In the 14th century, the defeat of Bali by Majapahit led to the creation of mini-principalities and courts. As a result a blend of Javanese court and peasant culture was created in Bali. The present day accompanying narrative for dance and drama is to a large extent based on court stories from pre-Majapahit Java.
The Indian epics are another favourite of the stage and the Javanese influence can be seen especially in the wayang where long quotes from the ancient Javanese Kakawin poetry are recited out.
The 16th century brought Islamization to Java, resulting in much of the Javanese culture vanishing from its own land. However, it transformed in Bali, becoming classical Balinese culture. But this didn’t live too long until colonization.
The rural courts were defeated and replaced with new lords of the land, shifting the center of creativity to village associations and to the development of tourism. The Balinese cultural dance was in its hype of activities especially during the 30’s and 50’s.
The fertile decades helped survive the old narrative-led theatre while letting loose solo dances almost everywhere, accompanied by a new, dynamic kind of music called gong kebyar.
This trend continued in the 60’s and 70’s with the creation of colossal sendratari ballets, representing ancient Indian and Javanese stories adapted to the needs of modern audiences
Balinese dance is inseparable from religion. A small offering of food and flowers must precede even dances for tourists. Before performing, many dancers pray at their family shrines, appealing for holy “taksu” (inspiration) from the gods.
In this rural tradition, the people say that peace and harmony depend on protection by the gods and ancestors. Dance in this context may fulfil a number of specific functions: as a channel for visiting gods or demonic gods, the dancers acting as a sort of living repository. These trance dances include the Sang Hyang Dedari, with little girls in trance, and the Sang Hyang Jaran, a fire dance. As a welcome for visiting gods, such as the pendet, rejang and sutri dances as entertainment for visiting gods, such as the topeng and the wayang.
In some of these dances, the role of dancing is so important that it is actually the key to any meaning to be found in the ritual. In wayang performances, the puppeteer is often seen as the “priest” sanctifying the holy water.
As well as their use in religious ceremonies, dance and drama also have a strong religious content. It is often said that drama is the preferred medium through which the Balinese cultural tradition is transmitted. The episodes performed are usually related to the rites taking place; during a wedding one performs a wedding story; at a death ritual there is a visit to “hell” by the heroes. Clowns (penasar) comment in Balinese, peppering their jokes with religious and moral comments on stories whose narratives use Kawi (Old-Javanese).
Bali is truly a unique isle; from its timeless traditions, colourful pageantry to rites of passage. The people possess a genuine sense inner happiness that is perhaps attributed to the strong Hindu faith. There is a fundamental belief in the spiritual world which should always be in balance and harmonize with the physical world to attain peace and prosperity.
HISTORY
Although there are no artifacts or records dating back to the Stone Age, it is believed that the first settlers on Bali migrated from China around 2500 BC. By the Bronze era, around 300 B.C. quite an evolved culture existed in Bali. The complex system of irrigation and rice production, still in use today, was established around this time.
History is vague for the first few centuries. A number of Hindu artifacts have been found dating back to the 1st century, yet it appears that the main religion, around 500 AD was predominantly Buddhist in influence. A Chinese scholar, Yi-Tsing, in 670 AD reported on a trip to India, that he had visited a Buddhist country called Bali.
It wasn’t until the 11th century that Bali received the first strong influx of Hindu and Javanese cultures. With the death of his father around AD 1011, the Balinese Prince, Airlanggha, moved to East Java and set about uniting it under one principality. Having succeeded, he then appointed his brother, Anak Wungsu, as ruler of Bali. During the ensuing period there was a reciprocation of political and artistic ideas. The old Javanese language, Kawi, became the language used by the aristocracy, one of the many Javanese traits and customs adopted by the cause.
With the death of Airlanggha, in the middle of the 11th century, Bali enjoyed a period of autonomy. However, this proved to be short-lived as in 1284, the East Javanese king Kertanegara, conquered Bali and ruled over it from Java. In 1292, Kertanegara was murdered and Bali took the opportunity to liberate itself once again. However, in 1343, Bali was brought back under Javanese control by its defeat at the hands of Gajah Mada, a general in the last of the great Hindu-Javanese empires, the Majapahit. With the spread of Islam throughout Sumatra and Java during the 16th century, the Majapahit Empire began to collapse and a large exodus of aristocracy, priests, artists and artisans to Bali ensued. For a while Bali flourished and the following centuries were considered the Golden Age of Bali’s cultural history. The principality of Gelgel, near Klungkung, became a major centre for the Arts, and Bali became the major power of the region, taking control of neighboring Lombok and parts of East Java.
The European Influence
The first Dutch seamen set foot on Bali in 1597, yet it wasn’t until the 1800’s that the Dutch showed an interest in colonizing the island. In 1846, having had large areas of Indonesia under their control since the 1700’s, the Dutch government sent the troops into northern Bali. In 1894, Dutch forces sided with the Sasak people of Lombok to defeat their Balinese rulers. By 1911, all the Balinese principalities had either been defeated in battle, or had capitulated, leaving the whole island under Dutch control. After World War I, Indonesian Nationalist sentiment was rising and in 1928, Bahasa Indonesia was declared the official national language. During World War II, the Dutch were expelled by the Japanese, who occupied Indonesia from 1942 to 1945.
After the Japanese defeat, the Dutch tried to regain control of their former colonies, but on August 17, 1945, Indonesia was declared independent by its first President, Sukarno. After four years of fighting and strong criticism from the international community, the Dutch government finally ceded and, in 1949, Indonesia was recognized as an independent country.
THE PEOPLE
Life in Bali is very communal with the organization of villages, farming and even the creative arts being decided by the community. The local government is responsible for schools, clinics, hospitals and roads, but all other aspects of life are placed in the hands of two traditional committees, whose roots in Balinese culture stretch back centuries. The first, Subak, concerns the production of rice and organizes the complex irrigation system. Everyone who owns a sawah, or padi field, must join their local Subak, which then ensures that every member gets his fair distribution of irrigation water. Traditionally, the head of the Subak has his sawah at the very bottom of the hill, so that the water has to pass through every other sawah before reaching his own. The other community organization is the Banjar, which arranges all village festivals, marriage ceremonies and cremations, as well as a form of community service known as Gotong Royong. Most villages have at least one Banjar and all males have to join one when they marry. Banjars, on average, have a membership of between 50 to 100 families and each Banjar has its own meeting place called the Bale Banjar. As well as being used for regular meetings, the Bale (pavilion) is where the local gamelan orchestras and drama groups practice.
Each stage of Balinese life is marked by a series of ceremonies and rituals known as Manusa Yadnya. They contribute to the rich, varied and active life the average Balinese leads.
BALI’S CASTE SYSTEM
Balinese society is founded on the Hindu caste system, although in a somewhat simpler form than that practiced in India. In Bali, there are four castes; Sundras, the peasants who comprise over 90% of the population, Wesias, the warrior caste, which also includes traders and some nobility, Satrias, the caste of kings, and Pedanas, the holy men and priests (brahman).
The caste of a person is indicated by their title; Ida Bagus for brahman, Anak Agung or Dewa for Satrias, and I Gusti for Wesias.
Each caste has its own language, and a separate dialect exists to enable someone to address one of unknown caste to avoid disrespect. The national language of Indonesia (Bahasa Indonesia), which is taught in schools simplifies communication somewhat, although at the expense of cultural diversity.
Birth
The first ceremony of Balinese life takes place even before birth. Another ceremony takes place soon after the birth, during which the afterbirth is buried with appropriate offerings. The first major ceremony takes place halfway through the baby’s first Balinese year of 210 days.
Names
Basically the Balinese only have four first names. The first child is Wayan or Putu, the second child is Made or Kadek, the third is Nyoman or Komang and the fourth is Ketut. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth will be another Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut and Wayan again.
Childhood
The Balinese certainly love children and they have plenty of them to prove it. Coping with a large family is made much easier by the policy of putting younger children in the care of older ones. After the ceremonies of babyhood come ceremonies marking the stages of childhood and puberty, including the important tooth-filing ceremony.
Marriage
Every Balinese expects to marry and raise a family, and marriage takes places at a comparatively young age. Marriages are not, in general, arranged as they are in many other Asian communities although strict rules apply to marriages between the castes. There are two basic forms of marriage in Bali - mapadik and ngorod. The respectable form, in which the family of the man visit the family of the woman and politely propose that the marriage take place, is mapadik. The Balinese, however, like their fun and often prefer marriage by elopement (ngorod) as the most exciting option. Of course, the Balinese are also a practical people so nobody is too surprised when the young man spirits away his bride-to-be, even if she loudly protests about being kidnapped. The couple go into hiding and somehow the girl’s parents, no matter how assiduously they search, never manage to find her. Eventually the couple re-emerge, announce that it is too late to stop them now, the marriage is officially recognized and everybody has had a lot of fun and games. Marriage by elopement has another advantage apart from being exciting and mildly heroic it’s cheaper.
The Household
There are many modern Balinese houses, but there are still a great number of traditional Balinese homes. The streets of Ubud; nearly every house will follow the same traditional walled design.
Men and Women
There are certain tasks clearly to be handled by women, and others reserved for men. Social life in Bali is relatively free and easy. In Balinese leisure activities the roles are also sex differentiated. Both men and women dance but only men play the gamelan. Today you do see some women painters, sculptors, and woodcarvers.
Community Life
Balinese have an amazingly active and organized village life. You simply cannot be a faceless nonentity in Bali. You can’t help but get to know your neighbors as your life is so entwined and interrelated with theirs.
Death and Cremation
There are ceremonies for every stage of Balinese life but often the last ceremony-cremation-is the biggest. A Balinese cremation can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organize a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried. Of course an auspicious day must be chosen for the cremation and since a big cremation can be very expensive business many less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation and sending their own dead on their way at the same time. Brahmans, however, must be cremated immediately. Apart from being yet another occasion for Balinese noise and confusion it’s a fine opportunity to observe the incredible energy the Balinese put into creating real works of art which are totally ephemeral. A lot more than a body gets burnt at the cremation. The body is carried from the burial ground (or from the deceased’s home if it’s an ‘immediate’ cremation) to the cremation ground in a high, multi-tiered tower made of bamboo, paper, string, tinsel, silk, cloth, mirrors, flowers and anything else bright and colorful you can think of. The tower is carried on the shoulders of a group of men, the size of the group depending on the importance of the deceased and hence the size of the tower. The funeral of a former rajah high priest may require hundreds of men to tote the tower.
A long the way to the cremation ground certain precautions must be taken to ensure that the deceased’s spirit does not find its way back home. Loose spirits around the house can be a real nuisance. To ensure this doesn’t happen requires getting the spirits confused as to their whereabouts, which you do by shaking the tower, running it around in circles, spinning it around, throwing water at it, generally making the trip to the cremation ground anything but a stately funeral crawl. Meanwhile, there’s likely to be a priest halfway up to tower, hanging on grimly as it sways back and forth, and doing his best to soak bystanders with holy water. A gamelan sprints along behind, providing a suitably exciting musical accompaniment. Camera-toting tourists get all but run down and once again the Balinese prove that ceremonies and religion are there to be enjoyed. At the cremation ground the body is transferred to a funeral sarcophagus, this should be in the shape of a bull for a Brahmana, a winged lion for a Satria and a sort of elephant-fish for a Sudra. These days, however, almost anybody from the higher castes will use a bull. Finally up it all goes in flames funeral tower, sarcophagus, body, the lot. The eldest son does his duty by poking through the ashes to ensure that there are no bits of body left unburned. And where does your soul go after your cremation? Why, to a heaven which is just like Bali!
RELIGION
The Balinese are Hindu yet their religion is very different from that of the Indian variety. They do have a caste system, but there are 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 speak Low or Everyday Balinese with each other; Middle Balinese is used for talking to strangers, at formal occasions or to people of the higher Ksatriya caste; High Balinese is used when talking to the highest class, the Brahmana, or to a pedanda (priest). It may sound complicated, but most of the words at the low and medium levels are the same, whereas High Balinese is a mixture of Middle Balinese and Kawi, the ancient Javanese language.
The Balinese worship the Hindu trinity Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, who are seen as manifestations of the Supreme God Sanghyang Widhi. Other Indian gods like Ganesha (the elephant-headed god) also often appear, but more commonly, one will see shrines to the many gods and spirits that are uniquely Balinese. Balinese believe strongly in magic and the power of spirits and much of their religion is based upon this. They believe that good spirits dwell in the mountains and that the seas are home to demons and ogres. Most villages have at least three main temples; one, the Pura Puseh or ‘temple of origin’, faces the mountains and is dedicated to the village founders, another, the Pura Desa or village temple, is normally found in the centre and is dedicated to the welfare of the village, the last, the Pura Dalem, is aligned with the sea and is dedicated to the spirits of the dead. Aside from these ‘village’ temples, almost every house has its own shrine and you can also find monuments dedicated to the spirits of agriculture, art and all other aspects of life. Some temples, Pura Besakih for example, on the slopes of Mount Agung, are considered especially important and people from all over Bali travel to worship there.
Offerings play a significant role in Balinese life as they appease the spirits and thus bring prosperity and good health to the family. Every day small offering trays (canang sari) containing symbolic food, flowers, cigarettes and money, are placed on shrines, in temples, outside houses and shops, and even at dangerous crossroads.
Festivals are another great occasion for appeasing the gods. The women bear huge, beautifully arranged, pyramids of food, fruit and flowers on their heads while the men might conduct a blood sacrifice through a cockfight. There are traditional dances and music and the gods are invited to come down to join in the festivities. The festivals are usually very exciting occasions and well worth observing, if you are in the area. A crucial thing to remember, if you wish to join in celebrations or enter a temple, is that there are a number of rules that have to be respected. Please see back page “A Word of Advice” for Rules
THE CYCLE OF LIFE - According to Hindu religious beliefs, after death, a soul passes into another body. During its tenure in a body, the soul is in torment. Consequently, the soul is always seeking to free itself from incarnation so that it can attain enlightenment or moksa. Once enlightenment is achieved, both the body and soul can join their cosmic equivalents for ever. Therefore, when a person dies, but its soul fails to achieve moksa, it will continue with the cycle of life through incarnations.
The religious rites which are performed to accompany a soul through its journey in the cycle of life incorporate such cosmic notions. The intervening journey between life and death is given high importance in Balinese rituals. Such rituals consist of the human rites (manusa yadnya), the rites of the dead (pitra yadnya), rites of the gods or temple rites (dewa yadnya), rites of demonic forces (buta yadnya) and ordainment rites (rsi yadnya).
Balinese believe that the mountains are the abodes of the gods, deified ancestors and souls which did not attain moksa. The gods and deified ancestors will descend occasionally to earth during temple ceremonies to partake of offerings and to enjoy entertainment.
When souls are ready to re-incarnate on earth, they will come from the mountains above or straight from hell. That is why the mountains is revered as the Holy Place.
The incarnation of the human soul is seen as a human and a cosmic process, starting from love. The union of a man and a woman is that of purusa and pradana - the male and female principle respectively and the cosmic energy of Asmara, the god of love, and Ratih, the goddess of the moon. In their sexual love are united the red and white elements of desire (kamabang/kama petak), symbols of male sperm and female ovula. The eventual merging of the two kamas begets what is often called “The Godly Fetus” or sanhyang Jabang Bayi, as the soul originates from the heavenly world. A child is called “Dewa” or little god during his first year of life.
All the phases of existence, from pregnancy to birth and then from birth to death will be accompanied by rituals. Their purposes are: to fasten the soul in its body before birth, to welcome it into the world, to take it harmoniously along the various stages of life, and, finally upon death, to help it cast away all earthly bonds and rejoin the old country of its origins. Here it can merge with the sublime soul of the world, paramatma of God.
The seventh month of pregnancy is the time for the housing of the soul or Megedong-Gedongan ceremony. This ceremony binds the soul within the womb. The birth is then celebrated through the penyambutan ceremonies. These are the true birth-rites. The catur sanak or burying of four little siblings is when the after-birth is given a ritual burial in four different places within the family compound. On the fifth or seventh day, a ceremony for the fall of the umbilical cord (kepus pungsed) is held. The twelfth day is the first otonan or 35-day cycle ceremony, followed by the forty-seventh day ceremony and, finally, the third month ceremony.
At three months, the child is allowed to touch the ground and is given a name. The child has entered the earthly world and the ceremonies are to welcome and guide the child during his or her first steps in life. This is how a child attains full incarnation of human status. Like any other being, the child will be subjected to the cycle of the Balinese calendar. He or she will have an otonan anniversary in the family temple, with offerings, every 210 days (one cycle in the Wuku year).
According to the principles of cosmic harmony, Man is expected to reach moksa. To do this he or she should strive to fulfill three other goals of life: desirekama, wealth-artha and virtue-dharma. Each of these goals should be fulfilled in an order of priority depending on the stage reached in life, such as when young, becoming an adolescent, getting married and becoming old.
Desire must be exercised with caution and balanced by dharma. This control of desire is illustrated in the mesangih of metatah, a tooth-filing rite, which takes place during adolescence - a time when sexual desire has reached its peak. The teeth symbolize the animal, or the uncontrolled side of humans, and Balinese demons always have big canine teeth. By filing them, six enemies will be eliminated; namely, lust, greed, anger, intoxication, confusion and jealousy.
The Balinese marriage ceremony is no less complex. It is preceded by an engagement of mepadik during which the couple falsely elope, and are supported by a group of accomplices, who protect the couple during their honeymoon. After three days, they are considered man and wife. The ploy is a serious one as the girl’s parents may be furious and refuse their blessing.
The wedding ceremony follows in a more formal manner. It emphasizes that one’s desires, while being exercised, should at the same time be kept under tight control. The climax of the wedding ritual, Mesakapan, is meant to appease the earthly forces or buta sor, which are the origin of desires and temptation.
Priorities in life then shift towards family and an accumulation of wealth or artha. Male heirs are regarded as important because it is these heirs of sentana who will implement the rituals of death and look after the family temples. They are a safeguard in the process of release. It is therefore important to accumulate wealth so that the rites for their ancestors and the community can be financed.
The Balinese death is but a return to your origins. The preceding wheels of one’s life are the way to ultimate release. Not all corpses are cremated immediately, as some wait for an auspicious day, a collective ceremony or until their descendants have enough money to perform the rites. The cremation ritual is a reminder of the cosmic symbolism of life. The tower is a duplicate of the cosmos; the corpse is put in the middle, symbolizing its position between the spiritual and the human worlds. The sarcophagus, in which the body is burned, is a vehicle to take the soul away.
The ashes are collected and taken to the sea. It is here that the soul passes through hell to be tortured and cleansed. The soul is then called back on shore and eventually taken back to the Mother Mountain, Gunung Agung. The soul is then enshrined in the family temple and the dead is now an ancestor, until the next incarnation.
Dewani Villa Resort, nestled in between rice fields and coconut tress, the location at Umalas and Kerobokan area gives you the right impression for country styled Balinese life, not far away from the lively Kuta area. Only 15 minutes (by car) away from Kuta center and about 12 km from International Airport Ngurah Rai Denpasar,
The Boutique Resort, set amidst a beautifully lush tropical garden, our boutique resort welcomes you for your privacy and intimate vacation. Our personalized service meets your vacation dreams during your stay at Bali. Privacy is guaranteed, with meals and refreshments served to individual preferences, be it breakfast in bed, cocktails or snacks on the sun deck or dining on the Bale (a traditional Balinese hut-covered resting place).
The hotel facilities includes Open-air Restaurant, Lobby Bar, Swimming pool with Jacuzzi, sun deck with sun chairs, Tour Desk, Money Changer, Massage, Laundry and Dry Cleaning Service, Safety Deposit Box available at Front Desk, Internet Access (charge). Other services: free transport from/to airport and free daily shuttle service to Petitenget Beach and Kuta center.
7 rooms in freestanding two storey round chalets, build with local natural materials of stones and wood in typical Balinese architecture. Each room has elegant high class equipment and furniture.
Spacious standard rooms about 60 square meter, located on the ground floor.In each room a king size bed, spacious bathroom with outdoor shower (hot & cold water), hairdryer, amenities, personal remote-controlled air condition, IDD Telephone, Phone plug for access to internet, minibar, satellite-TV, coffee & tea making facilities, a set of chairs and table, writing desk and sun terrace with chairs.
Superior room located on the first floor. Same size and room facilities as standard rooms, but richer decoration with wooden polished floor and walls, baldachine king size bed and high Alang-Alang ceiling. The room has a balcony with chairs overlooking the rural area around our resort.
Located at first floor at main building, our suite is offering a spacious bedroom about 60 square meter, with an attached bathroom (about 20 square meter), which offers you a round oversize Jacuzzi bathtub. The suite room is also well furnished like our superior rooms.
Nestled amidst lush rice fields and situated alongside a river, The Villa Surya Damai offers both serenity and seclusion in a uniquely luxurious tropical garden setting.
Villa Surya Damai is situated on the edge of the village of Umalas in a plot that extends to 2850 sq m. The gardens enjoy a 60m palm-fringed river-frontage and overlook the rice fields.
Umalas is a peaceful and quiet village, containing a number of villas as well as the famous riding stables. A pleasant 15 minute walk across the rice paddies brings you to Batu Belig beach, and some of Bali’s best-known beach side restaurants.
The Villa is located only a few minutes drive to the fashionable Seminyak area featuring a fine selection of boutiques, antique shops and some of the highest-quality delicatessen shops and bakeries in Bali.
Incorporating the best of both traditional and modern Balinese style, the living and dining areas open onto lush gardens surrounding an elegant 18m pool. Five large guest suites accommodate up to 14, and feature exquisite Balinese furnishings as well as state of the art entertainment equipment.
Virtually every room in this stunning villa offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, from the verdant rice terraces to palm-fringed river views and spectacular tropical sunsets.
The Villa Surya Damai is primarily a private family house, used very regularly by the owners, however it is available for short-term rental for exclusive holidays.
The Villa is suitable for visitors with or without children and whilst the property is designed with a central living area for all to enjoy, there are sufficient additional living spaces to allow privacy whenever needed.
The spacious Villa Surya Damai contains 5 air-conditioned bedrooms, with comfortable sleeping arrangements for 14 guests. 3 of the rooms contain king-sized, antique 4-poster beds. The remaining 2 rooms each contain 2 oversized twin beds and 2 roll-away beds. The bathrooms are all open air in the Balinese style with outdoor showers and delightful enclosed gardens.
We have 3 TV / DVD / sound-systems together with satellite tv connections to 40 stations as well as extension speakers in the dining room. The systems are located in the master suite’s sitting room, the main living room and the upper verandah. All are of the highest quality and most up-to-date standards, including the latest Bose-lifestyle models and Philips Pixel-plus TV’s.
All rooms feature the highest quality furnishings and curtains, extremely comfortable mattresses, and views across the compound.
The formal dining room accommodates up to 12 people, and an additional informal dining table seats 8-10. The pool deck has 6 sun-loungers and umbrellas to suit. Additional loungers are also available. Last but not least, we have a championship tennis court (hard-court surface).
Villa Maridadi is one of Bali’s very few absolute oceanfront Villas located on a cliff with access to Cemagi Beach . Villa Maridadi is located just beyond the quiet and picturesque Balinese Village of Mengening along a winding village road lined with paddyfields and featuring substantial Balinese Temples and massive Banyan Trees. The villa over looks Cemagi Beach – 15 minutes drive from Le-Meridien (Home to Bali Nirwana Golf Course) Tanah Lot. 30 minutes from seminyak and 45 minutes from Ngurah Rai airport.
