Bali- Things to do
Travel has always excited me as I get to learn different cultures and traditions.
I was surprised at the closeness of traditions between Kerala (India) and Bali.
In the Balinese architecture the entrance gate is similar to the 'Padipura vathil' (Entrance gate) of traditional Kerala houses (tharavadu).
Each family has a family Deity Temple within the compound of their houses so much like the 'Paradevatta' (Family Deity) in Kerala tradition. I had a chance to witness the ceremonial procession on 'Kunningan Festival' which is similar to the temple festivals in Kerala.
The difference is that Balinese lion is taken on procession. Traditionally dressed men holding bright yellow temple umbrellas and women carrying a bowl of fruits and other
offerings on their head lead the procession. Ladies waited with offerings of fruits in front
of their houses when the procession passed by their houses. The decorations are made
of tender coconut leaves.
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| The Kecak Ramayana & Fire Dance |
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| Kecak Ramayana & Fire Dance |
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| Devi Sita & Lord Rama in Kecak Ramayana Dance |
The Kecak Ramayana & Fire Dance at Uluwatu is similar to "Lanka Dehanam" in Kathakali, a dance form of Kerala.
We stayed in Sanur Paradise Plaza Suite. Ideal resort for a family of four. Sanur has its beach, shopping mall, spa, eateries etc.
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| Ikan Bakar at Jimbaran |
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| Pandang Food at Natrabu |
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| Besakih Temple |
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| Besakih Temple on the slopes of Mt .Agung |
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| Goa Lawah Temple Bali is a land of temples. The bat cave temple, Goa Lawah Temple, has a cave dwelt by thousands of bats. |
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Mt Batur |
The mother of temples, Besakih Temple is located on the slopes of Mt Agung. Mt Agung is a stratovolcano erupted in 1963-64 and still active. Kintamani is an hour drive from Besakih Temple where you can capture the spectacular view of crater lake and Mt Batur.
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| Tedung in Pura Ulun Danu Batur Temple |
The Balinese practices Hinduism of Vedic periods of India and a mix of animistic practices. So are their practice of Varnashrama. Varnashrama, the caste system, according to the Vedas or the Bhagawat Gita (Chapter 18-Slokha-41 to 44) are the four different types or nature of people. We can see some people who have strong desire to learn or to attain knowledge, who are into spiritualism, such people are categorised as 'Brahman'. There are people who are very strategic about everything in their lives, who are practicing the rituals, they belong to the 'Kshatriya'. The third category is the business minded people, they are good at any trade they do, who live in the pleasures of sense organs or they are more materialistic, they fall into 'Vaishyas'. The fourth varna is the 'Shudras', who are the emotional people, who are too attached to worldly things. They are usually very sentimental and depended on others. Whichever category one is, we should realise that the mind is within a 'Supreme Power' and we should strive to maintain a mind that is at peace with the inner self.
Balinese pray to 'Sanghyang Widi Wasa'. God, to them, has no form, the creator- Lord Brahma, preserver- Lord Vishnu and destroyer- Lord Shiva are represented in the form of red, black & white checkered, white and yellow coloured temple umbrellas-"tedung". Tedung means 'to guard' in Balinese language. According to Bhagawat Gita and Upanishads, Idol worship is for people to get the initial concentration for meditation, once the mind can get the thoughts cleared and able to connect to the deep silence, no more should Idols be worshiped. Varnashrama or the caste system is not practiced rigidly in Bali. About 2000 years ago there was no caste system practiced in India, according to the latest study by Harvard Medical School and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India. In schools, children chant Saraswati (Hindu Goddess of Knowledge) Mantras, Gayatri Mantras and the practice of chanting Sandhya Namah (Evening prayer) is prevalent.
On the drive back from Tabanan, we happened to see a funeral taking place. According to the Balinese belief, the cremation is done on an auspicious day. Till the auspicious day, the dead body is buried and later exhumed for cremation. Auspicious day for the ceremony could be on the same day or may even be a month later. Ladies go to the cremation sites for rituals, unlike the Hindu practices in India.
Another Balinese ritual is that a child of 11-13 years have their upper canine filed down symbolizing the effacing of one's wild nature. It is a coming of age ritual.
Ubud is popular for it's terraced rice fields.
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| Terraced Rice Fields |
Balinese are renowned for their artistic and craft skills.
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| Arjuna |
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| Ghatotkacha-Karna War |
Mas Main Road houses many Art Gallery. Celuk is famous for gold silver crafting. No holiday is complete without an adventure sport. Bali hosts beautiful coral reefs and scuba diving is a breathtaking experience. I had gone for scuba diving at Nusa Dua. The underwater world is so beautiful that I felt that the time had ceased and honestly, I didn't really want to come up..... Most water sports are at Nusa Dua.
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| Scuba Diving at Nusa Dua |
We had visited the Turtle island, where they breed different species of turtle. We even got to see a nonagenarian turtle out there. There were owls and snakes too. May be it's a bit weird for some but we took a photo with snake around our neck. We carried baby turtles in our palms. Another indulgence which you would not like to give off is the therapeutic hot spring jacuzzi at Yeh Panes Hot Springs Resort at Tabanan. Spectacular view of sea lashing at the cliffs of Uluwatu is indeed picturesque. Bali like any tourist destination is getting dearer but it's a beautiful place with wonderful sculptures and has a uniqueness of its own.
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| Beach at Jimbaran |
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