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Galungan and Kuningan

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 […]

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Ngaben Bali Cremation Ceremony

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

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Colourful Balinese

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

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Chinese Coins in Balinese Life

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

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Ceremonies

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

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Barong Rangda – Bali Two Opposites

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

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Barong Dance

Barong Dance 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 barong is a strange creature, half shaggy dog,

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Banjar Balinese Community

Banjar Balinese Community is a social unit based on territory unity. This social unity is strengthened by custom unity and sacred religious ceremonies. In the mountain range area, the characteristic of banjar membership is limited only to those who were born in the banjar territory. Whereas in the plain area the banjar membership is open

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Balinese Women – Beauty of Bali

Let’s take a look and give praise to the unique feminine figure of Balinese women, coinciding with the commemoration of the birthday of Indonesian national heroine Kartini on April 21. Many cultural observers have considered Balinese culture as the perfect form of a social model, with every member of the community playing a significant part

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Balinese Rain Stopping

Unexpected rainfall is one of the oldest traditions in Balinese cultural practices, which can also be found in most societies in Java. This tradition is still practiced by the Balinese, because of its significance and function, not only within traditional, but also within a modern context, such as tourism activities. These beliefs and practices are

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Balinese Names

The Balinese Names which come from the Sudra caste basically only have four names. The first child is called WAYAN . The second child is called MADE The third is called NYOMAN The fourth is called KETUT

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Balinese Marriage and Caste

A couple’s marriage will not be acknowledged in the society if it is carried out without a traditional sacred ceremony according to the Hindu religious beliefs. In addition, the couple will be excommunicated from their village. There are three kinds of Balinese Marriage styles in Bali: “Ngerorod” (elopement), “Memadik” (more respected) and “Nyentana” (where a

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Balinese Language and Letters

The national language of Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia, is widely used on Bali, but it is not Balinese. Balinese or Bahasa Bali, in another language entirely. It has a completely different vocabulary and grammar, and the rulers governing its use are much more complex. It’s a difficult language for a foreigner to come to grips with.

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Balinese House Architecture

Balinese House (kuren) consists of a family or a number of related families living within one enclosure, praying at a common family temple, with one gate and one kitchen. The square plot of land (pekarangan) in which the various units. of the house stand is entirely surrounded by a wall of whitewashed mud, protected from

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Balinese Hindu Religion

The Balinese Hindu Religion is very different from that of the Indian variety. They do have the caste system, but there no untouchables and occupation is not governed by caste. In fact, the only thing that reflects the caste system is the language which has three tiers; 95% of all the Balinese are Hindu Dharma, and

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