The culture of Bali is unique. Sang Hyang Widi. 1. People 2. Religion and Temples One cannot separate the religious life of Bali from the people. Every little action seems to be an expression of a greater religious purpose. Stone and wood carvings, creamtion ceremony - much like Michelangelo's - are all intended for the praise of Sang Hyang Widi or for the appeasement of Shiva. 3. Dance, Music, and Theaters The music of Bali has inspired well known composer such as Bartok, with his No.109 : From the island of BALI. ext BALI, a province of INDONESIA, is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, 3.2 km (2 mi) east of Java. Its area is about 5,560 sq km (2,147 sq mi), and its highest peak, Mount Agung, reaches 3,142 m (10,308 ft). The population is 2,709,200 (1986 est.). European trade began shortly after the Dutch landed in 1597. Volcanic in origin, BALI has a dry, mountainous north coastal section and a southern plain with a rainy monsoon season. The annual mean temperature is 28 deg C (82 deg F). Teak forests have economic importance, but the giant waringin trees are locally sacred. Wild animals include tigers and deer. Most BALINESE, of Malayan origin, follow a form of Hinduism. Largely agricultural, they raise rice, maize, cassava, pigs, and cattle for local use; produce copra, coffee, and tobacco for export; and are noted for weaving and wood carving. Cities of BALI include the capital, Denpasar (1980 pop., 88,142), and Singaradja (1980 pop., 42,289). The Dutch EAST INDIA COMPANY traded with BALI from 1597, but the Dutch gained full control only in 1908. After Japanese occupation during World War II, Dutch rule was reestablished until Indonesia received independence in 1949. Article Number 0023880-0 Text The Balinese are the major ethnic group occupying the island of BALI in Indonesia. Their language, affiliated with the Malayo- Polynesian linguistic family, is written in both a Javanese script and the Roman alphabet (see MALAYO-POLYNESIAN LANGUAGES). Nearly all of the more than 2 million Balinese live in villages in narrow river valleys or along the coastal lowlands. The major crops of their small, irrigated fields are rice, corn, cassava, vegetables, and fruit. Balinese villages vary in population from a few hundred to several thousand. The houses are usually surrounded by a walled courtyard. Genealogical descent is traced through the male line, and the family is the most important social group. Polygamy is permitted, but most men have only one wife. Divorce is common. Balinese culture was strongly influenced in the past by Indian civilization. The form of HINDUISM practiced by the Balinese stresses rituals and dramatic features rather than philosophy and mysticism. The Balinese adopted a modified version of the Hindu CASTE system, but no UNTOUCHABLES live on the island. The people are noted for their graceful dances, lively music, and superb handicrafts--silver and gold jewelry, painting, and wood- carving. Indian influence has been widespread in dance, blending with indigenous religious and folklore traditions. Each area affected expresses in its dance a distinctive ethnic personality in symbolic stylizations. and the legong of BALI, a pantomime dance in which the body is in simultaneous continuous movement, from eyebrows to feet. In Indonesia, the most notable productions are the BATIK folk textiles, celebrated throughout the world for the excellence of their artisanship and the beauty of their designs. On the island of BALI, the paper or leather wayang puppets made for the shadow plays are the best known and most unique of the folk-art objects. Also impressive are the brilliantly painted peasant houses with steeply gabled roofs and elaborate carvings. The gamelan is the Javanese and Balinese orchestra, ranging from a few players to several dozen. Except for a few string and woodwind instruments, it is a percussion group (see PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS) featuring xylophones, metallophones (tuned metal bars), and gongs. The various types of instruments play different rhythmic and melodic patterns. Instruments are not interchangeable between gamelans, for each orchestra has its own tuning. The gamelan can be coupled with voices; it is used to accompany dance and the theater. The gamelan strongly influenced the musical style of Claude Debussy. The instruments for complete gamelans are housed at several American universities and European museums. Centered in eastern Java, the Majapahit Empire existed from the late 13th to the early 16th century. It was founded (1293) by a Hindu Javanese prince, Vijaya, and reached the height of its power during the reign (1350-89) of Hayam Wuruk, largely as a result of the activities of Gajah Mada, his able prime minister. Gajah Mada began a series of conquests that, according to some historians, extended Majapahit influence to all of present-day Indonesia and parts of Malaysia; other scholars, however, limit Majapahit to the islands of Java, BALI, and Madura. After Hayam Wuruk's death, Majapahit descended rapidly into obscurity. Internal revolt and the spread of Islam to Java were fatal to the empire. ext Brought to the West by 17th-century travelers, the shadow play is an East Asian form of puppetry in which flat cutout figures are silhouetted against a translucent screen. Developed in China, probably about 100 BC, shadow puppetry spread as far as North Africa and Turkey, then to Greece, its most famous version being the plays of BALI and Java. These plays present incidents from Hindu epics with buffalo skin figures, whose grotesque shapes and ornamentation are prescribed by tradition. In performances lasting up to ten hours, the puppeteer manipulates the figures with rods and intones the story to musical accompaniment. xcept in BALI, where a modified but fascinating form of East Javanese religion survives today. The colorful ceremonies still performed in terraced courts of Balinese shrines give some idea of what life around older shrines must have been like in their heyday. New Year's Eve celebration was a winner for BALI-by-the-Sea in Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii. The theme, "a touch of gold," was reinforced by custom-made gold lame napkins and other items. bstract Throughout the decades, BALI has maintained its allure. Balinese tourism runs rampant in a few patches but the rest of the island is relatively untouched. The challenge in arranging a BALI holiday is being honest in what is desired from it. A person after culture should head for the hills: Ubud remains the core of traditional Balinese culture. A person seeking luxury should aim for Nusa Dua on a peninsula where some of the world's most sumptuous hotel palaces line the shores. Then there is Kuta. This is a cross between Surfers Paradise and Animal House, especially during Australian school holidays. It has the cheapest and most extensive range of accommodation, the best beaches and the wildest night life, but it has very little to do with BALI. In tourist terms, the western part of BALI is a non-event. About the only visitors who see it are those taking the lengthy bus trip to the ferry for Java and onward to Surabaya. bstract The 6 Tuban hotels in BALI, Indonesia, have banded together with support from American Express to market their village as a new alternative on BALI. Bintang BALI, BALI Dynasty Resort, Holiday Inn BALI Hai, Kartika Plaza Beach Resort, Santika Beach Hotel, and Pertamina Cottages BALI are disassociating themselves from the infamous Kuta Beach area and linking themselves with the authentic Balinese village of Tuban, which has always been their physical address. Tuban is a self- contained enclave of facilities south of Kuta on a westward- facing beach area known as BALI's sunset strip. Yet, Tuban also offers visitors the real BALI environment. bstract BALI, like many world-renowned tourist destinations, has suffered for its fame. In the narrow streets, jerry-built shops, piled high with garish art and leather goods, compete for space with traffic and sprawling roadwork. Despite all of this, there are places to get away in luxurious style, while still staying in touch with Kuta, which has good things to offer as well - such as a vibrant nightlife. Puri Ratih BALI, a villa-style resort and private club, built in traditional style but incorporating every modern convenience, offers the best of all choices. For excursions, a free shuttle will take guests to and from Legian and Kuta at any time. Puri Ratih was built in 1987. The current owners took it over in 1990, renovated the existing villas, and then started expanding. When the expansion is complete, there will be 3 new private villas. Puri Ratih's management is doing everything possible to retain the intimacy that has made the resort a favorite retreat. Abstract First Colony Life takes a unique approach to its incentive program. The company offers a trip to exotic locations. In March 1990, some 310 general agents, brokers, employees, directors, and guests toured BALI, Indonesia, and Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand, for 11 days. Ron V. Dolan, president of First Colony, says that the destinations were a challenge. The company offers a trip about once every 5 years, with an 18- month incentive period for qualification. First Colony's trips must meet certain criteria: 1. They must be to an unusual or exotic location that offers a cultural difference. 2. They must be to a place where well-traveled agents might not go on their own. 3. They must be to a place that is safe for US visitors. The group enjoyed a variety of entertainment and interesting activities. According to George T. Stewart, chief executive officer, the trips are worth it. Everyone gets to know each other, and lifetime friendships and loyalties result, which First Colony thrives on.