Let’s meet the Balinese

37 Flares Facebook 3 Twitter 3 Google+ 29 Pin It Share 1 StumbleUpon 1 37 Flares ×

Bali invokes memories of enticing beaches, rejuvenating massages, the freshest seafood, coconutty curries, magnificent temples, rice fields and the most beautifully radiant people. Bali tourism has been on whirlwind spree the last couple of years; especially after Julia Roberts found love (read the effortlessly suave, almost exotic, dimpled Javier Bardem) on these very islands in a moment of celluloid glory. Eating out in Bali is a luxurious experience and Bali nightlife can get very exciting, especially around the Kuta beach area.

Rather than being influenced by the strong surge of tourists, Bali has stuck to its traditions and culture and ended up influencing the visitors instead. They are an interesting, fun lot and are, not very surprisingly, quite similar to us Indians. A lot of their quirky culture stuff seems to be in tune with our very own. Here are 11 interesting, quirky culture facts about Bali.

Quirky Culture Stuff

The Balinese are predominantly a Hindu community, but their Hinduism is a different strain than the one practiced in India. The Agama Hindu Dharma, although originally from India is a blend of Hindu, Buddhist and ancient Javanese Animist ideologies.
There are over 10,000 temples on the relatively small island.
The Balinese believe that good spirits reside in the mountains while the sea shelters the demons.
A majority of their art & craft are inspired by stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
There are four primary castes – Sudras, Wesyas, Satrias and Pedanas. This is very similar to the Indian caste system; however, caste is relatively unimportant to the Balinese.
The Balinese cockfight is one of the most deep rooted traditions on the island. The amount of money and status involved in these brief fights can be described as the Balinese comment on themselves. Just like in India, it is illegal in Bali too.
Balinese children are named according to their order in the family; Wayan for the first born, Made for the second, Nyoman for the third and Ketut for the fourth. The names are repeated for more than four children.
In traditional Balinese culture, it was common for a set of twins of the opposite sex to marry each other. The standard anthropological explanation of this custom is based in explications of the conflicts between descent and affinity in Balinese society.
Life in Bali is very communal, people live together in large extended families.
The break out into song and dance whenever possible. All festivals and religious gatherings involve some form of celebratory song and dance.
Everything, however small, has a ritual or ceremony attached to it. For example, when a child is born or when a girl hits puberty, there is a full blown ceremony including all members of the community.

Understanding their way of life will go a long way in helping you interact with the Balinese, with any people actually. The best time to visit Bali is during the cooler months between May and August.

Bio
Latest Posts

Shivangi Rajendran

As the newest member of the content team, Shivangi Rajendran comes from the world of professional dancing. With a passion for travel and a flair for writing, the Masters in Mass Communication is just an added advantage. A gypsy at heart, she doesn’t believe in planning and is always ready to pack her bags and leave.