Bali Photo of the Day ~ Ritual Stabbing at Traditional Dance

Hello Balifornians!

Today we feature a powerful shot of a mass ritual self stabbing during a traditional dance. They don't really hurt themselves as this is more of a demonstration, but there are sacred events in Bali and Indonesia during the year where serious pain (and sometimes lasting damage) is done during holy festivals.

Balinese Traditional Dance and Rituals

This Traditional Dance from Bali features a ritual self mutilation

The men are stabbing themselves with a mock up of a holy kris or spiritual dagger.  You can see a Mankgu or Hindu Priest blessing the daggers (Kris) here.

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Your Bali Pics of the Day ~ High Priest in Trance ~ Balifornian Villas and Tours

The high priest or Pendanda in Balinese Hinduism performs a cleansing ritual during a cremation ceremony or Ngaben in Sangeh Village in Bali's Southwestern province.
A Pendanda performs a cleansing ritual at a cremation ceremony in Bali ~ Balifornian Villas and ToursShe sits on a raised platform after her husband carefully prepared her spiritual implements or Upakara. These include a sacred prayer bell also know as a Gantha, rings and other special jewelry, trays with many varied flowers, gold and silver vessels containing rice and sandalwood powder, a holy-water container or Siwamba with a silver sprinkler (Sesirat) and a longhandled ladle called a Tjanting, an incenseburner (Pasepan) , and a bronze oil lamp ( Pedamaran).

A Balinese Hindu High Priest goes into Trance at a Cremation Ceremony ~ Balifornian Villas and Tours
She will light incense and begin chanting to cleanse herself and then fall into trance as she removes special flowers one by one, recites a prayer and tosses them away. Pranayama, a special type of breathing, will enable her to fall into a trance in order to carry out the prayers and rituals necessary for the deceased's journey to the after life.

A Balinese Hindu High Priest enters into a trance in Sangeh, Bali ~ Balifornian Villas and Tours

Photo of the Day ~ Introspective Cockfighter ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

While the implications of cockfighting can be debated, the fact is that it is a deep element of Indonesian and Balinese culture.  Some events draw thousands of participants and onlookers and the organized chaos is both fascinating and frightening.  Its not for everyone certainly, but it is an interesting look into the culture and the history of the Balinese people.

I thought this to be an interesting moment. Amist all the chaos, screaming, betting, chanting, fighting, blood spilling, etc., this young man took a contemplative moment to himself (and his fighter) in the moments leading up to battle in Singaraja in Northern Bali.

Singaraja, Bali cockfighterAlthough in 1981 the Indonesian government made cockfighting and gambling illegal, it is deemed as merely a suggestion and the 'sport' continues to this day.

The huge shiny 'Taji' or blade attached to the chicken's foot is readily apparent in this photograph and one can only imagine the damage that this metal talon can inflict.  There is much lore attached to this mysterious and deadly object; menstruating women can not gaze upon it, it can only be sharpened under the moonlight, only very special charcoal from a tree hit by lightning can be used to forge the steel, it can not be handled by a member of a family that has recently had a deceased member, and the lore goes on and on.

Regardless of the views of westerners and other outsiders, cockfighting is tightly entwined into the Balinese culture and even religion. Part of Balinese Hinduism involves sacrifice and offerings and sometimes even blood sacrifice.  The cock and its owner spend a great deal of time together and its owner spends a great deal of money and effort to care for and prep the animal for battle.  A strong bond is formed and for the man to risk his prized pet is considered an offering to the gods.

Ubud wins travelers' top choices for ideal place to visit

 The cultural and artistic heart of Bali, Ubud, has earned its place atop several recent award lists. Ubud was listed as one of Asia’s top spa destinations. Ubud was also chosen as one of the Top 25 Destinations in Asia in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards 2011. Ubud placed 17th in the list and outranked Seoul in South Korea, Varanasi in India, Hoi Nam in Vietnam, Taipei in Taiwan, Baguio in the Philippines, Lijiang in China, and Pattaya in Thailand.

 Ubud is the ideal place for famed Balinese massage, acupressure, reflexology, yoga, and aromatherapy to name a few.  The yoga community had grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years and rivals spots in the US and Europe.  The Yoga Barn is a great example of a quality yoga center and boasts a great community, cafe and learning center.

Kecak Dance, Ubud, Bali

Ubud is about 45 minutes to an hour northeast of Bali’s airport and close to the center of the island.  While it is not the postcard beach location that comes to mind for most people when they think of the paradise island of Bali but this speaks to the draw of the art, dance, culture and amazing food that is found in this growing group of small towns.  One can still find rice fields and the Bali of old around Ubud, it is reaching a critical mass as its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years.  It is still one of our favorite spots and we considered it our second home.  

In this year's TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards, almost 700 places were recognized in the 9th year of the competition, and award categories included Best Romance, Best Luxury, and Best Bargain, and many more.

Other Indonesian winners of TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice 2011 included the Samaya Bali Villas at Seminyak for Travelers’ Top 25 Choice Hotels in the World for its Fantastic Service and Fantastic Villa. Additionally, the wonderful small island of Gili Trawangan in-between Bali and Lombok, came in 7th among Asia’s Top 10 Beaches.

Bali and Indonesia continue to win awards for their amazing beaches, spas, culture and much much more.  Contact Balifornian Yours today to see how we can help you get the very most out of your upcoming vacation to the island paradise.

Tenganan and The Bali Aga- The real old school Bali

This blog post on Tenganan has been moved.  Please click here to see

The Bali Aga of Tenganan ~ A Photo Essay