The Writing of ManxJoe

Tentang Bali

2008-07-25T13:54:00.001+08:00

BALI, island of Gods and Demons.

Both magical and mythical, this land of volcanic lakes, spectacular rice terraces, stunning tropical beaches, ancient temples and palaces is and exotic melting pot of cultures and peoples. Renowned of its unsurpassed architecture, traditional theatre, dance and elaborate religious festivals, the colorful Balinese culture is a dynamic force that is constantly synthesizing the old and the new, the traditional and the innovative.

LOCATION
Bali is one of more than 18 thousands island in Indonesia. It is located between the two islands Java & Nusa Tenggara, between 8 03 40 8 degree South latitude and 114 25 & 115 42 40 degree East longitude.
Bali has 5.632,86 square kilometers of land. The total population is approximately 3.2 million people. Standard time zone is UTC/GMT + 8 hours.

REGENCIES
As a part of 30 provinces in the Republic of Indonesia, Bali is divided into 8 regencies ( Badung, Gianyar , Tabanan , Bangli , Karangasem , Jembrana , Buleleng and Klungkung, 1 municipal city Denpasar), 51 districts and 666 administrative villages.
Denpasar is the capital city of Bali province.

Mount Agung is used as orientation and considered North (Kaja) while the sea is considered South (Kelod). This is the reason why "south" in Buleleng is the opposite of "south" in Badung. In Hindu perspective, north direction (mount) is a holy place while on the southern part is the insulted place.

In the division of area, it is analogized the anatomy of the body: head, body and legs as utama (main), madya (medium) and nista (insult). Therefore, the holy place is located in north edge, in the middle as a place of residence and in the south as place of cemetery. Even, for sleeping, head is faced to north or east and legs are directed to south or west.

THE PEOPLE
The Balinese are one of the 250 ethnic groups in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of them (95%) are Hindus, a religion which came from India, passing through Sumatera and Java.
After the fall of Majapahit empire all the Hindu aristocrats and the common people fled to Bali, bringing along their religion, traditions, literature and arts. Other religions like Christianity or Moslem, Buddhism are also in Bali. But all live in peace, there is no conflict of religion or conflict of ethnics. The population of Bali are three million people. Most of them live in the southern part of the island. Here the tourist resorts are located such as Sanur, Kuta and Nusa Dua. The Balinese people are very creative. They have created and are still creating various kinds of artistic creativities such as wood carving (statues), paintings, gold and silver smith, handicrafts, dances and religious offerings. Nearly everyday there are religious ceremonies in the temples spread all over the island. There are the so called "Bali Aga"; people, the original Balinese communities in several places like in Tenganan or Trunyan. It is worthwhile to visit them there.

CLIMATE
Bali has tropical climate all year with two different seasons namely dry season from April to October and wet season from November to March. The average temperature hovers around 30 degrees Celsius year-round. The average yearly rainfall between 893,4 mm till 2702,6 mm with average humidity is 79%.
Weather information

POPULATION
Bali has 5.632,86 square kilometers of land.
The total population is approximately 3.021.247 people.

IMMIGRATION & CUSTOMS
Immigration Offices:
Jl. D. I. Panjaitan, Niti Mandala, Complex Renon - Denpasar
Phone : (62 361) 238 168
Ngurah Rai Airport Complex, Tuban, Kuta
Phone : (62 361) 751 038
Customs regulations allow, per adult, a maximum of one litter of alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 100 gram of tobacco and a reasonable amount of perfume. Photographic, video and filming equipments, radio, typewriter and car are admitted as they are recorded in you passport on entry and taken out on departure. Narcotics, arms and ammunition TV, sets and Chinese medicines are items that strictly prohibited while fresh fruit, plant and animals must be passed by the Quarantine Office.

BANK & MONEY EXCHANGE
Most foreign currencies are easily changed at banks, hotels or money changers. Banking hours are from 8.00am to 14.00 noon Mondays to Fridays, and from 8.00am to 11.00am on Saturdays. Bank in Hotels usually stay open longer hours while Money Changers are generally open till evening. ATM is available in many places, provides VISA, MASTER, ALTO and more.

MEDICAL SERVICES & HOSPITAL
Hospitals and Health Centers staffed by well trained doctors and medical-assistants are available in major tourist resort and the Provincial Capital. Public Health Centre is also available at every Sub district unit.
Sanglah Hospital
Jl. Diponegoro, Denpasar
Ph. (62 361) 227 911

SOS
Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai 505x, Kuta
Ph. (62 361) 710 505
Bali Medical Center
Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai 100x, Kuta
Ph. (62 361) 761 263

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
Police : 110
Ambulance : 118
Fire Department : 113
SAR : 115/151/111

TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES
Bali is linked via satellite to all major countries in the world and to make an International call can be made from any private house, business center, hotel telephone, or "Wartel" (Telecommunication Counter). Internet is also can be reached at many "Warnet" (Internet Counter). For local and international phone and fax service look out for a sign like this: Int'l Direct Dialing 001 or 008 + country code + area code + local telephone number. Int'l Direct Inquiries : 102, 101
Local Inquiries : 147
Operator Assisted : 110/104

Balinese Dancing

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Legong Keraton
Perhaps the most of Balinese dances is the classical Legong, a dance traditionally performed as entertainment for the King. The young female dancer are wrapped from head to ankle in hand-painted dolg brocade, with glitter gold and sparkling mirrors and are topped with trembling frangipani flowers. As they glide and sway thaey pantomime an ancient story about a King Lasem and his unsuccessful attempts to win the love of the girl. The dancers seem to be essence of all that is feminime and beautiful.

Baris
A dance of war, the Baris is strongly masculine and yet also display at the same time an intense sensitivity of feeling in its myriad moods and expression. The Baris Gede is a sacred dance that is usually performed at temple ceremonies. Ten or more dancers take a part in that dancing. They wear elegant headdressed and bear spiked shields or swords or lances. They dance in line, posing aggressively as a group before attacking each other in simulated battle.

Kecak
This is a relatively new dance that has been created from a much older trance dance called Sanghyang that features a male chorus that chants rhytmically. Usually the chorus consist of over 100 men who provide the orchestral accompaniment with complex and varied chants that company their swaying movements. They created living circular stage for the enactment by dancers an expert from the well known from Hindu epic poem such as The Ramayana and The Maha Bharata. Flickering torches provided an Erie lighting,.

Sanghyang
Sanghyang trance dances were performed only as religious ceremonies that exorcise spirits that cause problems and to promote peach and healt within the village. They only have recently been performed to the public for entertainment. In this dance specially selected boys and girls are brought into trance by a group of women who sing a special, repetitive song variety, called Sanghyang Dedari (Angles), in volves very young girls who have never dance before. Yet they give skillful performance of a sort of Legong Dance. In Sanghyang Jaran (horse), the man in trance ride a kind of hobby horse over red hot coals, while wxhibiting caracteristic horse-like sounds and movement.

Barong and Rangda
The endless methapysical battle between good and evil is symbolically reenacted by two weird characters, Barong and Rangda, who by by their performance reinforce the magic power of the village and restore the balance between these two contrary forces. The Barong representative of the good force of nature. It is a strange creature that danced by two men inside a highly decorated framework that represents a stylized animal, often a kind chinese lion. Rangda adversary is Queen of the Withches, ugly creature with a long tongue, fangs and pendulaous brest. The two opposite forces that Barong and Rangda potray as the fight is enough to send the followers of the Barong into trance as they tray to attack Rangda with their Keris. But Rangda's magical power turn their swords away and toward them selves. And Barong's power then saves them from harm and the result is draw.

Arja and Drama Gong
A performance of Arja, Balinese folk opera can hold an entire village engrossed from late evening until nearly sunrise. Love stories drawn from the classics of the ancient kingdoms of Java are reenacted with all of the tragicomic and romantics ingridients guaranteed to appeal. The royal characters move in a slow stylised dance and sing and talk in a high falsetto using high Balinese language which is translated into common language and which is much more easly understod by the audience. Drama Gong is the development of Arja that is performed by actors and musical groups with little dance and has recently become very popular in the community.

Musics, Dances and Dramas in Bali

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In Bali, no temple festivals or ceremonies are complete without accompanying entertaintment for the God, attending guest and local people. Temple anniversary are occasion for all-night drama and dance performances. This are found nowhere else in the world.

The Basic accompaniment to any such performance is provided by the local gamelan orchestra, a group of bronze instruments, metallophenes, tuned gongs, cymbals and hand drums. The instruments are generally owned by the village, as they are extremely expensive. They are stored at the village's meeting hall (Bale Banjar).

In times gone by Balinese music was passed from generation to generation purely by memory. Recently Balinese music has been written down or recorded on audio or video tape. Each combination of instruments to with the nature of ceremony. Melodious bamboo flutes (suling), reedy four stringed, violin like instrument (rebab) and twinging jew's -harp-like instruments (genggong) are all used to provide their own special effect.

Some of Dances in Bali:

Legong Keraton
Baris
Kecak
Topeng
Sanghyang
Barong and Rangda
Arja and Drama Gong

Special Events

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Galungan
Galungan is the most important holiday. It symbolizes the victory of virtue (Dharma) over Evil (Adharma). On Galungan every family puts of a "penjor", a tall bamboo pole, placed on the right side of the enterence to the house compound. Each penjor is decorated with woven young coconut leaves, fruit, cakes, flowers, and other the gifts of nature. People attire them selves in their finest tradition clothing and jewels to wear to their temples and over thanks.

Kuningan.
This holiday takes place ten days after Galungan, bringing the holiday period to a close. On this day, special ritual ceremonies are held for the Ancestral spirits.

Nyepi
This important day is the Balinese Lunar New Year called the "Saka" New Year. It is a day of total silence throughout the island. There is no physical activity is allowed in this day, there can be no traffic at all on the roads, no fire may be lit and no the day before Nyepi so as to exorcise evile spirits from every corner of the vilaage. Nyepi falls on the first day after the New Moon closset to the March Exquinox, usually in March or early April.

Saraswati
This day is devoted to Gods Manifestation as Dewi Saraswati, the beautiful Goddess of Knowledge, art and literature. On this day, books of knowledge, manuscripts and the Weda are blessed and special offerings are made for them.

Pagerwesi
The name literary means iron fence, on this day ceremonies and prayers are held for strong mental and spiritual defense in welcoming the Galungan holiday.

Festival and Special Events in Bali

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Festivals are important features of Balinese life. Most of this ceremonies occur on fixed dates within the Balinese Calendar that is based upon a cycle 210 days. Some of this festivals are anniversary celebrations of temples. Many are life cycle ceremonies that begin at conception and continue at major stages of an individual’s life, ending only with his cremation and subsequent installation as a deified ancestor in his family temple.

The provincial government of Bali tries to maintain and preserve every aspect of Balinese cultural life by sponsoring annual festival that emphasize the importance of the arts. The best known of these events is the Bali Art Festival that is held from mid-June to mid-July each year. The art festival features exhibitions of art and crafts, dance performances and competitions of various kinds, cultural achievement, a kite festival, and many other activities