Bali Travel News

History in a Balinese Looking-Glass

Most of what we know about Bali’s traditional kingdoms comes from the Balinese themselves. Scores of masked dance dramas, fanilly chronicles and temple rituals focus on great figures and events of the Balinese past. In such accounts, the broad oufline of Bali’s history from the 12th up to the 18th centuries is an epic tale of the coming of great men to power. These were the royal and priestly founders of glorious dynasties — some mad, some fearsome, some lazy and some proud
— who together with their retainers and family members determined the fate of Bali’s kingdoms, as well as shaping the situation and status of the island’s piesent-day inhabitants.

It is possible to see the Balinese as both indifferent to history and yet utterly obsessed by it. Indifferent because they are not very interested in the “what happened and why” that make up what we know as history, while at the same time they are obsessed by stories concerning their own illustrious ancestors.

Read the rest of this entry »

‘Say it with flowers’ is a common expression we often hear in day-to-day life. For instance, congratulations or condolences or the recovery from illness is communicated through flower bouquets or flower arrangements. These expressions do not only represent collective messages for the respective conditions above but they can also convey a private one. A boy expresses his love to his fiancée by presenting her with a rose bud. It does not necessarily mean that the boy or giver is dumb or speechless.

The Kamiga Agama in Gurudeva says that “offering of perfumed substances, flowers, incense, lamps and fresh fruit - these are the five elements of the traditional puja….” At least, this intends to affirm the significance of the flower as one of the important elements in traditional worship. Behind the beautiful look and scented fragrance, flowers have semiotic meaning to convey sincerity or deepest respect to the intended recipient pursuant to a particular condition. In Balinese life, flowers have become an inseparable part of daily life and have been introduced in the earliest stages in the passage of life. When a baby is born it is welcomed by oblation and this always contains assorted flowers. Hindus in Bali celebrate a good few days of offering. They make offering every three days, seven days, fifteen days, monthly, six monthly and incidentally. Similarly, they present daily simple offerings.

Read the rest of this entry »