• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
Chandler RoutmanMay 19
th
, 2009Essay 2INDO1011BaliBali is located between 8 and 9 degrees south of the Equator. To the West of Balilies Java, and to the East of Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, and Timor. The islandof Bali is very small, from the most northern point on the island to the most southernpoint; Bali is only fifty-five miles across, and from East to West measures only ninetymiles. The geography of Bali is very unique; it is comprised of six neighboring volcanoes,abundant and lush tropical rain forests, clear crater lakes, numerous rivers, deepravines, rice terraces, and countless fruit and vegetable gardens. The beaches in Baliare vastly different from one another. The beaches that cover the North, East and Westparts of the island have black and grey volcanic sand while the beaches in the South arefull of pristine white sand. Denpasar is Bali’s largest city, and where its governmentpresides. The population of Bali is roughly around three million people and growing. Themost common languages are Bahasa Indonesia (the national language) and Bali’s ownlanguage Bahasa Balinese. Islam and Christianity are the minority religions while Bali’sown version of Hindu is the most predominate form of religion. Bali is original in thesense that unlike the rest of Indonesia, Bali has remained mostly Hindu. Balinese Hinduis the combining of certain traditional and archaic forms of animism. Religion is veryimportant to all Indonesians, but particularly so to the nation of Bali. Daily rituals are stillpracticed by the people as well as the ancient ceremonies, festivals, and attitudes thatbelonged to their ancestors. Bali is actually referred to as “the Island of the Gods”
 
because they worship so many. Dancing and music are huge parts of religious life inBali. The people of Bali dance and play music to appease their Gods and Goddesses, sothat they will be rewarded. Indian, Hindu, indigenous animism, and time-honored folkloreare the main sources of inspiration for Balinese dance. There are three distinctcategories for Balinese dance according to religious functions. Wali Dances are sacreddances that have to be preformed in the inner courtyard of temples. Rejang, Baris,Pendet, Sang Hyang Dedari, and Barong are types of Wali dances. Rejang is danced byfemales, Baris is the male warrior dance, Pendet is preformed by married women, SangHyang Dedari is used to entertain and appease the Gods and Goddesses in hopes of blessing and is preformed by young girls, and the Barong dance is a story telling danceof the battle between good and evil. Bebali dances are the second kind of dancepreformed by the people of Bali. They are ceremonial dances that are preformed in themiddle court of a temple. An example of this dance is called the Gambuh, which tells thestory of love between a prince and a princess. Balih-bailhan dances are the third andfinal category of religious dancing. They are more secular than the other two and aremore for entertainment. Balih-bailhan dances are preformed either in the outer court of the temple, or outside in the village. Examples of this type of dance include the Janger,Kebyar, Legong, and Kecak. Young girls who are dressed as peacocks dance theJanger. Two women who have incredibly long and beautiful black hair dance the Kebyar.The Legong tells a story and is danced by young girls. Men who beat on their bodies for music and rhythm perform the Kecak at night around a bonfire. It is believed byarchaeologists that people first inhabited Bali during the Stone Age, somewhere around2500 BC. The first Balinese people came from China, and by the time of the Bronze era(300 BC) the people of Bali had developed a very advanced system of subsistencefarming. They managed to achieve this through the use of an extensive and complicatedsystem of irrigation and rice farming; this system is still used today in the rice farms of 
 
Bali. Remembering ancestors, and the telling of old stories and legends have made thehistory of Bali very extensive and well known. There are many carvings around theisland depicting the ancient ancestors of the Balinese. Before the Dutch colonized Bali, itwas ruled by a monarchy. During the 13
th
and 14
th
centuries, Bali bounced betweenbeing controlled by Java and by independently ruling itself. Bali was under the control of Java during the Dutch colonization. During the process of colonizing Bali, the nobles of the capital, Denpasar, dressed up in the finest clothing and jewelry they had, burnt downtheir homes and marched straight into the guns of the Dutch army as a form of rebellionagainst the Dutch. Eventually the Balinese people gave in to the threats of the Dutch andbecame a part of the Dutch East Indies. During February 1942, the Japanese landed onBali. Japan never encountered any resistance from the people of Bali during itsoccupation of Indonesia. After Japan lost control of Indonesia and all of their territoriesafter being defeated in World War II, the Dutch tried to regain control. There was a veryviolent and tumultuous war between the people of Bali and the Dutch, but the Balineseprevailed. Although Indonesia gained independence in 1945, the Dutch refused torecognize Indonesia as a sovereign country until 1949 after years of war and harshcriticism from international communities did the Dutch finally leave all of Indonesia. Baliis known for it’s world-class surfing. Surfers of all shapes, ages, sizes, and skill rangeflock to Bali to have a go at the pristine waves. Some of the most famous waves arecalled Padang-Padang, Playgrounds, and Ulwatu. Famous surfers like Taj Burrow, andOccy have made Bali a household name in the surfing community. As a result, the oceanis usually full of surfers. Bali depends on the tourism that it receives from surfers andvisitors that frequent the island.
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...