TRADITIONAL VILLAGES AND CUSTOMS

The soul of Bali lies in its villages which function as important religious and social institutions. The layout of a typical Balinese village follows a set pattern that achieves harmony between man and nature.

In particular, spatial arrangement of the components of a village such as temples, rice fields and cemeteries are made with reference to the two important point of kaja (or mountain ward) and kelod (or sea ward).

The Balinese desa (village) is typically host to a set of three villages temples.

Called the kahyangan tiga, these three temples are specifically defined as to function and location. The pura puseh or “temple of origin” lies facing kaja (or mountain ward), where the tutelary gods of the village and its founders are worshipped. Facing kelod (or se ward) stands pura dalem, where the forces of death and the unpurified soul are worshipped, and nearby which lies the cemetery. In between the pura puseh and pura dalem lies the pura desa, where the “Lord of the territory” (sane nruwenang jagad) is worshipped and where the meetings of the village assembly and the rituals of fertility are held. Clustered around the pura desa are groupings of houses or banjar.

The temples are at the heart of Balinese life. They have their anniversary every 210 days, when the gods come down for visit, during which they are welcomed by dance, “feted” with offerings and provided with a symbolic resting place. It is when the village comes to life, and color takes it over.

Beside the temple anniversaries, Bali has two sets of island-wide festivals which correspond to the “new years” of the two Balinese calendars : The Nyepi of the lunar-solar Saka year and The Galungan of the 210-day Pawukon calendar.