The Indonesian archipelago stretches from the island of Sumatra to Irian laya (Papua) and Bali is situated highly populated Java and idyllic Lombok . Amongst the 13,700 Indonesians island Bali is the only Hindu province and the rich blend of tradition and culture has an incredible impact. Bali captures much of the soul and identity of Indonesia yet it has evolved into a unique culture of its own, making it a very special place.

Even though it is relatively small, approximately 5,000 square kilometer in all, Bali boasts a whole range of different environments. This compact landscape centers on a line of active volcanoes with alluvial slopes that spill down to coastal plains. Tropical rainforests fringe the mountains, eventually giving way to carefully cultivated rice fields and crop growth. Further down on the plains, water logged mangrove swamps lead to the ocean. A number of different rivers and streams wind their way through a cross section of these environments and down to the spectacular beaches. Bali enjoys a consistently warm climate, which is particularly mild in the dry season, and the mountains ensure there is a steady rainfall to periodically cool the island down through the rainy season.

The mountainous regions maintain a refreshing temperature all year round and can provide a great break from the heat and humidity of the plains. The mountains are the focus of all daily activities with holy Mount Agung as the great heavenward inspiration. All villages, temples, family compounds, houses and furniture arrangements are designed to face kaja, or toward the mountains. The seaward direction kelod on the other hand, is considered to be less sacred and at times impure.

Mountain slopes provide the ideal setting for the luminous terraced rice fields. The Balinese have an ingenious irrigation system controlled by a village organization called the subak who keep these paddies well watered and the rich nutrients from the volcanic ash ensure these fields are also well fertilized. Rice is the staple food for all Balinese people and sampling the steamed rice (nasi putih), fried rice (nasi goreng) or even yellow rice (nasi kuning) is a must. Rice also has sacred significance and it is offered back to the gods in the form of brightly colored cakes or as a few grains sprinkled on a banana leaf.

The rivers are a focus for rural village life, as they are a source of water for both work and domestic activities. You'll often find whole villages bathing in the rivers, washing their clothes, washing their cars, fishing from them, or simply splashing around and having a great time. Further down the river path, many of the mud flats near the sea continue to be used by small family groups for making salt, an essential condiment in Bali. At the edges of the land the oceans are the source of holy water and the channel for preparing the dead for their afterlife. There is still a great fear of the sea so even though fishing and seaweed farming are reasonably widespread and many activities revolve around the surrounding ocean, it is treated with great respect.

Our knowledge of Bali during its prehistoric age is insufficiently supplied as the historical records and artifacts are limited. It is supposed that the first settlers of Bali arrived very early in this prehistoric period although there are contrasting beliefs as to their origin. Some say that Austronesian (malayo-polynesian) migrants arrived three to four thousand years ago while others believe that the first settlers come from China around 2500 BC. The modern Balinese language shows the reflection of the Proto Austronesian language and can be used to trace back the origin of the Balinese. It is also known that the descendents of the indigenous people who populated the island were in Bali Aga, who practiced animism.

Prehistoric artifacts that were discovered include gravesites, the sarcophagi stone and the Moon of Pejeng, a huge bronze kettledrum that is thought to have supernatural powers and is today kept in a temple in the village of Pejeng, Ginyar Regency. Others were recently found in the Buleleng area. Some historical records found from the time of 300 BC identified a more advanced and organized agrarian society. Complex irrigation system supplied cascading rice terraces in wet rice cultivation. As a result, rice was already well and truly established as the major food commodity in Bali and as its abundance and importance increased, so did its value. Dewi Sri, the ancient rice goddess was revered then as she still is today through cili figures given as offerings. Based on the large produce of rice crops, communities became wealthier and developed into more sophisticated kingdoms, each with ruling rajahs or king.

One of the most dramatic and enduring developments in the history of Bali came about when a form of Hinduism, which had been introduced to Java, was transported to and widely accepted in Bali in the first century. This religion was in fact, a fascinating mix of Siwa Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism, both originally came from India and brought to Indonesian by Indian traders. Artifacts found include statues, bathing places, caves and temples. Inscriptions dating back from around 800 AD were discovered on a stone pillar near Sanur. This new religion hit the peak of its success in Java came with the rise of the Majapahit Empire but these Majapahits were eventually forced further east to Bali as Islam gained followers throughout Sumatra and Java. Some Javanese shamanism was thrown in en route and merged with Bali 's own form of animism.

The Balinese initially the arrival of the new religion and when the Majapahits first invaded Bali in 1343, Gajah Mada, the prime minister of Majapahit empire had an extremely tough opponent in the Balinese king, Dalem Bedahulu. The king ruled from Pejeng, now a simple village east of Ubud , and this was where much of the action took place. The king was so stubborn in his resistance that he became known by the Majapahits as Pighead. Stories made beautiful with events relating to the kings incredible determination and skill have survived, and he is now known literally, as king with the pigs head and magical powers. Gajah Mada eventually defeated the powerful king and has been considered a hero and great holy man ever since. The new form of Balinese Hinduism is called Agama Hindu Dharma, a blend of the elements from Hinduism and Buddhism practiced in Japan, China and Korea as well as the Indian caste system are now important components of the religion. An important belief is that the elements of nature are influenced by spirits that have been appeased. As such offerings (sajen) made from agricultural products are offered to the spirits, It is believed that Gunung Agung is the dwelling place of the gods and the ancestors, it is revered as the Mother mountain and is highly sacred to the Balinese. As water and volcanoes considered as the wrath of the gods come from Gunung Agung, the mountain occupies the pole of purity, Kaja. In contrast, the pole of impurity is the sea, or Kelod. Balinese Hinduism revolves around the kaja kelod axis and determines the spatial organization of the rituals architecture and daily life. One sleeps, for example, with one's head in the direction of the mountain.

Religion in Bali varies according to three principle Desa (place), Kala (time) and Patra circumstances). Hinduism acknowledges five pillars of faith, they are a belief in the Supreme God, Brahman of Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, belief in the soul as the universal principle of life and consciousness (Atma), belief in the fruition of one's deeds (Karma phala), belief in the process of birth an death (Samsara) and belief in ultimate release ( Moksa ). One of the consequences of the principles of karma and samsara is the existence of the caste system where an individual inherits his status as a result of his past life. The four castes in Bali are Brahmana , who deal with religion and the holy texts, the Satria or rulers, the Wesia or merchants and the Sudra the lower class, a social stratification initially based on division of labor.

The main symbol of Balinese Hinduism or Agama Hindu Dharma is the Swastika, or the wheel of the sun. The foundations of the practices are to acquire knowledge of the epics and of theology of ritual worship. The main purpose of life is to be released from the wheel of reincarnation. Ones lot in present life is believed to be a result of ones good or evil deeds accumulated from his previous life or lives. Once the soul is released from the cycle of reincarnation, he will become a god. The principle god are Brahma the god of creation, Wisnu the god of providence and Siwa the god of dissolution. These three move the world through an unending process of birth balance and destruction. Man a microcosm of the world, is subjected to the same process until he achieves Moksa, blending into the cosmos and god. The cosmos and its movement are symbolized by the swastika. Man should endeavor to maintain the harmony of the whole system, hence the role of the ritual. Only by adhering to the proper rules of behavior can the proper balance be kept between the two sets of godly and demonic forces. Balinese religion is known to the world through the richness of its rituals. God and demon seem to be everywhere and the life of the Balinese is therefore rich with abundant rituals. Balinese rituals are ruled by a complex calendar system, a combination of the Indian Saka calendar and the Wuku calendar. The Saka year rules the agricultural cycle and is divide into lunar months and fitted to the solar calendar by the addition of an extra month, every thirtieth month. The full moon and the dark moon are the most important ritual moments of this calendar. The first day of the Saka year however usually in March is the day of silence arnd profound importance throughout Bali, a fasting day and a day for contemplation.

The Wuku year consists of a cycle of 210 days divided into thirty wuku weeks, each of which corresponds to a specific activity. There is a week of weapons of plantations and one of animals. There other types of weeks varying from one to ten days, each having a name and number being auspicious or inauspicious. The most important days in this system are Galungan and Kuningan. Temples in Bali are simple walled open yards from which people can communicate directly with their gods and ancestors. Gods and ancestors normally “ visit” their human worshippers or descendants during temple festivals ( Odalan ), and during the Galungan and Kuningan holidays. They reside in miniature houses set in the temple, called the pelinggih shrines, which are alight with effigies of gold, coins or offerings. During the length of their stay the gods and their companions are symbolically bathed, feted, put to bed and entertained with dances and other shows. Meanwhile members of the temple come and go over three or more days, with offerings and to get their share of holy water sprinkled over them and the offerings during the collective prayers.

European contact with Indonesian originated with Marco Polo's visit in 1290 AD and after this time a demand for species and Indonesia's other natural resources grew. Travelers from Spain and Portugal then continued to return to Indonesia and visited Bali for the next 200 years, although the difficulty of entering and anchoring in Bali made it a less popular destination. By 1600 AD the Dutch East Indies Company had been set up in Java. Bali was considered ”New Holland“ by a Dutch Admiral who was warmly welcomed by Waturenggong, the King at the time. With the death of this King, though, the seat of power in Klungkung diminished in importance and independent rule was established by local rajas. The British East India Company introduced some opportunities for self-government to Bali in the early 1800s after Holland 's influence decreased as a result of the Napoleonic wars. When the Dutch returned to Indonesia and tried to gain sovereignty of Bali in the early 1840s, trouble flared. After sixty years, two important wars against the Dutch i.e. Puputan (a battle to the last blood) Badung and Puputan Jagaraga were popularly known as a mass suicide of Balinese families finally ended what had developed into an ongoing - dipute. Rather than giving in the Dutch, the rajahs and their families chose to fight to the last blood or used ceremonial knives to end their misery and make a proud statement.

Holland relented, and Bali survived the immediate threat of European influence. The quiet period from the early to mid 1900s brought a different type of western influence, though, with a sudden influx of tourists. During this period, foreigners were already being drawn to exotic beauty of the island and its people and culture. Cruise ships made Bali a regular stopover, made Buleleng port the main point to anchor and more and more people became intrigued by this endearing paradise. Intellectuals and artists, priests and princes, soldiers and artisans arrived in Bali with their precious books and records, The Bali Island was flooded with creative ideas and skills and the culture developed significantly. Two major incidents interrupted this peaceful period. Firstly, the Japanese invaded and occupied the island, as an attempt to over run the Dutch government that had her central office on Java Island, although the authentic Balinese culture could still be maintained. Secondly, when the Dutch tried once more to exert their influence after the Pacific War, Indonesia's President Sukarno declared Independence in 1945. It look the Indonesia's War of Independence a further four years before the Dutch finally accepted the authority of the new government and even after that Indonesia remained unsettled. Bali also suffered from individual disasters, a plague a period of chronic food shortage and a volcanic eruption in 1963 that made Surabaya have a dark day and Jakarta had rains of dust. Bali only opened up to tourists again in the late 1960's , when the new president recognized the value of the Island as a tourist destination.

The Bali Beach Hotel, now Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel, began to be built early in the 1960s on President Sukarno's order, after the building of hotel Indonesia in Jakarta had been completed in 1926. Since then Bali has heavily promoted for its tourist value and has also quite naturally acted as a magnet to the many types of tourists who enjoy Bali. Artists, surfer, backpackers, divers, shoppers, adventurers, scholars, writer and a whole range of visitor now appreciate the many facets of the Balinese environment and culture. Even on the brink of the 2l century Bali is proving that the unique spiritual forces that have shaped the island will continue to act as major determining influences well in to future. Every time a small canang offering, laden with incense and colorful flowers is laid on the ground, every time a chisel strikes soft wood and carves out the features on a mythological creature, every time a young baby touches the ground for the first time or ashes offered to the seas, evidence of Bali's living traditions are of her passion for an authentic existence. As a visitor it is difficult not to be drawn in to the inherent magic of a place where the people and the land interact so closely, where the people draw so much meaning from the land and spirits. You can see this magic and the long processions of flower and fruit- laden villagers on their way to the temples or in the glittering dancers acting out an ancient Hindu story. You can hear it in the lively clashed and clangs of the gamelan orchestra or the quiet whispers of continually offered prayers.

The countless sacred and secular dance, beautiful Bali textiles and the wayang style of painting are among some of the elements of the hearts of visitors. Whilst in Bali you may choose to participate in this magic by visiting one of the numerous temples with ancient Hindu symbols carved in huge slab of stone. You may be lucky enough to observe a temple festival or public cremation. Take the opportunity to see the graceful welcoming dance in which young girls tilt their heads and move rhythmically to the gamelan beat, sharing their flower offering with all. The Kecak Dance, a hypnotic chant performed by score of men circled around a large coconut oil lamp where scenes from the Ramayana are re-enacted. Another must see is the Legong dance, which includes a series of different dance scenes and styles. The more adventurous can go trekking, for wheel driving, white water rafting and ride elephants or even camel, diving, water sport. There is nothing quite as exhilarating and spectacular as rushing down a river canyon or trekking through thick matted forest. It is always possible to feel some of that tribal Balinese magic when you venture out into the wilderness of Bali .

There are also ample opportunities to ride the most exciting surf in this part of the world, take leisurely walks in peaceful jungles, go diving shop, trek volcanoes and enjoy a wide range of delicious food. Eating and drinking should definitely be an unforgettable experience in Bali. The seas around the island are abundant with marine life, many of which end up in the kitchens of restaurants. Fertile soils, bright sunshine and heavy rainfall coupled with abundant water from mountain springs have allowed rice, vegetables, fruits and many other crops to grow. This cornucopia of ingredients allows a great variety of dishes to be prepared. Wherever you are and whatever you choose to do, enjoy the warm smiles and open embrace of a people who appreciate their whole way of life and would love to share some of its magic with you . The traditional prayer position of the hands and bow from the heart are welcoming gesture designed to recognize and honor your soul. If you experience but a small taste of this passion your own lives will be enriched and if you also give something in return, in the way of respecting these people and their culture and supporting them as they find their way into the future, the benefits will be mutual.

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