Shopping in Bali

Virtually everybody comes to Bali to shop, and even if shopping wasn’t the ultimate aim, you’ll still end up with fascinating and irresistible buys. Go on a spree around the island to each of its characteristic areas, which can offer great bargains with the best selection of arts and crafts, textiles and common knick-knacks from the outbacks.

Here we’ll list some of the highlighted playgrounds in which to test your cunning ‘bargainism’. Let’s start off with the center, the city of Denpasar. The capital of Bali, Denpasar, actually shouts out the local jargon for ‘market’ in its name.

Batik and traditional textile varieties, souvenirs and miscellany, and tropical fruit — taste and enjoy these while on holiday here!

The largest traditional market, Pasar Badung, is the central trading playground of the island, where all the harvests of fruits and vegetables, as well as crafts and utensils for the locals’ daily needs can be found. Across the Badung River, is its sister, Pasar Kumbasari, mostly selling wares of low turnover such as clothing, souvenirs and household tidbits, but the market stalls are currently being rebuilt due to a recent fire.

The major road at front of these markets is called Jalan Gajah Mada, where various shops and restaurants reside, but each has very uncertain opening hours. From the busy parking lot of the Pasar Badung, access is via the one-way Jalan Sulawesi, where traditional dokar horse carriages park while waiting to transport sellers and their wares. Here you’ll find bargains on fabrics, from brocade to batik, established by generations of trading Gujarati and Persian merchants.

Down south against the traffic, Jalan Hasanudin has the notorious array of gold and silver traders, most frequented by locals busy in their simple investments. Little old ladies on stools holding bags and purses of their ‘freelance’ trade have become a common scene in front of these shops.

Close by, near the Puputan civic center or alun-alun, is Pasar Satriya, the pet and bird market. Although there have been significant government official confiscations of protected species, and though you might not want (and be able to) purchase them yourself, the sights and sounds of the various fauna sold here gives you an idea of the locals’ favored pets.

The shopping center in Sanur can be found on Jalan Danau Tamblingan, where the situation is similar to Kuta’s ‘Pasar Seni’ but with very few hawkers. An array of boutiques and restaurants line this road.

If Jalan Hasanudin didn’t please you, head off onto the bypass towards the Celuk and Mas area. These are two famed areas for gold and silver. The artisans are well known for their quality and various designs, and many brands have been cultivated from the local craftsmanship and expertise.

Before reaching there you will pass the Batubulan area as you enter the Gianyar border, a road trip that pleases the eye with lineups of amazing stone sculptures of various shapes and sizes, traditional and modern. Stop by to admire the results of the craftsman’s artistic skills.

Sukawati is popular for its Art Market, and it has had this reputation for ages. Being chock-full of arts and crafts in great variety, it is thus the ultimate bargaining playground. Ubud on the other hand is rather high-end, full of fine arts with an international standard and home to ‘big name’ galleries.

Up in Tegalalang, the roadside is alive with various woodcarvings that seem to change with the season, so remember the road scene here this time and try to recall the different collections on your next trip a month later. Bona is the village and home to the bamboo craftsmen. The products range from bamboo furniture to mats and wind chimes.

Far away to the east, visit the village of Kamasan in the regency of Klungkung, where painting styles with natural pigments are typical here, earning the reputation of the ‘Kamasan style’. For an historical perspective, view them at the Kertagosa Hall of Justice in the center of town. Also in this regency are the famed works of brass and copper from the village of Tihingan, producers of the island’s finest gamelan instruments and metalwork souvenirs.

Zooming across to the west, the Kapal main road is aligned with shops selling traditional housing materials, temple and shrine pieces, and garden statuettes. Nearby is the island’s main cattle market, selling mostly livestock and farming tools.

Get out of the mundane mall, and if you’ve had enough of those Paris designer labels ask your hotel tour desk for a driver and go shop in the island’s more interesting regions. And while you’re at it, mind your cash.

Bali : Island of Spa's

Bali really has become the Spa capital of Asia, if not the world! In Bali almost every hotel, no matter how many stars it may have, has its own spa. Before your book your hotel for your next Bali holiday, check here to see what spa facilities they have to offer, and what other alternatives there are in the immediate area.

Bali has long been recognised for its natural beauty and elegant charm, be it by way of its terraced rice fields, white sand beaches, majestic volcanic mountains or the smiles that beam from swaying dancers to the beat of a ‘gamelan’. So much that makes up Bali is in some way connected to a form of aesthetics; dance, music, art, crafts, architecture, religion, cookery and ritualistic beauty. On the top of many a spas list is the ‘Balinese Massage’; a massage that anoints a locally prepared oil of a tropical, fragrant flower that is swept, rubbed and gently pressed into the skin; until total relaxation is achieved in hushed moans of appreciation.

Body Massage has been a part of the Balinese culture for many centuries. Most Balinese men go for what they call a Bali Massage [kerok], on a regular basis. For a Westerner it would be rather a horrific experience as coins and small wooden balls are used to scrape and rub up, down and across the person’s back. Often upon completion the entire skin surface is one enormous bruise from the bleeding that has been caused under the skin by this strange form of massage. The Balinese love it!

Traditional salons have existed in Bali for many generations, offering treatments that heal most ailments from sexual impotence to acne. These salons still exist in every corner of the island, offering massage, cream baths, lulur exfoliation treatments, manicure, pedicure and many more. They are extremely popular with the locals and more recently with visitors.

As word of these wonderful, natural treatments spread, some of the more exclusive hotels began to include them in their spa plans. The idea has now come full circle and professional spa consultants are creating world class facilities that owe much to the local culture.

The Spas of Bali offer many different massages [Balinese, Indonesian, Thai, Swedish, Shiatsu from Japan and Lomi-Lomi from Hawaii], body wraps, polishes and scrubs [including the Royal Javanese Lulur and the Balinese Boreh], Chinese Reflexology and many Ayurvedic styles of treatment. Advanced spas offer Colon Hydrotherapy and personal treatments such as Vaginal Smoking. In the Ubud area some spas offer Craniosacral Therapy and other Healing treatments.

Ceremonies

For the Balinese sacrifices are as means of communication with God in His various manifestations.

There are five kinds of the religious scarifies called PANCA YADNYA they are :

1. DEWA YADNYA: The scarifies which is held at the community of family temple, and is designed to ask God for his blessings.

a. Odalan (temples festival)

b. Galungan and Kuningan

c. Saraswati

2. PITRA YADNYA: The scarifies which is dedicated for the benefit of the ancestral souls. When a person dies while his family is not able yet to carry out the cremation, the body is buried, with the head in the direction of either the mountain or the rising sun. As soon as the means are available to hold the cremation, the body is dug up again.

a. Memukur

3. MANUSIA YADNYA: The scarifies related to the human life cycle from birth to adulthood, such as tooth filing, religious thanksgiving meals for unborn, wedding ceremonies.

a. Pegedong-gedongan : Six months after conception

b. Pedapetan : Birth ceremonies

c. Kepus Pungsed : The umbilical cord falls off

d. Ngelepas Hawon: Twelve days after birth

e. Tutug Kambuhan : Forty-two days after birth

f. Telubulanin : Three months (105 days) after birth

g. Otonan : Six months (210 days) after birth

h. Ngempungin : Adult teeth begin to appear

i. Maketus Gigi :Last milk tooth fall out

j. Munggah daa/teruna : Puberty

k. Mapandes : Tooth filing

l. Pawiwahan : Marriage

m. Pawintenan : Purification for study

n. Potong Gigi ( Tooth filing ceremony)

o. Ngaben (Cremation ceremony)

4. RESI YADNYA: an offering or sacrifices for holy persons.

5. BUTA YADNYA: The sacrifices for all the creatures in the universe in order to attain harmony.

Tooth Filing (Potong Gigi)

Tooth Filing is belonging to the Manusa Yadnya (ceremony for humans).

Called 'Mapandes' in High Balinese, 'Metatah' in Common Balinese.

The reason for filing is to control evil human characteristics (Sad Ripu): greed, lust, anger, confusion, stupidity, jealousy, ill-will, and intoxication by either passion or drunkenness. This important life-cycle event usually occurs when a Balinese boy or girl reaches puberty-at a girl's first menstruation, when a boy's voice changes. If not then, it must definitely take place before marriage; sometimes filing is incorporated into the marriage ceremony. After filing, a father's duties to his female children are generally regarded as complete.

Before a cremation the teeth of a cadaver may be filed. Why? Pointed teeth are likened to those of ferocious witches, demons, wild animals, savages, or, almost as bad, dogs. A person's canine teeth, regarded by the Balinese as animalistic fangs (Caling), are filed flat so the child may become fully human, able to reign in the emotions. It's believed a Balinese may be denied entrance into heaven if the teeth are not filed because s/he might be mistaken for a wild creature. In the old days the teeth of adolescents were also blackened with betel nut to distinguish them from the white teeth of animals.

'Mapandes' is a costly affair; invitations must be issued, musicians are hired, the fee of the 'Pedanda' is paid, elaborate offerings are carried out, and a banquet is prepared for guests and villagers. Because of the great expense, it may be delayed until enough money has been saved. A number of families may participate in a mass tooth filing in order to share costs, or it may be held simultaneously with some other costly ceremony such as a cremation or wedding. The 'Banjar' often determines that financial help should be extended to the lower castes to enable them to participate. To view the maximum pomp and ritual, attend a tooth filing ceremony sponsored by a Brahman family, where as many as 14 people may participate and expenses could top Rp.35 million.

Tooth filing represents the evening out of the extreme and 'Kasar' (rough) aspects of one's personality as one enters adulthood. Tooth filing also adds the person of the six evil animal passions that Balinese believe everyone possesses to some degree: laziness (alus), love of sensual pleasures (raga), love of luxury and splendor (dewasa), love of worldly goods (tresna), in difference (indra), and resoluteness (baja). Though representatives from each caste are in the tooth filing ceremony, a girl of the lower caste will be asked to lie on a platform at a lower level than her upper-caste sisters, and she wears less lavish ceremonial clothing. The most important event of adolescence, Balinese endure it with not a sound of complaint. After the filing, youths of all castes can go on to lead healthy, well-adjusted lives as a part of Ball's tightly knit family, clan, community and society.

Filing is scheduled on an auspicious day and performed by a specialist Brahman priest on a special platform. For the occasion makeshift bamboo shrines with gay, colorful offerings of rice, sweet cakes, flowers, and fruits are erected within the compound. All attendees dress in traditional clothing and the customary white cardboard box of snacks and bottle of sweetened tea is handed to all that enter.

Having spent the previous two or three nights praying while confined in bale built for the occasion within the high-caste family's compound, from two to 100 initiates are assembled, dressed in white and yellow to signify holiness. Girls wear precious 'kemben' (breast cloth), the finest the family can afford, with garments as ornate as those of legong dancers. Boys wear a 'songket' from the armpits to the knees, a 'kris' protruding from a yellow sash in the back.

The ceremony begins with the 'pedanda' sprinkling holy water and blessing the group with mantras. Offerings are placed before the gods of sexual love. The initiates lie down on the richly draped bamboo platform wide-eyed and frightened, clutching their pillows as close relatives ring around. Incense is lit, mouthwash placed at the ready, files and whetstones blessed to cleanse them and render the operation painless. Magic symbols (aksara) are inscribed on the teeth.

The "dentist" (sangging) first places a small cylinder of sugarcane in the corners of the mouth to prop the jaws open and prevent gagging. The front two upper canines are filed so they're even with the upper incisors; it's important to affect an even line of short teeth. The actual filing requires about five to 10 minutes. A mirror is provided to allow the patient to observe the progress of the ritual. Filings are spit into a yellow coconut. Tears may roll down their cheeks, but the files seldom cry out.

Sometimes members of the family sing a 'kekawin' about Arjuna, the brave young hero of the Mahabharata epic, to bolster the spirits of their loved ones, someone else may recite Kawi translated into vernacular Balinese. To lighten the atmosphere, the 'sangging' may joke with the file as he files.

After consulting with his girlfriend, wife, or mother, a boy may decide he still possesses too much animalist and lie back down on the bed for more filing. Occasionally, there are requests for just a few token, symbolic strokes of the file.

When the filing is finished, the astringent betel pepper leaf (base) is rubbed on the ends of the teeth, and then the 'pedanda' places various other soothing, healing tinctures on the end of the initiate's tongues. The coconut shell receptacle of filing debris and saliva is then buried behind the ancestral shrine lest it be occupied by evil spirits.

 

 

 

Balinese Goddess of Rice and Prosperity

The Balinese worship Dewi (’goddess’) Sri as the goddess of rice and prosperity. They even devote special places of worship for her and dedicate a special day for her each month called ‘Hari Bhatari Sri’, which falls on the ‘Sukra Umanis’ Fridays of each month of the Balinese calendar (this month it falls on Friday 17th).

The history of agriculture started since ancient times as humans sought after a better living subsequent to nomadic hunting and gathering. They decided to stay put in an area that deemed to provide sustenance, and started to tend lands and harvest.

Rice perhaps is not the first plant they familiarized with, yet it is this single plant that has now become the staple diet among the societies across the archipelago, including Bali.

Food and nourishment are fundamental necessities, thus agriculture is in a very important position as it is depended upon by many people. A successful harvest becomes a determinant for the life sustainability of the surrounding societies.

Balinese societies believe that a great force aides them in achieving good harvests. As though they believe that it is such power that created the rice stalk for their lives. And that great power is manifest in Dewi Sri the goddess of rice and fertility. Dewi Sri is embodied in the culture and prevails through the generations.

Miguel Covarrubias, an anthropologist, once stayed in Bali and wrote the impressive book, Island of Bali, which explains Bali comprehensively . Through the book he also tells of the legend of the origins of rice in Bali. It goes that in the beginning the Balinese only knew sugar canes. Dewa (’god’) Wisnu, known as the affectionate and protecting god, wanted to create a better food for his human subjects. His marriage with Sang Hyang Pertiwi or Mother Earth gave birth to the rice which took over as the staple food. God Indra then taught the humans how to sow rice and harvest.

This legend holds a very deep meaning. This is not indispensable from the local genius of the Balinese who never forget to devote and make use of symbols to express their spiritual dedications.

God Wisnu is personified as water, while Pertiwi is earth. Fertility and prosperity will only happen if the two unite harmoniously. If Pertiwi is present without Wisnu, then there would be drought. If Wisnu were to be present alone then there would be floods. Both would spell an unsuccessful harvest.

Dewi Sri is personified as rice emerges through the blend between water and earth. Afterwards another interpretation of the symbolism emerged that Dewi Sri was the consort of Dewa Wisnu and Wisnu can only carry out his duties as protector with Dewi Sri by his side. Logically, life would only exist on earth if there was fertility.

Dewi Sri fills a significant position in Bali. Bali is agrarian. Even up until now when tourism sweeps and spreads rapidly in Bali, according to the statistical data on land usage – most is for agricultural. Half of the demography also deals in the agricultural sector.

The Balinese worship Dewi Sri as a motherly figure. At home there are always flower offerings placed at the rice barn or rice container. Farmers worship her by erecting small shrines amidst their green rice terraces. Traditional irrigational organizations in Bali known as Subak also have a dedicated temple for Dewi Sri known as the Pura Subak.

In the rice fields, Dewi Sri also referred to as Nini Pantun or Dewi Padi or Ibu Padi. We can observe Nini Pantun through the Ngusaba Nini ceremony – a ceremony for celebrating harvests. This ceremony is also meant as to “carry” the spirit of Dewi Sri towards the rice barn or lumbung.

Farmers make a Nini Pantun from two ties of rice stalks. These two represent the two general opposites in nature – male and female, north and south, positive and negative. The principle is that prosperity is only achieved once two elements are combined. The two ties are bound together on a length of wood which is stuck into a cleft near the primary irrigational channel. Then after, the harvest commences.

In this ritual besides making offerings, farmers also make decorations that symbolize Dewi Sri, namely the Cili. Cili are made of lontar or palmyra palm leaves and is shaped in the form of a female figure.

The word Cili probably evolved from the word Cilik that means small or petite. The ever expanding creative process has made way to the Cili in forms of Chinese coins or forms of traditional hard flour cakes. Cili not only can be used for ceremonies connected to rice but also other ceremonies including the manusa yadnya or human rites such as weddings. Lately Cili has been used for decorations and has become somewhat an icon for Bali.

 

 

 

Tajen - Balinese Cockfighting

Cockfights, which in Balinese are known as tajen, meklecan or ngadu, are required at temple and purification (mecaru) ceremonies. No one knows when they started. The Tabuh Rah ritual to expel evil spirits always has a cockfight to spill the blood. Tabuh Rah literally means pouring blood. There are ancient texts disclosing that the ritual has existed for centuries. It is mentioned in the Batur Bang Inscriptions I from the year 933 and the Batuan Inscription from the year 944 (on the Balinese calendar). The blood of the loser spills on the ground, an offering to the evil spirits. Three cockfights are necessary for this purpose. Only men participate. Women do not even watch.

To the Balinese cockfighting is much more than a religious ritual. Raffles in his History of Java commented, “their predominant passions are gaming and cockfighting. In these amusements, when at peace with the neighbouring states, all the vehemence and energy of their character and spirit is called forth and exhausted.”

THE FIGHT

Men travel to cockfights with their roosters. They sit in a circle in the wantilan or an open area. Women sell lawar (mixed vegetables and meat), grilled pork, chicken satay, snacks and colourful drinks.

Each fight is treated equally and, as soon as one fight ends, men look for a suitable match for the next. They try to match cocks of equal ability for a good fight. The fight should be unpredictable. If there is an imbalance, the spur on the stronger bird is adjusted slightly to give him a handicap.

The expert spur affixers affix the spurs. The sharp steel spurs, called taji, are single blades, about four or five inches long, tied around the leg with string. Spurs are sharpened only at eclipses and during a dark moon and should not be seen by women. The word for cockfight, tajen, comes from tajian, the taji being the blade.

Once done the cocks are placed on the ground in the middle of the ring. The timekeeper sits at a desk on the right hand corner. He pierces a coconut with a small hole and puts it in a bucket of water. It takes about 21 seconds to sink. At the start and end he beats a kulkul, a slit drum. During this time of 21 seconds the cocks must be left alone. If they have not fought, they can be picked up and encouraged.

The process is repeated. If they still refuse to fight, both are put into a wicker cage and they always fight then. If this is not necessary and they fight on their own, as soon as one is injured, the cock that landed the blow is picked up, so that both birds are not injured.

The coconut is now sunk three times. Then the one that landed the blow is put down to walk around for another coconut sinking period. He is then picked up and the coconut is sunk twice more and the fight has to start again. The interval will have taken about two minutes, during which time the injured bird will be tended. The second round is the final one. Usually the one that landed the first bow lands another fatal blow. The loser is the one that dies first.