Articles tagged ‘Religion’
Islam wasn’t sharp enough to convert the Balinese
By Nick | October 9th, 2006 |Bali is a Hindu island in the middle of a predominately Muslim country. At one stage much of Indonesia was Hindu and the Majapahit empire, was eventually taken over , in 1515, by the Muslim Mataram empire. Why was Bali not taken over and how did it stay Hindu, when islands to the east, including [...]
Balinese ceremony at Pura Petitenget in Seminyak Bali
By Nick | October 7th, 2006 |Pura Petitenget is located in Seminyak, where Jl. Petitenget meets the beach. This afternoon there was a Balinese ceremony going on there. Skies were slightly darkened, but a gazebo structure was set up to give people shade.
Tumpek Landep: Blessing metal objects in Bali
By Nick | October 1st, 2006 |My return route took me through Penebel, back to Tabanan. On that main road I saw many small roadside ceremonies, with a priest sitting crossed legged in front of locals and vehicle. Outside one temple I stopped to photo a group of motorbikes.
Popular and less trafficked Temple sites: Pura Luhur Uluwatu
By Nick | September 28th, 2006 |Visiting a temple, particularly one that is a having a ceremony, or a special dance performance, is on of the special aspects of visiting Bali. One temple that occupies a unique location, and that is accessible to tourists, is Pura Luhur Uluwatu, on the Bukit peninsula.
Start of Ramadan in Bali
By Nick | September 24th, 2006 |Today is the first day of Ramadan in Bali. This morning at 3.30am, Ika’s brother called to tell her, and ask her if she was fasting. Ika is still breast feeding so she will not be fasting this time around.
Popular and less trafficked Temple sites: Pura Rambut Siwi
By Nick | September 21st, 2006 |Pura Rambut Siwi is one of the coastal temples in Bali and is perched on a cliff in the west of the island. It is not however one of the 9 ‘kayangan jagat’ or directional temples that protect Bali from evil spirits in all directions. The temple was founded in the 16th Century by a [...]
Nyepi: The Balinese Day of Silence
By Nick | September 6th, 2006 |‘Nyepi‘ day, the Icaka New Year, the day of absolute silence, no activity is done, no amusement is held, no fire is lit along the day & night. The day of fasting & self-introspecting, the entire island is just like being deserted during the day.
For people not familiar with the ceremonial schedule in Bali, [...]
Balinese Catholics relate to God as Balinese
By Nick | September 5th, 2006 |Bali is a Hindu island in a Muslim country. Here in Bali you can find many mosques (masjid) and churches. In west Bali there are 2 villages Palasari (catholic) and Belimbingsari (protestant), so far there has been no trouble between the 2 villages.
Indian professor brings Bali and India together
By Nick | September 1st, 2006 |Bali owes a lot of its cultural heritage to India. Buddhism and Hinduism both came from India, via Java. Barrie could write a book on how the religions spread and influenced the greater culture and daily life. To this day, the caste system still exists in Bali, though not in the restrictive way it does [...]
Popular and less trafficked Temple sites: Goa Lawah
By Nick | August 25th, 2006 |Goa Lawah means ‘bat cave‘ in Balinese, and in Bali, Goa lawah is a famous tourist attraction, as well as a place of religious importance to the Balinese people. The temple was founded in 1007, by Empu Kuteran. Though the temple is small, it is considered very auspicious and is one of the 9 kayangan [...]
