Goa Gajah (Elephant Crave)

Goa Gajah, literally means 'Elephant Cave”. Although named by 'elephant' it doesn't mean there is any real elephant live or ever live here. The name Goa Gajah derived from 'Lawa Gajah', which is mentioned in the manuscripts that found in this site. This temple complex was built for the first time around 11 century based on epigraph found in this site.

A seven-meters deep cave with a shape of T-letter is the major attraction of this Bedulu village's local temple. The cave it self is carved in a solid stone hill of the river valley. The main figure of the carving at the cave entrance is 'boma', a barong face, accompanied with big clapping fingers on its side. Leaf, flower, and some horror figures can be noticed if we give more attention look to the rest of the carving. Some holes that are considered to be used as meditation or sleeping quarters can be found in the wall of the cave. Nowadays, those holes are used to place offerings whenever there is ceremonies taking place. On the left end side of the cave is Ganesha statue, believe it as 'the God of knowledge'. Meanwhile on the right end side can be found three 'linggas', that each of them dedicated to the three common God manifestations in Bali, Brahma, Wisnu, and Siwa. There are other three stone carvings in the centre wall, one of them figuring head and face.

Three other statues of Ganesha, demons and Men Brayut, a legendary lady with her beloved children, are placed on a high building located on the left side of cave entrance. It is considered that these statues are 1000 years old. In the middle of the complex, in front of the cave, there is bathing place that is not any longer used by the local people. The angle figures within the bathing complex are about similar to common figures found in India. On the south part of the complex, there are along flight of step leads down the lower part of the valley. After crossing a bridge above a small creek and follow another flight of steps up to eastern side of the valley, a headless sitting Buddha statue can be seen. This is the evident of a close relationship between the two religions.

A seven-meters deep cave with a shape of T-letter is the major attraction of this Bedulu village's local temple. The cave it self is carved in a solid stone hill of the river valley. The main figure of the carving at the cave entrance is 'boma', a barong face, accompanied with big clapping fingers on its side. Leaf, flower, and some horror figures can be noticed if we give more attention look to the rest of the carving. Some holes that are considered to be used as meditation or sleeping quarters can be found in the wall of the cave. Nowadays, those holes are used to place offerings whenever there is ceremonies taking place. On the left end side of the cave is Ganesha statue, believe it as 'the God of knowledge'. Meanwhile on the right end side can be found three 'linggas', that each of them dedicated to the three common God manifestations in Bali, Brahma, Wisnu, and Siwa. There are other three stone carvings in the centre wall, one of them figuring head and face.

Three other statues of Ganesha, demons and Men Brayut, a legendary lady with her beloved children, are placed on a high building located on the left side of cave entrance. It is considered that these statues are 1000 years old. In the middle of the complex, in front of the cave, there is bathing place that is not any longer used by the local people. The angle figures within the bathing complex are about similar to common figures found in India. On the south part of the complex, there are along flight of step leads down the lower part of the valley. After crossing a bridge above a small creek and follow another flight of steps up to eastern side of the valley, a headless sitting Buddha statue can be seen. This is the evident of a close relationship between the two religions.

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Internet Access in Bali

At most villas operated by Balivillas.com you'll enjoy FREE high-speed Internet access – but remember high-speed means in Indonesia 256k or 512k. Not much, but still better than the usual 56k which turn out to be less than 14k or so using a local dial-up connection.

All rooms in better hotels throughout Indonesia and most vacation villas in Bali have direct IDD telephone lines. Therefore, it is usually no problem to dial up your home service provider at any time.

TELKOM is one of the international telephone call operator. Please use 01017 + country code + area code. International call charge to USA is Rp.3,100 per minute; to Australia is Rp. 3,500 per minute, to New Zealand is Rp. 4,980 per minute, to Europe from Rp.5,000 to Rp. 7,000 per minute. Long distance call to Jakarta is around 2,270 per minute, depends on time of call. For additional information, most hotels add a surcharge of 200% or more. Local calls cost Rupiah 180 per minute (most hotels charge Rupiah 1,000 and more).

Local Internet Access:
Several Indonesian service providers maintain local telephone access numbers in Bali. However, it is difficult for non-residents to open their own account. One reason is that the Indonesian ISPs are not interested in having clients for only one or two weeks, others are that their customer service staff does hardly speak any English, and all documentation including system configuration details is written in Bahasa Indonesia only.

Since 1999 TELKOM is also offering Internet access without any registration or contract. Just dial 080-989-999, key in the user name "telkomnet@instan" and the password "telkom" and you're on-line. Rate is Rp. 165 per minute. For further information visit the TELKOMNet web site or call 147. However, keep in mind that some hotels may charge 4,000 Rupiah per minute if you use this 080-number!

Other Local Providers:

• TELKOM Speedy (http://www.telkom.net/pojok_telkomnet_speedy.php), YANTEL Teuku Umar No. 6, Denpasar, Bali. Telephone 228-999.
  An end-to-end internet access by TELKOM based on ADSL technology at shared 384kbps. Registration fee Rp. 75,000; Personal account (promo) Rp. 200,000 for 1gb/mo; extra usage Rp. 500/mb (all charges are subject to 10% VAT)
  
• XL Data Explor 3G (http://www.xl.co.id/3G/Paket_Data_Xplor_3G), XLCenter, Sunset Road, Denpasar, Bali. Telephone 766-123, email Business_Solutions@xl.co.id
  High speed internet access with XL card up to 7.2Mbps. Data Package Rp. 279,000 for 1gb/month; extra usage Rp. 0.4/kb (all charges are subject to 10% VAT).
  
• Indosat 3G Broadband (http://3g.indosat.com/about/tarif.php), Indosat, Jalan Raya Tuban, Tuban, Denpasar, Bali. Telephone 766-001, 764-007
  High speed internet access up to 2.6Mbps. Data Package Rp. 350.000 for 2gb/mo, extra usage Rp. 0.5/kb (all charges are subject to 10% VAT).
  
• WASANTARA NET (http://bali.wasantara.net.id/), Central Post Office, Jalan Raya Puputan, Renon, Denpasar, Bali. Telephone 224-755, Fax 232-753, E-mail: supervisor@denpasar.wasantara.net.id.
  Personal account information: Registration fee Rp. 25,000; monthly fee Rp. 55,000 including 20 hours; extra hour Rp. 2,000.
  
• INDOINTERNET (http://www.indo.net.id/), Jalan Dewi Sartika Blok IV, Komplek Duta Permai, Denpasar 80114, Bali. Telephone 240-770, 240-789, Fax 236-781. E-mail: dps.admin@indo.net.id.
  Personal account information: Registration fee Rp. 55,000; monthly fee Rp. 143,000 including 15 hours, Rp. 253,000 including 100 hours; extra hour 3,300 Rupiah.
  
• INDOSATnet (http://www.indosat.net.id/), Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai, Tuban, Bali. Telephone 766-001, Fax 767 001, E-mail: lodps@indosat.net.id.
  Personal account information: Registration fee Rp. 45,000; monthly fee Rp. 60,500 for 20 Hours; Rp. 110,000 for 38 Hours. Extra usage fee Rp. 2,750 per hour. Unlimited access 2,500,000 Rupiah per month.
  

Some of the Many Places to Access the Internet (if you did not bring your own computer with you):

• Bali@Cyber Cafe, (www.balicyber.net), 9 Kompleks Sriwijaya, Jl. Patih Jelantik, Kuta 80361, Bali. Telephone 761-326, 762-290 Fax 762-292. E-mail: hello@balicyber.net.
  8 terminals with a satellite Internet connection in a large open restaurant; 6 are PC based Microsoft Windows XP systems, and 2 Apple Mac OS X systems. Color scanning & printing, CD-Rom burning and live video conferencing offered. You can also connect your own laptop to their wireless network. Color scanning & printing, CD-Rom burning and live video conferencing offered. You can also connect your own laptop to their wireless network. International & Asian menu, no air-conditioning. For fees please visit their web site.
  
• Starbucks Coffee, (http://www.starbucks.com). Telephone 762143 (Kuta).
  There are five Starbucks Coffee now i.e. in Discovery Kartika Plaza Jl. Kartika Plaza - Tuban, Hard Rock Hotel's arcade Jl. Raya Pantai Kuta, Jl. Raya Legian, Airport (no wi-fi yet) and Nusa Dua. Charge is Rp. 27,500 for 3 hours.
  
• Tiara Group, Tiara Central Parkir in Jalan Raya Kuta; Tiara Dewata in Jalan Sudirman, Denpasar; Tiara Gatsu in Jalan Gatot Subroto, Denpasar. They provide wi-fi internet access in their food court for free.
  
• Global Xtreme, (http://www.globalxtreme.net), Jalan Raya Krobokan No. 388X Kuta Bali Indonesia Telephone 736-811, Fax 736-833
  Reguler charge Rp. 4,000 per hour and multimedia charge Rp. 15,000 per hour.
  
• Roda Internet Cafe, Jalan Bisma 3, Ubud, a few meters off the main road. Telephone 973-325, Fax 976-582. E-mail: rodanet@denpasar.wasantara.net.id.
  
• Cyber Spice, Jalan Binariya, Kalibukbuk, Lovina Beach, near the "big dolphin statue". Telephone (0362) 41-509, Fax (0362) 41-171. E-mail: spicedive@hotmail.com.
  Visitors can use 10 PC's for e-mail and to surf the web for Rp. 18,000 per hour. Open from 8 a.m. to 11.00 p.m. daily.

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Religious Festivals In Bali

Being in Bali lets you experience the endless series of offerings, purification, processions, dances, and dozens of other religious rites that Balinese devote their lives to. They believe that life on earth is one stage in the continuity of existence. The cycle begins at birth and it is a cherished event. The umbilical cord is preserved and kept for life, and the birth is attended by the entire family and a holy man who invokes spiritual powers to aid the delivery. Death is merely a rite of passage when the soul is freed. It will commence its great journey before being reborn into a future generation.

There is a myriad of festivals in Bali. Some are dedicated to the art of woodcarving, the birth of a goddess, and percussion instruments. Other festivals include temple festivals, fasting & retreat ceremonies, parades to the sea to cleanse villages, special prayers for the dead, nights of penance (sivaratri), harvest festivals (usaba), blood sacrifices, and house deity anniversaries (odalan sangguh).

Religious Festivals

Religious festivals include odalan, which signifies the anniversary of a temple's founding. These festivals last a couple of days to a week. Temples are beautifully bedecked with flowers, palm leaves, flags and bamboo towers, complete with noisy parades, food offerings, and prayers that add religious fervor to the festive ambience.

Melasti, another religiously inclined festival, is a purification festival held the day before Nyepi. On Melasti, villagers will dress in their finest and make their way to the sea or holy springs. They would carry umbrellas, offerings or flowers, and fruit and sacred statues. The statues are affectionately washed with water, and pigs would be sacrificed by holy men as offerings to their gods. This festival must be carried out amid the din of gamelan and drums and lots of merry shouting. All must then fall silent the following day on Nyepi.

Nyepi is a festival that marks the beginning of a new lunar year and usually falls during the spring equinox (late March or early April). On this day, everyone in Bali including tourists must remain silent. No one is allowed to work, travel or partake in any indulgences. Visitors are advised to observe this custom and to stay within their lodgings for the day. It may seem like a day is wasted, but the previous night's festivities would have sapped substantial energy and spirit to make up for the day of stillness. It is believed that evil spirits will leave the island, thinking that the place is uninhabited due to the complete stillness.

Galungan is another festival related to religion. It is observed in the eleventh week of the 210th day in the Balinese calendar and celebrates the creation of our world. Bali's most significant annual event, locals will spend the day visiting family, friends and neighbors decked in their finest and indulge in heavy feasting.

Ten days after Galungan is Kuningan. This festival commemorates the end of the holiday season. On this occasion, ancestors are worshipped and honored with celebrations held at the water temple Tampaksiring, along with other events at Bangli and Ubud.

The restoration of balance between good and evil is also commemorated. Eka Dasa Rudra is the island's most important festival and is originally held every hundred years. It is now being revised to hold the festival more frequently and the next one is yet to be announced.

Non-Religious Festivals and Holidays

If you are in Bali between July and October, you will have the opportunity to experience the Negara bull races. The pampered bulls are spruced up with accessories, hitched in pairs to makeshift chariots, and steered by jockeys who combine their riding skills and tail twisting to induce maximum performance.

Then there is also the rice harvest festival, which is dedicated to the rice god Dewi Sri. This is a blessed season for the villages and the entire place will be repainted and decorated with flags. An atmosphere of happiness pervades. Small straw rice-god dolls are placed throughout the fields and villages as a tribute.

Indonesia's Independence Day falls on August 17, when the Republic of Indonesia achieved independence from the Dutch.

Balinese ceremonies are normally held during late afternoons or evenings when the day is cooler. They also hold firm to the belief that the island is owned by the supreme god Sanghyang Widhi, and has been handed down to the Balinese in sacred trust. To show their appreciation, the people fill their waking hours with symbolic activities and worship. If you see a procession of women garbed in traditional wear, carrying small bowls or balancing towering offerings on their heads, or a group of batik-clad men with headcloths, just put on a shirt, grab your camera and mingle with the crowd - you will always be welcomed

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Bali is the most unique village

The village in Bali is the most unique village. If we have enough time to visit villages located away of the city, we will find out the real Balinese village. As soon as we enter the traditional village of Bali, on the right and left hands we will see vast green rice fields. The birds are flying over while pathways cross the rice of farmers.

On top of the village, it will be found village temple and yard for villagers to mebakti ( pray) and worshipping every purnama (full moon), tilem (death moon) and kajeng kliwon. Once in six months, there is a ceremony where the villagers go out of their houses wearing traditional clothes, bring offerings and dedicate pujawali (ceremony).

On the end of the village, it is always being there a pura dalem (inside temple) and pura prajapati with the village's grave on the next. In this grave, the dying villagers are burred and cremated in ceremonial ritual, Ngaben.

The most interesting thing is that in the middle of the village, there is a bale banjar, a wantilan (building), a place for the villagers to gather together, have a discussion of any aspects of life, from piodalan (ceremony), cremation, agriculture, managing subak (traditional irrigation system) to selection of village leader. From this banjar the villagers take decision autonomously known as desa mawacara.

If we walk around and enter villagers' houses, there are angkul-angkul (gate house) with the yard which is often cultivated with bunga jepun (frangipani) or sometimes nyuh gading (yellow coconut). The street splitting the village is very beautiful. There are many traditional villages having such kind of street in Bali, like Penglipuran Village, Tenganan Village and Sembiran Village or Sukawati Village.

Banjar is the smallest unit of village as place of villagers to gather together, to socialize and to interact with each other. Though banjar is the smallest part of area in Bali, however the structure is not clear, which one is formed firstly, village or banjar (sub-village). But the obvious thing is that banjar is a place for people to discuss their mutual interest called sangkep or parum (meeting).For most villagers in Bali, banjar is a place for value transformation of Hindu Bali society. Most of social activities are conducted at banjar.

It is not surprising anymore if we see the villagers learn playing gamelan, ngigel (dancing) and even metajen ( gambling or cock fighting) as well as masliahan ( relaxing).

Some people said that the term of banjar is derived from banjah meaning open and spread out called bebanjaran or parallel. The articulation of the word provides meaning that banjar respects its community by placing them on the same right and obligation for krama (all members) of the banjar itself.

The members of banjar can be divided into krama desa tua or brahmacari (unmarried members), krama pengarep or grehasta (main members), krama penyada, the members who are freed from duties as members and krama penglingsir (old members).

The other thing that is necessary to be paid attention is the establishment of bale kulkul (wooden bell tower) in every banjar building. Kulkul is a big bell made of wood to give information to the members of banjar.

Banjar as if a center of activity for Balinese people in ngambel (running their customs). Even, is the indicator of self image for Balinese in expressing their social attitude and friendship they have. Therefore it is not surprising if there are members of banjar being kasepekang (isolated). That's why, banjar is a traveling magnet, if we really want to explore Bali.

There are various kinds of buildings in Bali, and one known to all is the umah (a building in which you live). For the Balinese umah doesn't mean one building.The building itself consists of several bales. One umah consists of several bales which occupy the entire plot of land on which the house is built.

The proportioning of an umah is called karang sikut satak. That is, a single plot of land which measures 14 x 13 depa, one depa being equal to the length between the two hands of an adult man when he stretches them.

This karang sikut satak is divided into three parts. The division is based on the concept of tn mandala, which divides a plot of land into zone utama, madya, and nista. Zone utama is for "parahyangan" a place where the family pray, zone madya is for "pawongan" - a place where members of the family do their daily activities, and zone nista is for "palemahan" a place for animals, cages, plants etc.

Around the umah are built confining walls with 4 paduraksas, pillars on the walls having four angles. The names of each angle are sri raksa, aji raksa, rudra raksa, and kala raksa. The entrance to the yard of the umah is called angkul-angkul. The simplest angkul-angkul is called lelengen and the most complicated is called bintang aring and kori/gelung kori.

After you enter the angkul-angkul, you will see a wall called aling-aling facing you. Aling-aling is a wall which limits and at the same time guides so as to prevent people from viewing from and into the yard (natah of the house through angkul-angkul).

Natah is an open space in the middle of the house. The Balinese's activities, including all kinds of ceremonies, take place here. Another place where they can do their religious activities is the sanggah (a place of worship for family) with its several pelinggih (holy buildings). While a place of worship at a parahyangan is called a sanggah, at a pawongan it is called a pelangkiran (a place of worship for each bale), and at a palemahan it is called a penunggun karang.

The number of bales in one umah varies according to the concepts of desa, kala, patra (place, time, situation) and desa mawa cara (local customs/traditions). However, in general there are four to six units of bale, the names of each being based on their position or the direction of compass such as the bale daja (balai in the north), bale dangin (balai in the east), bale delod (balai in the south), and bale dauh (balai in the west).

The naming of a bale is also based on the typology of the building. The simplest bale daja is called meten. The meten. The meten which has a veranda with four pillars in front is called meten bandung. If another four pillars are added in front as if it looks like a two-floored veranda, then it is called meten gunung rata.

The same applies to the bale dangin which is based on the number of its pillars : bale dangin sakaenam ( six pillars), sakakutus (eight pillars), and sakaroras (twelve pillars).

A bale delod is not so common in Bali. At the puri (In the past a house for kings), the bale delod is known as the bale sumanggen or bale mundak, and the bale dangin is called bale singasari.

Other building which form traditional Balinese houses are the paon (kitchen) and jineng (rice barn). The interesting thing about the paon is its shape which is called kong kampiah. The shape enables the air and the sun's rays to flow freely into the kitchen.

A topo (a big container which is made of sedimentary rocks) to keep water in is usually put in front of the paon. Based on its typology, a jineng is often given different names : kelumpu, gelebeg and kelingking. Next to the jineng are the lesung and alu (mortar/rice pastle for pounding race)

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Galungan: The Victory of Dharma Over Adharma

The series of Hindu religious ceremonies that are performed during the 10-day Galungan-Kuningan period are generally considered to be the most important ones of Hindu Bali. During this period the followers of the Balinese Hindu Dharma religion focus on the importance of living a life based on dharma.

Preparations for the Galungan festival already start at Tumpek Uduh - 25 days before Galungan Day, at the Saturday of the 7th week of the Balinese Pawukon calendar, Wariga. The total length of the Galungan period therefore extends to 35 days (= 5 weeks, one Balinese month).

Galungan ceremonies

Further down this page you will find an overview of all ceremonial days of the Galungan festival, starting with Tumpek Uduh and ending with Tumpek Kuningan.

Special Galungan celebrations

1. Galungan Nadi - If Galungan Day coincidences with Purnama (full moon) - similar to the first celebration which took place at Purnama, October 15, 882 AD - then the ngotonan (anniversary) of Galungan is celebrated, a special day that is blessed by Sang Hyang Ketu (Dewa Kecemerlangan). Galungan Nadi occurs about every 10 years and is celebrated in a much more solemn way than ordinary Galungan celebrations; in general the offerings on this day will be more elaborate.
   
2. Galungan Nara Mangsa - If Galungan coincidences with Tilem (dark moon) Sasih Kepitu (7th month of the Balinese Saka moon calendar) or Tilem Sasih Kesanga (the 9th month of the Saka calendar, which is the day before Nyepi) then Galungan falls on a very bad day. Such days are ruled by Kala Rau - days on which the bhuta kala are very active while the dewa/dewi (gods) remain passive. The presented offerings of a Galungan Nara Mangsa will therefore be partly different from ordinary Galungan celebrations.

Sang Kala Tiga - symbol of adharma

One of the main characteristics of the Galungan period is the inner struggle between dharma and adharma, which is symbolized by the Kala-tiganing Galungan or Sang Kala Tiga who descends three times to earth to tempt mankind to adharma. The first time that this happens is three days before Galungan, at Penyekeban, in the shape of Sang Bhuta Galungan; the second time takes place the following day, at Penyajaan Galungan, in the shape of Sang Bhuta Dungulan and the third and last time happens the day before Galungan, Penampahan Galungan, as Sang Bhuta Amangkurat.

The Ngelawang ceremony of Galungan

During the Galungan festival the Hindu people of Bali usually perform a ceremony called Ngelawang which involves travelling around the village in the costume of Barong Rangda and Barong Kedengkling.

History of the Galungan celebrations

So far no records have been found which mention the origins of the Galungan celebrations. The origin of Galungan therefore still remains a mystery.

Earliest records: Lontar Purana Bali Dwipa

Purana Bali Dwipa can be translated as, "inner struggle for control of power" (pur=struggle, ana=I, bali=inner power, dwi=two, pa=master), which refers to the inner struggle between the ego and the higher self. NB. Bali is Sanskrit for 'inner power'.

The following is written in lontar Purana Bali Dwipa about Galungan,

1. Punang aci Galungan ika ngawit, Bu, Ka, Dungulan sasih kacatur, tanggal 15, isaka 804.
   
2. [a] Bangun [b] indria Buwana [c] ikang [d] Bali rajya.

This can be translated as follows,

1. The Galungan protection rituals start at Budha Kliwon Dungulan, at Purnama, the 15th of the fourth month of Saka 804 (Full Moon, October 15, 882 AD).
   
2. [a] When starting at that day [d] the kingdom of Bali [c] is like [b] the world of the gods (Indra Lokha).
   

This commonly accepted translation (2) however is an analogy with a highly symbolic
meaning.

First of all it refers to the fact that the circumstances of that day (the coincidence with Purnama and the dominant presence of highly positive cosmic energy that day) are most auspicious for cleansing oneself and becoming aware of the existence of one's higher self who strives for a life based on dharma versus the dominant ego who strives for adharma.

Secondly it points to the fact that if the higher self would be dominant over the ego, Bali would be like the world of the gods - or rather people (mankind) would be like gods, living life as it is supposed to be, as co-creators, with the awareness of a divine (higher) consciousness

And this is exact the intention of Galungan, to create awareness of the dualty of intentions of the higher self and the ego, and to try to reach one's higher consciousness. If one succeeds, the higher self will be dominant over the ego and the inner battle between dharma and adharma is over.

In this respect, [a] Bangun [b] indria Buwana [c] ikang [d] Bali rajya could also be translated as follows, which is much closer to the intention of the Galungan celebrations,

The waking up of (= becoming aware of, or rising up to) one's cosmic senses (= higher consciousness) can be realized with controlling one's inner power.

[a] bangun = [to] wake up, rising up, becoming aware

[b] indria = 1. sense 2. gods - buwana= 1. cosmos 2. world

[c] ikang= similar to - thus 'bangun indria buwana' = 'bali rayja'

[d] bali = inner power - rayja= [to] control

THE GALUNGAN CEREMONIES - OVERVIEW

Hereunder you will find an overview of all the specific ceremonial days of the Galungan festival, starting with Tumpek Uduh and ending with Tumpek Kuningan. You can click the names to access a detailed description of each of these Galungan ceremonies.

1. Tumpek Uduh
2. Sugian Pengenten
3. Sugian Jawa
4. Sugian Bali
5. Penyekeban
6. Penyajaan Galungan
7. Penampahan Galungan
8. Galungan Day
9. Umanis Galungan
10. Ulihan
11. Pemacakan Agung
12. Tumpek Kuningan

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