Culture

Unlike any other island in largely Muslim Indonesia, Bali is a pocket of
Hindu religion and culture. Every aspect of Balinese life is suffused with religion, but the most visible signs are the tiny
offerings (
canang sari)
found in every Balinese house, work place, restaurant, souvenir stall
and airport check-in desk. These leaf trays are made daily and can
contain an enormous range of offering items: flowers, glutinous rice,
cookies, salt, and even cigarettes and coffee! They are set out with
burning incense sticks and sprinkled with holy water no less than three
times a day, before every meal. Don't worry if you step on one, as
they are placed on the ground for this very purpose and will be
swept away anyway. (Any ants enjoying the feast may not appreciate
your foot quite as much though!)
Balinese Hinduism diverged from the mainstream well
over 500 years ago and is quite radically different from what you would
see in India. The primary deity is
Sanghyang Widi Wasa (Acintya), the "all-in-one god" for which other gods like Vishnu (
Wisnu) and Shiva (
Civa) are merely manifestations, and instead of being shown directly, he is depicted by an empty throne wrapped in the distinctive
poleng black-and-white chessboard pattern and protected by a ceremonial
tedung umbrella.
The Balinese are master
sculptors, and temples and courtyards are replete with statues of gods and goddesses like
Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice and fertility, as well as guardians and protecting demons like toothy
Rakasa,
armed with a club. These days, though, entire villages like Batubulan
have twigged onto the tourist potential and churn out everything
imaginable from Buddhas to couples entwined in acrobatic poses for the
export market.