Barong Dance

 

Hello, you know bali has so many culture, arts, and traditions. This time i will tell you one of culture of bali, Barong Dance.

Barong is a lion-like creature and character in the mythtologi of Bali, Indonesian. He is the king of the spirits, leader of the hosts of good, and enemy of Rangda, the demon queen and mother of all spirit guarders in the mythological traditions of Bali. The battle between Barong and Rangda is featured in Barong dance to represent the eternal battle between good and evil.

Barong is probably the most well known dance. It is also another story telling dance, narrating the fight between good and evil. This dance is the classic example of Balinese way of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history being blended into one reality.

The story goes that Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was condemned by Erlangga's father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow, she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to come after Erlangga. A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were too strong that Erlangga had to ask for the help of Barong. Barong came with Erlangga's soldiers, and fight ensued. Rangda casted a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.

Somebody can die or get seriously injured in a Barong dance. It is said that if Rangda's spell is too strong, a weak soldier may not be able to resist it, even with the help of Barong. He may end up hurting himself with his own keris.

The masks of Barong and Rangda are considered sacred items, and before they are brought out, a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerrings must be presented. 

from : Wikipedia , Indo.com

Borobudur Temple

Wow, I already at Magelang, Central java. I Go there with my friends. I Have So Much fun with them, This time i go to Borobudur Temple... 

The magnificent Borobudur temple is the world’s biggest Buddhist monument, an ancient site widely considered to be one of the world’s seven wonders. Built in the 9th century during the reign of the Syailendra dynasty, the temple’s design in Gupta architecture reflects India's influence on the region, yet there are enough indigenous scenes and elements incorporated to make Borobudur uniquely Indonesian. This awe inspiring monument is truly a marvel. After a visit here you will understand why it is Indonesia’s most visited tourist attraction and a famous icon of Indonesia’s cultural heritage.

Located on the island of Java, the temple sits majestically on a hilltop overlooking lush green fields and distant hills. It covers an enormous area, measuring 123 x 123 meters. The monument is a marvel of design, decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. The architecture and stonework of this temple has no equal.  And it was built without using any kind of cement or mortar! The structure is like a set of massive interlocking Lego blocks held together without any glue.

The temple has remained strong even through ten centuries of neglect. It was rediscovered in 1815, buried under volcanic ash. In the 1970’s the Indonesian Government and UNESCO worked together to restore Borobudur to its former majesty The restoration took eight years to complete and today Borobudur is one of Indonesia and the world’s most valuable treasures.

The temple is decorated with stone carvings in bas-relief representing images from the life of Buddha. Commentators claim that this is the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world, unsurpassed in artistic merit.

This monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The ten levels of the temple symbolize the three divisions of the religion’s cosmic system. As visitors begin their journey at the base of the temple, they make their way to the top of the monument through the three levels of Budhist cosmology, Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). As visitors walk to the top the monument guides the pilgrims past 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.

The whole monument itself resembles a giant stupa, but seen from above it forms a mandala. The great stupa at the top of the temple sits 40 meters above the ground.  This main dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.

Historians suggest that the name of Borobudur comes from the Sanskrit ‘Vihara Buddha Uhr’ or the ‘Buddhist monastery on the hill’.

from : Visit Indonesia

Tanah Lot Temple

Hai, Everyone This Time I have trip with my friends to my Hometown Bali island at Indonesia... That Photo was Tanah Lot Temple.

Tanah Lot is located at a village called Braban, included in the administration of Kecamatan Kediri Kabupaten Tabanan. The location is 30 kms from Denpasar city, and 11 kms from the town of Kediri. The town of Kediri lies on the main road between Denpasar city to Tabanan city which is also the main road of southern area of Bali from east island to the west. Big bus can reach the parking lot that is especially constructed by local government on the beach where are also found some restaurants, shops and art shops. On the east side of parking area there are shops and restaurants, from here visitors have to walk on foot around 300 meters to the beach. On the beach again some drink stalls along the direction of east west and they put some wooden or bamboo chairs on the beach where visitors can relax waiting for the sunset.

The beach on the area is steep drop cliff continuously under abrasion of strong sea water. On the edge of the sea below is very fine black sand mixed with sparkling quartz. This black sand is used to make decoration such as mirror frames, photo frames or building decorations due to its sparkling reflection under light.

The name of Tanah Lot temple in tourism bibliography about Bali is almost never absent. Among those temples as a tourist visit it is probably Tanah Lot is second most popular after Besakih. The name Tanah Lot is probably from " tanah laut " means land in the sea. It is the fact that the strong sea abrasion has separated the temple area with Bali mainland, so it looks that the temple nests on a small hill of rock bulging up on the ocean. Despite the fact that strong hit of sea wave but the site is still standing while the whole side have disappeared by the raged waves of hundreds of years.

No historical record is found so far to construct the history of the temple. Scripture of Dang Hyang Nirarta ( a fairy priest from Java ) mentions that the priest Dang Hyang Nirarta had visited the temple and asked the people around the area to build shrine. While the priest also educated fishermen there in making fish trap. The temple as a whole has 8 shrines with Merus ( superimposed roofs ) assemblaged on the narrow cliff that bulges up from the sea bed. Seen from the name of main shrine it suggests that the temple was built to honor a person who probably had important rule at the area with posthumous name as " Pemekel " It is common that, when a temple is built say the main shrine indeed dedicated to god, but second main shrines in a complex is normally dedicated to persons who had dedicated himself for the welfare of the people or at least a person who had strong influence among the people.

The temple as a whole is dedicated to the god of the sea. Fishermen pray to get fish and prosperity. A myth mentions that one of the shrine at Batukaru temple was lost, and was found here standing at Tanah Lot temple complex. It was very probable that the temple was built by Mengwi kingdom as the sea temple. The kingdom of Mengwi was flourishing around 1750 according to manuscript, and built their capital at present day Mengwi town, also popular as tour visit for its temple called Taman Ayun. The palace was just on the west side of Taman Ayun temple along the road side up to the corner of cross road. The kingdom ever ruled large part of Bali, even up to the present day Kabupaten Banyuwangi in east Java, and one of kingdom built so many temples inherited to their people. Toward the end of 19th century the kingdom was declining very quick due to conflict with their minister known as I Pasek Badak, from the village of Buduk near krobokan town kuta. it was probable that royal family wish to take the position of Badak as minister because Badak was not from Arya family ( not with title I Gusti ), yet Badak show resistant and open war was un avoided. Royal family was almost defeated when Badak realized that to many people become victim of unnecessary conflict and he informed the royal family that he would give up his resistant, and asked to be killed by the king. As the respect to Badak who ever growing Mengwi kingdom, royal family worship him as great warrior at the main temple of Taman Ayun where one can see the shrine especially dedicated to I Pasek Badak and the royal family regularly during the ritual worship him at front of his shrine. A kingdom in Bali normally had 3 main temples, one located near the sea, one in the city or near the palace, and one on the mountain or near the mountain. This concept of 3 temples has also influenced the smaller unit of Balinese settlement in the level called " Desa ". Every Desa in Bali has also 3 main temples dedicated to different way of worshipping the god and ancestor's spirits.

Now only 3 villages that responsible for the temple those are all nearby villages of Braban, Kelating, and Tibu Biyu, and still as the temple for Mengwi palace. The ceremony is performed every 6 month, based on Hindu-Java calendar which is already printed out during November every year.

For tourists, it is not only the traditional magic of the temple is interesting, but the location in the natural setting, especially during the sunset, the temple changes into silhouette against the sunsets above Indonesian ocean.

from : BaliTouring

Prambanan Temple

Hello, Everyone this photo was from my holiday trip to Klaten,Central Java. It was Prambanan Temple...
here Are the History Of Prambanan Temple :

Mataram is the largest empire in the ancient Javanese who first appeared on the stage of history in 732 BC, which at that time jobs were governed by Sanjaya of Mataram, the ruling Hindu nobleman in fertile areas between the opaque and rivers Progo river. In the year 750 BC, Dynasty Buddhist dynasty expelled Sanjaya together with his family in exile in upland areas outside the boundaries of the kingdom of Mataram.

A century later, the descendants of King Sanjaya Pikatan Rakai married with a family clan dynasty and held the reins of power. In his reign the influence of Hindu like being born again and in that time many buildings of the temple was founded specifically prambanan temple construction.

Rakai Pikatan started building the temple in 856 BC with the purpose of commemorating the return of Sanjaya dynasty came to power. However, the temple complex was abandoned a century later when the kingdom of Mataram and its people moved to East Java and the temple itself collapsed since the devastating earthquake that occurred in the 16th century. Temple restoration performed in 1930 and still do until now.

The three temples on the main page so dominate the complex. But the most impressive temple is a large building which was in the midst of complex and towering as high as 47 meters of Roro Jonggrang Temple. It is said by some experts that Roro Jonggrang temple dedicated to Lord Shiva while the two smaller temples in the north and south is dedicated to the god Vishnu and god Brahman.

From : Tour in Indonesia

My Second Homepage

Hello,
It's was my second blog,
if You wanna know my first Homepage
visit This :"SandatBali"
it's been long time i am not update my homepage so
don't be shocked if my first homepage in a mess,
So, comment on my homepage if you have an 
idea
what should i post on my first homepage.....


My Name is Dewa Ayu, You an Call me Ayu (that's not my full name)
I Was A Girl 
I'm still in high school...
I'm Living on Jakarta...
My Hometown is on Bali...
I basically came from Indonesia...
if You have question, you can ask me (if that question is about indonesia i can answer it 
(>_<))