The Anomaly Bali

As I'm sitting here writing this, I'm listening to the chants and gamelan music coming from a nearby temple. There is a ceremony taking place today which involves the blessing of all machinery: motobikes, cars, factories, etc. (a motorbike with the offerings and decorations showing it has been blessed -->)

As you know, Bali is an island which makes up part up the Indonesian archipelago, which consists of about 17, 508 islands. Indonesia has a large population with about 240 million people holding SIM (identification) cards. Out of that massive population, 86% claim to the Muslim religion.

There are 300 cultural groups in Indonesia, and five government-accepted religions which include: Islam, Hindu, Catholic, Protestant, and Buddhist, but Confucianism is also making more of an appearance.

So within this very Muslim strip of islands in Southeast Asia there's the "tropical playground" of Bali.

Bali Bali Bali.

With a population of over 3 million (on an island that could fit into Alberta over 100 times) Bali boasts 93% of the population adhering to the Hindu religion, which is influenced by Indian Hinduism, Buddhism, and animism. The other 7% is made up of muslims (4.75%), Christians (1.38%) and Buddhists (0.64%). Bali is far from fitting in with the Indonesian Islamic islands.

Hinduism in Bali includes a complicated mix of gods, goddesses, ancestors, and demons. For the sake of space of confusing both myself, and maybe even you, I'll just try to briefly tell you what being a Balinese Hindu looks like on a daily basis, from what I have observed, read and been taught.


There are hundreds of different gods, which represent aspects of three, and all three are one. The three are Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the sustainer; and Shiva, the destroyer. Hindus want to keep a balance of good and evil in their lives, represented by the ying-yang symbol and popular black-and-white checkered cloth here. Ancestors also play a huge role in Bali Hinduism. (an example of a temple shrine where offerings are made-->)

Offerings must be made repeatedly on a daily basis, before anything is done. Before women do anything else in the day they make offerings for the day. You can also buy the daily offerings at stores along the side of the road or even at the supermarket. You will see offerings made on the ground (to appease the evil spirits) at entrances to houses, on the beach, on the sidewalk in front of stores, and at any intersection along a road or walkway. There are also offerings made to the good gods- which are not placed on the ground. These will be made anywhere you can think of: on fences, dashboards, cash registers, kitchen counters, in shrines on the wall...

There are temple shrines anywhere you can think of too; along the road, in the middle of intersections, and a number of them in every family home. Every family house or compound has a temple, and the ancestors and protectors of the family dwell there.

The offerings generally consist of certain colors of flowers and rice (a small portion of everything will be offered), and depending where it is sometimes a money bill, candy, or crackers. The person making the offering- usually but not always a woman- goes to make it, they dress unformally traditional: a sarong and a sash tied around the waist, they place the offering, sprinkle it with holy water, burn incense, waft the fumes around, and say a prayer. The offering is then left there, sometimes for days, but the god only takes the essence of the flowers, incence, and candy so any food that is there can be eaten after it has been offered, and money can be used. (offerings on the beach)

Prayer to the gods is a daily activity. Prayer involves a ritual of washing hands with a plant, praying to the creator with the appropriate flower between their hands, then praying to the sustainer, then the destroyer. You can ask these gods whatever you would like, and thanksgiving and worship is included. After praying with the flowers, they put it behind their ear, then after all the prayers are made they are sprinkled with holy water, and rice is stuck on their foreheads or below their neck. It is a common site to see people with rice on their foreheads and flowers behind their ears. (<-- offering prayers)

The traditional dress for Bali Hindus to go to temple in includes sarongs and blouses. The women wear a single sarong and a beautifully laced and fitted blouse called a kebaya, and a sash wrapped around their waist, and their hair is pulled back. The men wear a long sarong, with a shorter one over it, and a loose button-up shirt, or a tshirt, as well as a head covering. The colors of the shirts depend on what the ceremony is for, but generally they are a variety of different colors. (some men in traditional dress -->)

There are not the same regulations in Bali as are present in other areas of Indonesia. Women are allowed to dress how they wish, and although men are seen as 'above' women, there aren't rules about who can talk to who and eye contact. However, the caste system does still exist and the
level of the Balinese (there are three levels) one would use to talk to another reflects a small portion of that. drug and alcohol use and abuse are common .

The tourist industry has a strong influence in Bali. Having a good job in tourism in the main cities is the equivalent to the "American dream". The 'free island living' is promoted and "relax, you're on the island" is a common phrase among expatriates. A line in Bali's theme songs is this... "welcome to my paradise, where you can be free...".
I could go on. The more I learn and experience about this island, its cultures and paradoxes, the more interesting I find that stuck in the middle of one of the most populated Islamic nations is this peculiar little island that is constantly confusing and astounding me.


Disclaimer: This is based on my own research, understanding and observing. I don't claim to know all about Bali or Indonesia, and I may not be correct on all points; I've only been here 6 months.