Bali

The Island of Thousand
Temples

Bali island is known by Indonesia people as pulau Dewata (The Island of God). Located only 2km east Java, Bali is famous for its beautiful landscpe. There are lush tropical forests, pristine crater lakes, fast flowing rivers and deep ravines, picturesque rice terrace and fertile vegetable and fruit gardens.

The beaches in the south consist of white sand, beaches in other parts of the island are covered with gray or black volcanic sand. The island of Bali has an area of only 5.632 square kilometers. Actually Bali is small island, but it has everything tourist need, from traditional indigenous culture to modern activities. It is always a paradise for visitor.

Customs and Traditions

The Balinese are Hindu yet their religion is very different from the Indian variety. They do have a caste system, but there are no untouchables and occupation governed by caste. In fact the only thing that reflect the caste system is the language which has 3 tiers, 95% of all the Balinese are Hindu Dharma. The Balinese worship the Hindu trinity Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, who are seen as
manifestations of the supreme God Sanhyang Widhi Wasa. Balinese believe strongly in magic and the power of spirit and much of their religion is based upon this.

They believe that good spirit dwell in the mountains and that the seas are home to demons and ogres. Most villages have at least 3 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 center and 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. Offering 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 shop.