The Gamelan Jegog is one of the most impressive sounding ensembles in the world. It is an orchestra of bamboo marimbas, with keys (tubes) ranging from small to gigantic. The largest tubes, up to three meters long, are used for the bass jegog, for which the ensemble is named. The resonant bass tones of the Gamelan Jegog can […]
Music and dance play an essential part in daily Balinese life, and as a tourist you can’t fail to experience it, either at a special tourist show, in rehearsal or at a temple festival. Traditionally, Balinese dancers and musicians have always learnt their craft from the experts in their village and by imitating other performers. In the 1960s, […]
Originating in the royal courts of 17th century Bali, Gambuh Dance combines dialogue, music and dance to enact romantic tales of courtly life, love and political intrigue based on the adventures of Panji, a historic Javanese prince. Gambuh Dance requires a large cast of dancer-actors and musicians and is distinctive and difficult to perform for various reasons, including […]
Calonarang Dance refers to the struggle between Rangda (Calonarang) and the Great King Airlangga. Calonarang was a widow of Girah who gave birth to a daughter in the jungle. Her daughter grew up to be the famed beauty Ratna Menggali. Calonarang wanted her daughter to marry a prince from Airlangga’s palace. However, no prince came along. Infuriated by […]
The Baris, a traditional war dance, glorifies the manhood of the triumphant Balinese warrior. The word baris means ‘line’ or ‘file’ and refers to the warriors who fought for the kings of Bali. There are numerous kinds of Baris, distinguished by the arms borne by the dancers.
Wayang Kulit, or Shadow Puppets as they are more commonly known as in English, are part of an ancient heritage of Pre-Hindu Culture that still exists in many regions around Indonesia. The word wayang means puppet, while kulit means skin. Wayang puppets are cut from thin pieces of buffalo hide and intricately carved and decorated to symbolize different […]
Women Temple Cloth wear a close-fitting, long-sleeved jacket called a Kebaya. A Kain Kamben, a rectangle of cloth about two yards long, is tightly wound clockwise around the waist, dropping to the ankles. A long strip of cloth or corset, a conspicuous Selendang, lot of gold jewelry, flowers in the hair and slip-on sandals complete the ensemble.
The two- or three-tiered pavilion often found adjacent to the village temple is the town’s Wantilan / Community Hall. It is usually has solid coconut wood columns and chunky proportions for the base, plinth, and roof trussing. The Wantilan is used for meetings, cockfighting, political rallies, and dance performances held as a part of village temple festival.
PURSUANT to tradition of Hindu community in Bali, Saturday October 29, 2011, is called the Tumpek Wayang. On this day, all the puppeteers and those who have a puppet in Bali will give a special ceremony to theirs. They call the Tumpek Wayang as Odalan Wayang. In addition, many people choose Tumpek Wayang as an auspicious day to […]
Tumpek Landep is celebrated every Saturday or Sanisara Kliwon Wuku Landep (every 210 days). It is derived from the word Tumpek meaning close and Iandep meaning sharp. On that account, in the philosophical context, the Tumpek Landep moment poses a milestone of sharpening the citta (heart), buddhi (intelligence) and manah (mind). Thus, people always behave according to the […]
Tumpek Krulut ceremony is Balinese celebrate a holyday for musical instrument. Musical instruments are sacred items for the Balinese, and a special day, known as Tumpek Krulut is dedicated for all musical instruments, mask, and other tool for art performances that are used in the numerous religious ceremonies in Bali. The Tumpek Krulut takes its name from the […]
A. Definition Tri Hita Karana, is derived from the Sanskrit language. From the word Tri meaning three, Hita Karana means prosperous and meaningful causes. Tri Hita Karana is understanding the three main things that led to the welfare and prosperity of human life, that has meaning to keep the harmony and balance between human to God, human-to-human and […]