The island of Bali, 'Isle of the Gods', is a magical island and peopled by the
friendly Balinese. Bali is an island steeped in legends and mystical tales and
set amid the 17,508 islands which makeup the archipelago Republic of Indonesia.
Bali is Indonesia's most popular tourist travel destination, known throughout the world as a paradise isle with its story-book setting of sun-drenched beaches, rolling surf, rustic villages, fertile plains, sculptured rice terraces
and numerous temples. Bali is graced by colorful temple festivals accompanied by
sprightly music and dance and watched over by the unseen gods from their dwelling places perched on majestic Gunung Agung (Great Mountain). Bali is located near the eastern-most tip of Java
island across the narrow Straits of Bali.
Bali - A Unique Spirituality
Religious beliefs, rites and festivals guide a Balinese from birth to death and into the world thereafter. Religious customs in Bali define the plan for a town, the construction
of a home and the distribution of responsibilities with Bali 's communities.
Holidays, entertainments and social gatherings in Bali are all determined by the
religious Balinese calendar and occur within the context of ritual observances.
Bali is a masterpiece of nature formed by an east-west range of volcanoes
providing exceptional fertile soils. The Balinese have successfully managed
integrating and adapting foreigners into the flexible Balinese living
traditions. Striking evidence of this polyglot is the Balinese art displaying
Indian, Hindu-Javanese, Chinese, Islamic and some European elements.
Balinese Aristocracy
During
the struggle for the lost kingdom of
famous King Airlangga of Java (1019-1042) his mother fled to Bali,
bringing the courtly Javanese language to the island. Until the late 14th
century Bali remained more or less under
Javanese influence.
When the last great Javanese kingdom, Majapahit, fell apart, many of its
cultured
people moved to Bali, gathering at independent 'Balinese King' Dewa
Agung's base
Gel-Gel, near Klungkung. With Java in turmoil the last exodus to Bali
took place in
1478,
founding its enlightenment.
Bali - Island of 10,000 Temples
Every village has several
temples and every home has at least one house temple. There are more temples than homes
on Bali. Most of them are shrines and may not be considered real Balinese temples, but the walled compounds are still assumed to be numbered 10,000
or more. A significant mark of all temples in Bali is the uneven number of the buildings' stapled roofs. The holiest temples of Bali all carry at least one building with eleven roofs, the maximum number, displaying the importance of the god to whom it is dedicated.
Balinese Dances
There is little to compare Balinese dances with. They tend to be precise, jerky, shifting and jumpy. To the Balinese expert, every movement of wrist, hand and fingers is of a great importance as well as the facial expressions of the Balinese dancers that are carefully choreographed to convey the character displayed. Balinese dances are remarkably similar to the Balinese Gamelan music - accompanying most of the performances - with its abrupt changes of tempo and contrasts between silence and crashing
sounds. Accordingly, each Bali dancer seems to move completely independent.
Bali - Arts and Crafts
It
is thought that every Balinese is an artist and
craftsperson. Painting and carving have been integrated with abundant Balinese ceremonies and festivals. Balinese architecture and sculpture are the least affected arts by western influence. Every square
centimeter of a Balinese temple gateway is intricately carved, but never completed without a couple of stone statues as guardians. Therefore, Balinese architecture becomes sculpture and sculpture becomes architecture.
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Religious beliefs, rites and festivals guide a Balinese from birth to death and into the world thereafter. Religious customs in Bali define the plan for a town, the construction
of a home and the distribution of responsibilities with Bali 's communities.
Holidays, entertainments and social gatherings in Bali are all determined by the
religious Balinese calendar and occur within the context of ritual observances.
Bali is a masterpiece of nature formed by an east-west range of volcanoes
providing exceptional fertile soils. The Balinese have successfully managed
integrating and adapting foreigners into the flexible Balinese living
traditions. Striking evidence of this polyglot is the Balinese art displaying
Indian, Hindu-Javanese, Chinese, Islamic and some European elements. 
During
the struggle for the lost kingdom of
famous King Airlangga of Java (1019-1042) his mother fled to Bali,
bringing the courtly Javanese language to the island. Until the late 14th
century Bali remained more or less under
Javanese influence.
When the last great Javanese kingdom, Majapahit, fell apart, many of its
cultured
people moved to Bali, gathering at independent 'Balinese King' Dewa
Agung's base
Gel-Gel, near Klungkung. With Java in turmoil the last exodus to Bali
took place in
1478,
founding its enlightenment.
Every village has several
temples and every home has at least one house temple. There are more temples than homes
on Bali. Most of them are shrines and may not be considered real Balinese temples, but the walled compounds are still assumed to be numbered 10,000
or more. A significant mark of all temples in Bali is the uneven number of the buildings' stapled roofs. The holiest temples of Bali all carry at least one building with eleven roofs, the maximum number, displaying the importance of the god to whom it is dedicated. 
There is little to compare Balinese dances with. They tend to be precise, jerky, shifting and jumpy. To the Balinese expert, every movement of wrist, hand and fingers is of a great importance as well as the facial expressions of the Balinese dancers that are carefully choreographed to convey the character displayed. Balinese dances are remarkably similar to the Balinese Gamelan music - accompanying most of the performances - with its abrupt changes of tempo and contrasts between silence and crashing
sounds. Accordingly, each Bali dancer seems to move completely independent. 
It
is thought that every Balinese is an artist and
craftsperson. Painting and carving have been integrated with abundant Balinese ceremonies and festivals. Balinese architecture and sculpture are the least affected arts by western influence. Every square
centimeter of a Balinese temple gateway is intricately carved, but never completed without a couple of stone statues as guardians. Therefore, Balinese architecture becomes sculpture and sculpture becomes architecture.