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 | Bali Local Customs | Tips 1 - 10 of 249 |  |
 Stone statue by picknick
Every visitor to Bali notices very quickly the black and white checked cloths, wrapped around guardian statues, pavilions, people, kulkul drums in temples and even trees and stones wherein a spirit dwells. It is dazzling and powerful and has a special meaning for the Balinese: it represents the cosmic duality.
The Balinese see the world in terms of opposites, good and bad, day and night, mountain and sea. This duality forms the whole: one cannot exist without the other. Poleng is the perfect representation of this view. The squares of equal size are perfect black and perfect white; they intersect and are not parallel. Grey squares contain strands of both and show that you cannot have one without the other. White represents good, the gods and health; black represents evil, the underworld and disease. Poleng comprises them both and so the whole. Leave a Comment
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 Growing rice by picknick
Rice is grown everywhere in Bali, but apparently the amount is not enough for the consumption of the Balinese, so rice must also be imported from Thailand.
Besides white rice (bras), there are red (gaga) and black (injin) varieties. Leave a Comment
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 Temple Rules by Wild_Orchid
1) Menstruating women are not allowed to enter the temple
2) When entering a temple, legs must be covered as a sign of respect and therefore you should wear a sarong or long trousers. Those without sarongs may usually “rent” one at the entrance.
3) At the Holy Spring Water Temple (Pura Tirta Empul), no nude bathing is allowed.
4) At the Holy Spring Water Temple, bathing using shampoo, soap and toothpaste is not permitted.
5) Washing of clothes is not allowed here.
The rules at major temples are usually written in both English and Bahasa Indonesia. When in doubt, allow your decorum and good sense to prevail! Do enjoy your visits to the temples.
Maybe some of our Indonesian VT friends can help to translate the other rules contained on this signboard. Thanks! Leave a Comment
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 Chequered Cloth Wrapped Around
The Statue by imran8852, 3 more photos
In Bali Black Is Always Associated With Death And Bad Stuffs. You Can Also See "Sesajian" Or Offerings For The Spirits Everywhere.
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 Balinese women by JanPeter74
Furthermore you will find small altars everywhere, even in restaurants. Don't be surprised if your waitress changes clothes, lights a sacrifice on an altar a few metres from your table, changes clothes again and is ready again to wait your table.
You will also find lots of small sacrifices by the roadside and on the sidewalk. Try not to step on them. Leave a Comment
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 Temple by kyoub
The annual temole birthday is known as an odalan and it is celebrated every 210 days.
Every day you see truck loads of villagers going to a festival in a nearby village.
Foreigners are welcome to watch the festivities. Leave a Comment
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 cremation by kenyneo
There are ceremonies for every stage of Balinese life but often the last ceremony-cremation-is the biggest. A Balinese cremation can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organize a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried. Also according to my guide Chok , because of the escalating cost of funeral ( due to its elaborate nature ) , Bali people hold mass funeral or cremation. ( some are temporary buried for this purpose until you have got the ecomonies of scale and a mass funeral is being carried out )
Of course an auspicious day must be chosen for the cremation and since a big cremation can be very expensive business many less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation and sending their own dead on their way at the same time.
And everyone is not allowed to cry but be happy because the souls are supposed to return to nature. Leave a Comment
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 Cock baskets by the road by FletteMette
Along the roads everywhere on the island you'll see big woven cock baskets - these are apparently placed near the road to get the cocks accustomed to the noise and activity it will encounter at the fighting arena.
Before a fight, both cocks get a very sharp steel blade, 10-15 cm long, affixed to one of their legs. The two cocks will then fight, usually until one of them dies after having been ripped open by the sharp blade. The losing cock might then end up in your Chicken Satay. Bon appétit... Leave a Comment
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 Offerings by diageva
the floor are full of them .... as my friend Angela explained me ... once they have made the offer they forget them ... no matters if you step over it or a dog eat the biscuits ... Leave a Comment
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 Full Moon Festivities on
Lovina Beach-Bali by GroverdeanLeave a Comment
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