Bali Farmer

The word “subak” was originally found in Kediri-East Java a Hindu Kingdom in 14th century and then brought to Bali by the Hinduism when this Kingdom was conquered by the Moslem and kept until nowadays.

Subak is an organization of farmers in an area where rice fields are located to manage water to irrigate their rice fields, includes water supply, and to build a temple.

The temple (=pura in local language) is called Pura Subak. Every month the subak members will come together in the temple to discuss matters concerning the subak, water supply, the harvest and the celebration of the anniversary day of the subak temple.  They worship Dewi Sri, the rice Goddess. 

Rice Terraces at Jatiluwih

One big dam can be shared by many subaks. The member of subaks depends on how large the water supplies are. The subak regulates the rice planting and the distribution of water needed by the rice field, to maintain the dam and irrigation canals. The good condition of the dam, the canals and the ditches assure the steady flow of the water to the rice fields and that no water will be wasted.

The “ kelian subak” the head of  subak  who elected by the members in democratic way has to decide which part of subak who  plants rice and which part has to plant  the other crops such as : corn, potato, soybean etc due to water condition.

Bali has four lakes, they are: Batur, Bratan, Buyan and Tamblingan from where the water flows especially to the south part of the island: Tabanan, Badung, Gianyar, Klungkung, and Bangli regencies. While the north and east part are dry, they are: Buleleng and Karangasem regions. There are thousands of subaks in Bali.

Rice Terraces

One of the tourist attractions in Bali is the rice terrace. The beauty of rice terraces is caused by Subak organization who attracts the members to have terracing from mountain, as high as possible as long as the water is there. On dry soil they plants corns, sweet potatoes, peanuts, beans, and other plants that need not much water.  To keep the top soil on its place terraced rice field have artistically carved lines as dikes that enhance the beauty of country side.

Periodically, usually every 5 or 10 years after a good harvest, subak of the district organizes a “ Nusaba Nini” a big celebration or thanks giving that usually lasts for at least three days, takes place  in a Pura Bale Agung, a village temple with a large and long  “ bale”, a building of wood. They decorate granaries and invite the Goddess of all subak temples and rice Goddess of all farmers to be in Bale Agung and stay there for the duration of the festival. It will be a parade with colorful symbols, dresses and offerings in the village. You can also find a “Subak Museum” located in Tabanan regency.  Subak Museum keeps any kind of utensils relationship with activities of farmer in Bali. In this place you can learn how and why the “Subak” organization is very important in Bali.

Temple

On 26th March 2009, Balinese Hindus will be celebrated Nyepi Day. I hope you can spend 2 minutes to read this story from the Island of Thousand Temples

On Nyepi Day at early morning of……(around 01.00AM) the lamp in the road will be turn –off. It sign that NYEPI will be coming soon. Nyepi means quite. On Nyepi, Hindu,s are suggested to fast and regret on their mistakes during a year.  It is actually dedicated to introspection which is well-known as “Holy Meditation Day”, therefore the people must be able to bridle its desire.

In Hindu teach, there are 4 prohibitions that people must obey and done during Nyepi:

• First, people are prohibited to go out the street, therefore during 24 hours starting from 06.00 AM, there will be no flight from and to Bali, no cars, bicycles, and motor bikes drive on the street, no people walk along the street, EXCEPT the traditional Balinese guards (Pecalang) who will patrol the streets to ensure that Nyepi silence is not disturbed.
• Second, people are prohibited to turn on the television, radio or tape-record, no light and fire, therefore mothers and daughters have to cook at early morning for preparing their meals during 24 hours ( for those who can not fast due to any circumstances).
• Third, people are prohibited to get drunk or doing opposite activities of the Hindu’Teach. Therefore, some of them have their meditation in family temple in the house or just sit and read Religion Teach in the house.
• Fourth, people are prohibited to work such as washing, sweeping, cooking, etc. Therefore they have to do those jobs the day before.

These strict guidelines are not enforced to those who stay at the hotel. The Tourists will be free to persue normal indoor activities make use of the pool area and stroll the garden, as they are in hotel property. However, the beaches will be closed. During the day the Hinduism will also pray for the world. Please remember……..every NYEPI day there will be NO flight operation IN and OUT the Island.

Ngaben is one of Hindu’s great ceremony in Bali where the corpse is burnt, accompanied by holly songs and offerings. Hindu’s believe that ngaben will return the soul of a dead person to their abode in heaven or send the dead through a transition to his next life. Ngaben is also a form of a respect to their parents by releasing the soul from worldly attachment. Families that conduct ngaben ceremony generally try not to cry at the grave yard since they believe that tears would only incommode the deceased journey to their eternal abode.

 How to counduct a Ngaben?

Few days before the climax ceremony, the family would consult the “dewasa” (good day) to a priest to determine the proper day to conduct this ceremony. The process began by built a stage as a place for nyiramin (bathing the corpse), made a lembu (a buffalo shaped sarcophagus where the corpse will be put into and burnt) and wadah (temple structure made of paper, bamboo and light wood). This lembu will be carried to the village grave yard in a procession.

Before climax ceremony, all family members will give their last respect and begun to pray in order the deceased will somehow get a better place in heaven. Afterward the corpse will be put into wadah and carried to graveyard, followed by flock of people and gamelan (Balinese traditional music) and “kidung suci” (holy mantra). In front of the wadah, there will be placed a long piece of  kasa (white cloth) heading the ways of the deceased soul to reach their eternal abode.

Ever past T-junction or crossroad, wadah will be turned clockwise three times in order the soul will not return to his or her home. Arrive at the graveyard, the corpse then will transferred to lembu, followed by mantra chanting by the priest and the lembu will be burnt and it ash carried to sea or river. When all ceremony had been completed, the deceased considered as ancestor, who believed will reincarnate into their family. 

Thank you for spending your valuable time to read my story. You can share this story with your family, friends and your clients if you wish.

Denpasar-BALI, 2 March 2009.

In every villages in Bali, we can easily find line of decorated bamboo pool called “Penjor” which plated and stand beautifully in front of each houses.

In the morning at that day, there are women, men and children all in Balinese traditional dress walk on the street to go to their temple. The women bring offering called “Pajegan” contains of different and colorful fruits, cakes, coconut leaf and flowers which is arranged in a stack about 1 meter high and  put on  their head. When they arrived in the temple, they will pray together lead by the Hindu’s Priest called “Pemangku”.

After finishing they will go back to their own home and to gather with all members of extended family. The members of family and friends who are Moslem, Buddhist and Christian will pay a visit to their Hindus family and together will enjoy Balinese cookies.

Balinese employee will have holidays today. Most of business offices will close their offices. However, Hotels, Restaurants, Travel Agencies will still operate. They have their customers to serve.

Travelers will be going around to take pictures or travel as normal as the other days. But they will be informed that the Hinduism are celebrating their Thanks Giving Day.

Playing kite is very popular in younger generation, because of the power and sense of friendship in which be formed kite player group (sekaa layangan).  Now days, playing kite is expending, children and younger boy played this kite as hobbies, besides as culture preservation.

The meaning of playing kite full of religious valve and society life of Balinese people, and this can we see from the symbol of “Sang Hyang Rare Angon” as the god of wind.

It made a special interesting for the tourist, as an attraction to Tanah Lot especially and Bali generally.

Regarding of the “Tanah Lot Kites Festival 2008” we are honored to invite you to visit this event and spend memorable three days to enjoy the festival with Tanah Lot Temple backgrounds one of famous destination in the islands of paradise, Bali.

The theme of Tanah Lot Kites Festival 2008 is “Flying for Peace” and with new brand “Giant Kites Show”, and this festival will take place 4 days.

Registration Kites : July 28th 2008 to August 28th 2008 at Tanah Lot Office
Day / Date             : September 12,  until 14
Venue                     : Tanah Lot Bali

The type of kite, as follows :
Bebean
It have the form of fish, as a symbol of property, in which fish is important for our life either for ceremony or daily needed for our meal, and there are abundant in our surrounding either at the sea, river, on the lake even the rice field.

Janggan
It’s a special kite, with a long tail about 200m and it has a special colour : red, black, white (Tri Datu), in Hindu religions as a symbol of “Benawang Nala/Naga Besuki” which is mean the equilibrium of the universe.

Pecukan
This kite has form like a carved, as a symbol of positive and negative (good and bad) but they should be needed each other and together making unity forever.

New Creation
It has a special form, which is adjust to the owner to developing their idea, creativity and innovation.

For further information :
Office : Parking Area of Tanah Lot Tourism Object Bali
Phone/Fax :  +62 361 880361  / 880362
Website : www.tanahlot.net
Email : info@tanahlot.net
   
     
Best regards,
Tanah Lot Bali

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Penglipuran village is well-known for its tidy row of traditional Balinese entrance gates and its unique architectural traditions. The words Penglipuran’ is drived from the words “Pengeling Pura” means a holy place for remembering their ancestors. It is reasonable since their ancestors came from Bayung Gede village, still In Kintamani district. Since from Bayung Gede to Penglipuran is quite along distance there fore the people of Penglipuran, established the same temple as the temple In Bayung Gede.

We can drow conclusion from this matter that the people of Penglipuran is still remembering their origin. Another opinion stated that Penglipuran is derived from the word “Penglipuran” means relaxation since on the royal period this place was a good spot for resting place.This village has cultural potency which is up to the present time still well preserved in the from of traditional Balinese buildings; which differentiate this village from others.The population is 743 person, most of them are farmers and just few as civil servants. Dances and handicrafts are well developed in this remote village.

Members of the “Desa Adat” village institution have played a consistent role from generation to generation in this preservation since they have a strong commitment to the system of “ayahan desa” - a philosophy committed to respecting the land on which the village stands. A portion of the “desa adat” are known as “krama pengarep”, or privileged members. Each of them is given an eight-acre house yard, 40-acres of agricultural land, 70-acres of bamboo forest, 60-acres of riverside irrigation, and 25-acres of rice field.

I hope above story will add your reference before visiting our beautiful Island of Bali. If you wish you can share this story to your family, friends and your collegues. Thank you for reading my story.

The great annual Bali Art Festival 2008 will be on 14th June –12th July 2008 and take places in Art Centre at Denpasar the capital city of Bali province. The Bali Arts Festival is more then a month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions and other related cultural and commercial activities during which literally the whole of Bali comes to the city to present its offerings of dance, music and beauty.

On display are trances from remote mountain slopes, forgotten or recently revived village dances, food and offering contests, classical palace dances, stars of Balinese stage, odd musical performances, “kreasi baru” (new creations) from the dance schools of Denpasar, as well as contemporary choreography and dance companies from other islands and from abroad.

Each year the Bali Arts Festival, beside the perform classical dances of the island, such as the legong, gambuh, kecak, barong, baris, mask dances and the like, is based on the theme around which new “dance choreography” is produced and old village dances and activities revived. Over the years, the whole range of classical Balinese stories - Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sutasoma, Panji - have thus been turned into “colossal” Sendratari Ballets.

It begins in the villages, where the sekaa or cultural groups are selected and organized at the regency level, vie with each other to perform the Arts Festival and thus display in front of a large audience the uniqueness of their village of birth and resting place of their ancestors.

The Bali Arts Festival is the Denpasar cultural event of the year, perhaps it would no be too far fetched to suggest that it is the cultural event of Indonesia. The festival is thus a unique opportunity to see local village culture both “live” and at first hand. Tourists are warmly welcomed.

If you are interested in having Bali Art Festival, why you do not come this year?

Bintang Flores Hotel

“Bintang” mean star. Yes, Bintang Flores Hotel will be a stars in Flores Island. This is the only four-stars hotel in this area. This hotel will be a place truly make you filled with very interesting and memorable experience.

One of the superb qualities of this hotel located on the Pede beach in Labuan Bajo Flores near the Komodo Airport. All of its rooms are designed to face the Flores Strait. There are 59 deluxe rooms and two suites. A transparent elevator serves access to the room from where the guest can savor the beauty of the surrounding natural panorama.

The Bintang Flores Hotel is a five-storey hotel set in a spacious tropical garden. Drawing on Indonesian architectural influences with a large swimming pool and private white-sand beach, the hotel will offer complete water-sports facilities in a protected environment suitable for families.

Today, I come to you with a story of religions and each believers who are all Balinese leave in harmony in a community or some of them are in a family. There are about 90% Hindus, 5% are Christian, 3% are Moslem and another 2% are Buddhist. Most of them are originally Balinese, some are Javanese, Flores, Timor, Sumba, Sumatra, Celebes, Irian Jaya who were born in BALI or leave in this Island for years.

Hindu was the oldest religion in the whole country of Indonesia includes BALI, brought into these islands about 3000 years ago by our ancestors from South East of Hindia, it might be today are: Yunan-China, Burma, Laos, Cambodia,  Vietnam  who rafted or boating via Mekong River to the Hindia Ocean and spread into islands which is now called Indonesia. In 12 (twelve) century there were most of Gujarat traders came to Indonesia who brought Moslem Religion, and in 16 (sixteen) century the Portuguese came into Indonesia who brought Catholic believe  while the Protestant believe followed in 19 century. 

When the Hindu Kingdoms in Java were finally conquered by the Moslem Kingdom, especially in East Java, many of the Hindus did not want to be Moslem, therefore they ran away, some to the mountains and some to the east, cross the ocean and reached BALI island, finally decided to leave there. But Moslem Kingdom still tried to conquered BALI, therefore there are some villages on the North and West of BALI today where we can find some Moslem villages.

Christian came into BALI in 19 century and have the followers in the villages near by Denpasar such as  the villages of  Dalung, Tuka, Tangeb, Bukbuk  and on  west part of BALI where a district called Palasari which is become  the center of Catholic Religion while Malaya as the center of Protestant.

Although they are Moslem and some of them they are Christian but they still use Balinese name  such as; Wayan, Made, Nyoman, Ketut as the first name then followed by Moslem name like Mohammad, Dahlan, Imron or Christian name like: Wayan Stephanus Wirya, Putu Paulus Ishwara, Ni Putu Maria Sumarni, Ni Made Christina Sasih and others.

The Christian Churches also have some ornaments, carvings and decoration which similar in the Hindu Temple since they are Balinese and their ancestors were Hinduism. How is about Buddhist? Their ancestors were in BALI at the same time with those who are Hinduism. We can find the fact that in Goa Gajah – the Elephant Cave in Bedulu nearby Ubud there is a cave which was used both by Hindu followers and Buddhist followers for meditation. There are Buddha Statues can be found near by the cave. Some Buddhist believers are Chinese descendant.

Well, I think I already took 5 minutes from you. Please continue your work. Thank you for reading this story. You can share this story with your family, friends and your clients if you wish.