Tag Archives: bali Culture

When we grow older, people associate old age with weakness and powerlessness. But if we think the opposite, being old can also mean steadfast and mature. Ni Ketut Cenik, a Balinese dancer maestro, proved that in her 89 years of age, she is still the best. Ketut Cenik was born in 1920 in the Batuan village of Gianyar. She learned …

Balinese sacrad dance rituals, performed to ward off pestilence and plague, and restore harmony to the seen and unseen. Two young girls on their verge of puberty, often 8 to 10 years old, “pure” and old enough to be intermediaries with the spirits, don their dancing attire. The pemangku priest makes offerings to the deity of the temple requesting protection for …

Cockfights, which in Balinese are known as tajen, meklecan or ngadu, are required at temple and purification (mecaru) ceremonies. No one knows when they started. The Tabuh Rah ritual to expel evil spirits always has a cockfight to spill the blood. Tabuh Rah literally means pouring blood. There are ancient texts disclosing that the ritual has existed for centuries. It …

The Kecak dance is one of the most famous of Balinese dances. It is unusual because it has no musical accompaniment like many other Indonesian dances do, the rhythm of the dance is produced by the chanting ‘monkey’ chorus. Instead, a troupe of over 150 bare-chested men serve as the chorus, making a wondrous cacophony of synchronized “chak-achak-achak” clicking sounds …

Barong 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, half lion, propelled by two men …

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) and “canang” (a small square …

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 not aimed against the will …

The Barong and 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 available to support tourism …

The Balinese believe that after death, the body of the deceased must be dissolved to return to its original elements. In the cremation process, ngaben, the purification rite which frees the spirit from its temporary earthly ‘housing’, dissolution facilitates the spirit on its journey to its next ‘existence’. Then what? It is a custom and tradition in Bali that when …