superb study of all the most important symbols of Balinese ceremonial life, what anthropologist James Boon calls “a vast historical and ethnographic

The island Hindu religious leaders are saddened to see more and more local people start wearing black clothing during Balinese traditional funeral ceremonies. This western tradition, mainly ‘imported’ through Hollywood movies, is against Balinese Hindu belief: death is not an end or punishment, rather a golden bridge to heaven, to begin a new life in

Called Pis Bolong in Balinese and uang kepeng in Bahasa Indonesia, these living relics render a ceremony celebration incomplete without their presence. Ancient Chinese coins with square holes in the center and Chinese characters on the sides are all over in Bali. The presence of coins in rituals has become somewhat compulsory. Meanwhile, the stock

Many Hindu rites and ceremonies take place in a temple setting and are directed toward a god or goddess, but by no means do all such rituals take place in the temple; indeed, many Hindu rituals are distinctly domestic affairs, taking place in individual homes. And certainly not all rites and ceremonies are directed toward

Canang Sari is one of Daily Balinese hindus people offerings made to thank the gods in praise and pray. You will see these offerings in the temples, on small shrines in houses, and on the ground or as a part of a large offering. The phrase canang sari is derived from the words “sari” (essence)

The Barong Rangda have always been two sacred symbols among the Balinese Hindus, dances that are performed in consecration. But now with the passing of time, these two symbols’ functions have expanded into tourism ambassadors and are popular with tourists. The sacred Barong and Rangda are treated as sacred, but the commercial ones are also