Archive for July 19th, 2006
Everybody has their own opinion about the Bombing Memorial opposite Poppies Lane 2 and whether or not it is a good monument to those who lost their lives or that the funds could have been used for a better purpose.
Personally, I would have liked to have seen the money spent on the Bali Peace Park or at least in cleaning and the areas of the Sari Club and Paddy’s, maybe erecting a smaller monument.
Now it seems the area surrounding October 12 Bombing Memorial now earns unwanted scrutiny for presence of beggars, touts and commercial sex workers according to the Bali Discovery.
The Regional Government of Badung in Bali has promised to continue and intensify steps to improve security and quality of the local environment surrounding the monument commemorating the victims of the October 12, 2002 terrorist bombing in Kuta.
The promise from local government authorities follows formal complaints made by the Consulate General for Australia in Bali concerning parking problems, beggars, commercial sex workers, beggars, touts and timeshare salespeople surrounding the monument area.
Government officials promise that enhancements in the area surrounding the monument should be completed by the end of September 2006.
Meanwhile local community leaders in Kuta have bemoaned the long-delayed promises of the regional government to improve the area pointing to the still derelict state of the now empty lots once occupied sites of the Sari Club and Paddy’s Café.
Let me know what you think about all this?.
July 19th, 2006
In Java there are a multitude of myths and legends. The Sudanese in particular have some fascinating legends and none more fascinating that of Dewi Sri.
We have all seen the shrines dedicated to Dewi Sri in the padi fields on Bali as we have travelled through the island. If one wonders about the beginning of padi and how the earth was first organized then the Sundanese have all the stories. One of the myths that is very well known by the Sundanese is Nyi Pohaci Sanghiang Sri. This story about Dewi Sri is written in Wawacan Sulanjana:
Once upon a time in the heavens the Batara Guru commanded all the gods and goddesses to contribute their power in order to build a new palace. Anybody who disobeyed this commandment would lose his or her head.
Upon hearing the Batara Guru’’s commandment, one of the gods, Anta, was very anxious. He didn’t have arms or legs and he wasn’t sure how he could possibly do the job. Anta was shaped as a snake and he couldn’t work. He sought advice from one of his friends but unfortunately his friend was also confused by Anta’s bad luck. Anta became very upset and cried.
As he was crying three teardrops fell to the ground.
Amazingly, after touching the ground those teardrops became three eggs. His friend advised him to offer those eggs to the Batara Guru hoping that he would give a fair judgement.
With the three eggs in his mouth Anta went to the Batara Guru’s palace. On the way there he was approached by a black bird who asked him a question. He couldn’t answer because of the eggs in his mouth but the bird thought that Anta was being arrogant. It became furious and began to attack Anta and as a result one egg was shattered. Anta quickly tried to hide in the bushes but the bird was waiting for him.
The second attack left Anta with only one egg to offer to the Batara Guru.
Finally he arrived at the palace and offered his teardrop (in the shape of an egg) to the Batara Guru. The offer was accepted and the Batara Guru asked him to nest the egg until it hatched. Miraculously the egg hatched into a very beautiful girl. He gave the baby girl to the Batara Guru and his wife.
Nyi Pohi Sanghian Sri was her name and she grew up into a beautiful princess becoming more and more beautiful as the days passed by. As her beauty grew every man who saw her became attracted to her. Even her stepfather the Batara Guru started to feel an attraction toward her.
Seeing the Batara Guru’s new attitude toward Nyi Pohaci, all the gods became so worried about the situation that they conspired to separate Nyi Pohaci and the Batara Guru.
To keep the peace in the heavens and to maintain Nyi Pohaci’s good name, all the gods planned for her death. She was poisoned and her body buried on earth in a hidden place. But the graveyard was to hold a strange sign, for at the time of her burial, up grew a very useful plant that would forever benefit all human beings.
From her eyes grew the plant that is called padi (rice paddy).
July 19th, 2006
North of Tampaksaring on the road to Kintamani you will see the turnoff to Tirta Empul. It is to here that the Balinese come from all over the island on pilgrimages to bathe in the holy springs and thus cleanse themselves spiritually.
Legend tells how the springs were first tapped by the god Indra during his battle with the evil Mayadanawa who was an early ruler of Pejeng. Mayadanawa had poisoned the nearby river and made hundreds of Indra’s retainers ill, so Indra pierced the earth to release a spring of pure and sacred water, the elixir of mortality, thus reviving his ailing troops. This new spring was named Tirta Empul and ever since has been considered the holiest place in Bali since the 10th century.
Around the pools an elegantly ornate temple has been built and, whilst I was there, devotees were in prayer and others leaving after finishing their devotion and with even more entering to pray and bathe in the pools. Everywhere you looked in the complex Balinese in ceremonial attire carrying offerings and receiving blessings were prominent as were a multitude of Pedanda’s.
I walked through the Jaba, or outer courtyard, of the temple where the red-brick bathing pools are sunk. Here, men and women as well as priests were bathing in the holy water fed from the springs in the Jeroan, or inner sanctuary of the temple.
Interestingly, for pregnant women, bathing in the holy waters of Tirta Empul is significant. It is one of three places they must bathe for a special ritual called Melukat. This ritual involves the total immersion in the holy waters. The three places of the holiest springs are at Tirta Bungkah - the holy waters of the mountain, Tirta Empul - the holy springs of the plain, and, Tirta Selukat - the holy springs of the sea.
In the Jeroan, I was fascinated with the clarity and freshness of the spring water bubbling out into the enclosed and rectangular pool. It truly is mesmerising. I really felt like going for a swim, but at that time I had more temples to see.
sources : www.baliblog.com
July 19th, 2006
North of Tampaksaring on the road to Kintamani you will see the turnoff to Tirta Empul. It is to here that the Balinese come from all over the island on pilgrimages to bathe in the holy springs and thus cleanse themselves spiritually.
Legend tells how the springs were first tapped by the god Indra during his battle with the evil Mayadanawa who was an early ruler of Pejeng. Mayadanawa had poisoned the nearby river and made hundreds of Indra’s retainers ill, so Indra pierced the earth to release a spring of pure and sacred water, the elixir of mortality, thus reviving his ailing troops. This new spring was named Tirta Empul and ever since has been considered the holiest place in Bali since the 10th century.
Around the pools an elegantly ornate temple has been built and, whilst I was there, devotees were in prayer and others leaving after finishing their devotion and with even more entering to pray and bathe in the pools. Everywhere you looked in the complex Balinese in ceremonial attire carrying offerings and receiving blessings were prominent as were a multitude of Pedanda’s.
I walked through the Jaba, or outer courtyard, of the temple where the red-brick bathing pools are sunk. Here, men and women as well as priests were bathing in the holy water fed from the springs in the Jeroan, or inner sanctuary of the temple.
Interestingly, for pregnant women, bathing in the holy waters of Tirta Empul is significant. It is one of three places they must bathe for a special ritual called Melukat. This ritual involves the total immersion in the holy waters. The three places of the holiest springs are at Tirta Bungkah - the holy waters of the mountain, Tirta Empul - the holy springs of the plain, and, Tirta Selukat - the holy springs of the sea.
In the Jeroan, I was fascinated with the clarity and freshness of the spring water bubbling out into the enclosed and rectangular pool. It truly is mesmerising. I really felt like going for a swim, but at that time I had more temples to see.
sources : www.baliblog.com
July 19th, 2006