About Bali
Bali is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Bali, to many is the land of a thousand gods, a thousand temples and a thousand dances. Some others see the island as perhaps the last frontier, waiting to be discovered, for its beauty, its culture, its way of life. Others arrive here and undergo an experience, one that will etch a life-long impact and draw them back to its shores, again and again.
Bali is situated approximately on latitude 8o South and longitude 115o East, and together with the nearby island of Lombook, are the most westerly of the Little Sunda islands. They are part of the nearly 13.700 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago.
Endowed with great natural beautiful and rich culture, Bali has long been the most popular tourist destination in Indonesia. It is a land of soaring majestic volcanoes, of emerald rice fields clinging on hillsides and sculpted in tiers, of idyllic beaches, modern resorts, where shrines and temples dominate the landscape. Despite overwhelming foreign influences, the Balinese have managed to reach a harmonious balance between preserving their culture, their natural environment, and accommodating today’s changing world. The Hindu Bali religion, ceremonies, festivals, age-old dances and the arts are an inseparable part of the life and culture of the Balinese.
Abode of the Gods
The Hindu Balinese faith touches every aspect of the people’s life. Every community has at least a temple or Pura. The largest and holiest temple in Bali is Besakih on the slopes of mount Agung, well over thousand years old. Steps ascend through split gates to besakih’s main courtyard where the trinity shrines are wrapped in cloth and decorated with flowers offerings. Around the three main temple dedicated to shiva, Brahma and Wisnhu, are 18 separate sanctuaries and belonging to different regencies and caste groups. To the Balinese, a visit to the temple sanctuaries is a special pilgrimage. The ancient temple of Tirta Empul is built around the sacred spring of Tampaksiring. Tanah lot is an important sea temple dedicated to the guardian spirits of the sea. On the shores of lake Beratan,Ulun Danu is often shrouded in mist and hauntingly beautiful.
The Balinese also believe that spirits well in every element on nature and many places are considered sacred, such as the ten hectares nutmeg forest of sangeh which abounds with monkeys.
