After the Mission Council, I stayed in Bali for another four days and visited temples, rice fields and an impressive waterfall.
The history of Bali is a mosaic of mythology, kingdoms and foreign rulers. Bali was a crossroad for traders and the Javanese and Hindu influences are still deeply rooted in everyday culture – including everyday Christian culture. In Indonesia, Islam is the dominant religion with over 80%. Here in Bali, on the other hand, Hinduism is the majority religion. Its rites, ceremonies and customs are omnipresent. The highest Hindu holiday in Bali is the “Day of Silence”. On this day, no one leaves the house and the electricity is switched off on the entire island – no internet or cell phones. On one day of the year, people of other faiths on Bali also take part in this day of absolute silence.
The impressive rice terraces such as those of Tegallalang are an expression of agricultural technology and the Balinese people’s deep understanding of nature and cosmology, which is evident in the Subak irrigation system. Subak is not only a system, but above all an irrigation community. Five Balinese Subak landscapes were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.
The Pura Besakih is Bali’s most important temple. It is located at around 1,000 m on the slope of the Gunung Agung volcano, Bali’s sacred mountain. 23 separate temples are dedicated to the various gods of Bali. The oldest is dedicated to Shiva. Time and again I come across families who hold their prayers and ceremonies together on this day. In one case, the ashes of a deceased family member are brought to the temple and the gods are asked for a benevolent rebirth.
The “Elephant Cave” (Goa Gajah) near the town of Ubud is one of the archaeological sites and sanctuaries of Balinese Hinduism. It dates back to the 11th century, making it one of the oldest monuments in Bali. The cave carved into the rock was probably originally used as a hermitage by ascetic monks. Today it is a temple in which Ganesha and the Hindu Trimurti Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva (creator-sustainer-destroyer) are worshipped. A little way from the cave is a small temple where Buddha is worshipped.
Scenes from everyday life:
