When school or work has finished and the tide is out, soccer is frequently enjoyed on Kuta Beach.
Both sides of the front of the fishing boats known as jukung are often plastered with eyes to repel evil spirits in the sea, where Balinese believe all demons reside.
The delightful village of Jungutbatu on the island of Nusa Lembongan enjoys a spectacular location under the watchful eye of the Gunung Agung volcano on the mainland.
THE BALINESE HINDU RELIGION
ORNATE TEMPLES AND RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES
The unique form of Hinduism observed by most Balinese unconditionally dominates their lifestyle and even influences modern-day business practices in a manner not always completely evident to most visitors.
No temple setting is more spectacular than that at Pura Tanah Lot, which faces the thunderous Indian Ocean. This rocky islet is, however, only accessible to Hindus and is unreachable by anyone at high tide.
Religion encompasses every single facet of Balinese life in obvious ways, such as temples and ceremonies, but also in art, medicine and architecture as well as the Balinese language, calendar and names. About 92 percent of the population of Bali, located amidst the world’s most populous Islamic nation, practice Agama Hindu Dharma, sometimes still referred to as Agama Tirtha (‘Religion of the Holy Waters’).
Hinduism originated from India via Java, which ruled Bali a millennium ago. The Balinese version was formulated when priests and rulers from the powerful Majapahit Hindu kingdom that ruled Java and beyond fled to Bali in the 15th century as Islam encroached, and temples such as Pura Tanah Lot were built. Nowadays, Balinese Hinduism embraces elements of Buddhism, which flourished in Bali during the 8th and 9th centuries, and animist beliefs that predate the introduction of Hinduism.
Like Hindus in India, Balinese believe in reincarnation and karma and worship the trinity of Brahma (the Creator of the Universe), Shiva/Siwa (the Destroyer) and Vishnu/Wisnu (the Protector). Each is a manifestation of the Supreme God of Sanghyang Widhi, which is a more recent appendage to Balinese Hinduism to comply with the Indonesian Pancasila national principle of worshipping ‘One Almighty God’. Other fundamental differences to the Hinduism practiced in India are the numerous ancient indigenous beliefs, including black magic, and the adaptation of the religion to suit Bali’s topography. For example, the Balinese believe that the gods reside in the mountains, particularly the revered and volatile Gunung Agung, and should be kept happy at every opportunity, while the demons dwell in the sea. Moreover, numerous spirits, whether dewa (male) or dewi (female), penetrate the physical world and also need to be appeased with innumerable shrines and frequent offerings.
Tourists flock to photograph the Pura Tanah Lot from the mainland for its remarkable location while worshippers come in droves as it is one of the six highly revered cardinal temples on Bali.
The underlying philosophy is to seek a balance between the forces of good and order (dharma) and evil and disorder (adharma). This and other values and beliefs are amalgamated into Tri Hita Karana (‘Three Causes of Happiness’) that strive to unify and maintain harmony between humans and nature, between humans and God and the spirits, and among humans themselves. The religion dictates every personal event, such as marriage, as well as rituals for children, who are regarded as reincarnations of ancestors. For example, there are ceremonies at 42 days, when new mothers are allowed to return to the temples, and 105 days, when babies can touch the ground. Also, later in life and before marriage, teeth are evenly filed so that they are not pointy and resemble a demon’s. The most important religious ceremony for the family is cremation. The local community helps construct and then incinerate a wooden tower before spreading the ashes out at sea in order to liberate the soul and allow it to enter heaven as part of the reincarnation process. Most events are dictated by the lunar saka or sasih calendar of 360 days or by the unique wuku or pawukon 210-day calendar used for festivals and choosing auspicious days for important events, such as starting a business and planting rice.
Hinduism in India strictly classifies people, for example, the dalit or ‘untouchables’, but the caste system in Bali is nowhere near as discriminatory nor as obvious to outsiders. The top three castes, whose members can trace their ancestors to the Majapahit rulers, are brahmana (the highest), ksatriyasa/satriya and wesya, although 90–95 percent of Balinese are sudra (‘commoners’), also called jaba (‘outsiders’). The only way a non-Hindu can easily identify a Balinese person’s caste is by the prefix used for their complete name, such as Ida Bagus, a male brahmana name. Priests have a multitude of purposes and duties, particularly preparing for and presiding over temple ceremonies and family rituals. They are either pedanda high priests from the brahmana caste only or pemangku temple priests from any other caste, although many Balinese also consult balian (traditional healers) for spiritual as well as physical guidance and well-being.
Everything is symbolic and ritualized, from the number of roofs on the pagoda-style meru shrines to the position of hands and body when praying.
Worshippers raise their hands above their heads when praying to a revered god within a temple. Hands positioned in front of the face indicate that one is praying to the ancestors.
The Balinese New Year
One of the most important days on the saka or sasih lunar calendar is Nyepi, the Day of Silence, which signifies the start of the Balinese Hindu New Year at the new moon in March or April. Everyone, including tourists, is confined to their homes or hotels and the streets are eerily deserted and dark so that evil spirits hovering over Bali will assume the island has been abandoned and will move on.
The aim of the day before Nyepi is to cleanse Bali of demons so that the next year can start afresh. Colossal offerings (tawur agung), created to placate the demons and purify areas of evil influences, are placed at crossroads. Massive, and often outrageously shaped effigies of demonic monsters (ogoh-ogoh), which take weeks to construct, are paraded around the streets by young men. Animal sacrifices and mock exorcisms are also undertaken by priests to appease the evil spirits. During the evening, there is organized chaos as masses of people yell, carry flame torches, let off fireworks and bang pots to scare off and expel the demons, and the numerous ogoh-ogoh are burnt.
In distinct contrast, Nyepi, which lasts 24 hours from 6 am, is a day of complete silence and time for reflection, prayer and inactivity, which includes tourists. Special police ensure that everything, including the airport, is closed (although hospitals and hotels stay open); that the streets are empty (except for ambulances); and that no electricity or lights are being used. The day after (ngembak nyepi or ngembak geni) is celebrated with various rituals, including a kissing and water-throwing ceremony in Denpasar, and roads become even more jam-packed than normal as people visit families, friends and temples.
Tourists are expected to comply with all regulations. It can be inconvenient with no shopping, surfing or clubbing, but hotels remain open and staff will arrang e meals for guests.
Elaborate offerings made of cloth