Balinese Dance in Ubud, Bali

Wow,.. That was impressive! that's all that i could said after watch the dance show in Ubud, Bali.
The dance was performed in "Puri Saren" (Ubud Palace) near the Ubud market, it performed by 11 Balinese professional dancers that wearing different costume and portray different characters. The stage was not very specials, it just a simple decoration in the courtyard of the palace, but they could make the situation very unusual with Balinese traditional music in the background along the performance, they really deliver the emotions to the audiences.

The stories of the dance is come from epic hindu texts like the infused with local island myths. You can enjoy the dance almost everyday starts from 07:30pm in Puri Saren Agung, but sometimes it will be moved to another places depends on weather condition or Palace activities. There is another places in Ubud that performing similar show with different story, check out the schedule bellow, I got the schedule from the local tourist information in Ubud.

The Story of Barong Dance

Barong Dance is one of the distinctive arts community of Bali, where Barong it self is symbolic of goodness with shape like a lion. in Barong dance it tells the story about battle between Barong and Rangda, Rangda is a symbolic of badness with shape like a giant with a big canine. Both of them is a reflection of human action in daily life with the good and bad behavior, or in Balinese it's call Dharma and Adharma.

Barong is like a doll which being moved by person inside it, Barong is very heavy, this dance usually performed by two big mans that lift and moving the barong from the inside.
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.

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.

Tirta Empul Temple

Tirta Empul temple is located in Tampak siring sub-district, 30 minutes from Ubud and it's about 1 hour from Bali international Airport. I was visited to Tirta Empul Temple in the right time, when local peoples was doing "melukat" ceremony, melukat ceremony is a ritual to clean the body from negative element by washing their body in holy water that flowing from water spring inside the temple.

The holy water in Tirta Empul temple is have a lot of meaning for Balinese local peoples, there is more than 10 water spring that flowing to Tirta Empul temple, and each water spring have a different purpose and meaning.

The Tirta Empul Temple includes the traditional Balinese split gate along with shrines to Shiva, Vishnu, Braham, Mt. Batur, and Indra. There is also a large open pavilion in the main courtyard, useful for relaxing in the shade.But the main attraction here is a long rectangular pool carved of stone, filled with koi and fed by the sacred spring via 12 fountains. Worshippers first make an offering at the temple, then climb into the main pool to bathe and pray. Many collect the holy water in bottles to take home. Nearby there are two smaller pools fed by the spring.

Overlooking the temple on a hill above is a suprisingly modern building: the Government Palace, built in 1954. Originally a residence for Dutch officials, it was later used by former President Soekarno during his frequent trips to Bali.

Balinese Nyepi day

Nyepi is Balinese, or in English known as "Day of silence" It is a day of silence, fasting, and meditation. Nyepi is the way for Balinese hindu people to define and celebrate their new year, observed from 6 am until 6 am the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection and as such anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are: no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and for some, no talking or eating at all.
Although Nyepi is primarily a Hindu holiday, non-Hindu residents of Bali observe the day of silence as well, out of respect for their fellow citizens. Even tourists are not exempt; although free to do as they wish inside their hotels, no one is allowed onto the beaches or streets, and the only airport in Bali remains closed for the entire day. The only exceptions granted are for emergency vehicles carrying those with life-threatening conditions and women about to give birth.

This is the right time for you who want to feel how is the world if there is no pollution, activities or noise. In this post i will write a few tips for travelers who want to travel to Bali when Nyepi day so you can really prepare the needs in the right time and can really enjoying the day of silence in the right place completely.

make sure you traveling in the right time
Nyepi day is falls on Bali's Lunar New Year, so before you decide what day you will fly to Bali make sure you check Balinese calender and look for what day Nyepi will falls on. As an example in 2010, it will be on march 16, so prepare to go traveling 2 or 3 days before ( March 14 or 13 ). 1 day before Nyepi there is a unique parade that call Ngerupuk, in this event the Balinese will make a statues called Ogoh Ogoh, The main purpose of the making of Ogoh-ogoh is the purification of the natural environment of any spiritual pollutants emitted from the activities of living beings (especially humans). Make sure that you enjoy this parade one day before Nyepi day.

Buy your needs for Nyepi day before Ngerupuk Parade
I suggest you to buy your needs for 24 hours Nyepi day one day before Ngerupuk parade, why?.. because before Ngerupuk parade begins largely main road will be close by local government and mostly of the road will be use for Balinese people that showing their ogoh ogoh to the public, and at this moment the traffic could be jamming because it will be so many tourist or local people that would like to see this parade before Nyepi day. So make sure you already have your needs just a one day before, so you can enjoy Ngerupuk parade nice and slowly.

Enjoying Nyepi day
For some people who stay in Bali there is a few way to enjoying Nyepi, whatever it is the day have to be enjoyed without forget what Nyepi is.
I suggest you to chose the place that far enough from main road, so the situation of Nyepi is not so seriously and you still can enjoy the Nyepi without afraid disturbing other people that in meditation with a little noise that probably happen.
And some hotel also have a Nyepi day package that providing a different service to the guest.

From the religious and philosophy point of view, Nyepi is meant to be a day of self introspection to decide on values, humanity, love, patience, kindness, etc., that should kept forever. this is one of thousands things that make Bali is a unique island.