Bali: Musings and inspiration on culture

Last week, a few days were spent in a lush tropical place, with beautiful beaches framing the golden orange sunrise. The hour before dawn would be crowded with the chirpy cadence of various birds, each one persistently trying to attract my attention.

The Sanur beach in the city of Denpasar, the capital of Bali, was nothing short of paradise. Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia — an archipelago nation of about 18,307 islands — was itself very impressive with its distinct buildings, monuments and modernity. As one spent a few days in the city of Denpasar, many features, big and small, caught my eye. Perhaps the seasoned maturity of handling tourists from across the world — the main contributors to the economy, made the locals very polite in almost any interaction.

Their commitment to cleanliness was yet another feature that was clearly evident. Their struggle with English was more than made up by this disposition.

A land blessed with lush greenery, fresh fruits, vegetables, it gave me the taste of the first mango of this season, as I sipped a refreshing smoothie. Further, almost every office, shop and establishment had a shrine that was being worshipped daily. A small, square trough made of a banana leaf would carry the offerings comprising flowers, leaves, joss sticks and small eats such as biscuits or sweets. I noticed women offering this and praying for a few minutes, with graceful hand gestures.

Almost the entire city of Denpasar is dotted with statues of Indian mythological figures, such as Garuda, Krishna and so on, not to mention Ganesha statues that are seen at every nook and corner. The architecture of many offices and homes also have a distinct Indian signature, with a style resembling the temples of Kerala and Mangalore. What was more, the meeting at the medical hospital began with greetings of 'Om Swasti Astu' and ended with 'Om Shanti Shanti'. Bali seemed more Indian than even India in so many ways.

On Saturday morning, we watched the 'Barong and Kris Dance' at Sari Wisata Budaya. In the precincts of a temple, we were treated to a cultural feast. This gave an authentic taste of Balinese culture, as a group of artists played very soulful music using a variety of drums and xylophone-like instruments that produced beautiful rhythms and melodies. The theme of the dance resonated with the universal struggle of good against evil. It included classical Balinese dance, theatrical pieces with humour and high emotions. The accompanying percussions and melodies changed their intensity and pace to mirror the moods enacted. The hour-long presentation showed the constant struggle of the good spirit, Barong with the mythological evil monster of Ranga. The costumes and make-up of all actors were very traditional and realistic, with heavy embellishments and fresh flowers such as Champa, adding special charm to their gracious movements, recitations and statuesque poses.

The popularity and interest that this show evoked both among the locals and foreigners were evident from the fully-packed hall of several hundreds of people that watched the show with rapt attention. This is a source of livelihood for the artists and musicians, who perform every morning. This also helps preserve, promote and propagate the cultural heritage, which often has to compete with modern influences of Internet, social and electronic media. Such events would add greater life to temples and monuments, filling them with music and emotions. These also serve to entertain, educate and elevate the audiences as they provoke them to reflect on the plot and theme, and identify with struggles and breakthroughs in their own life stories.

As I reflect on the shrines, statues, banana leaf offerings and the dance in the temple courtyard, these simple ideas appear extremely inspiring. Can we replicate these little ideas to make our own homes, workspaces, schools and temples living and breathing centres of culture?

The author is a Harvard-educated civil servant & writer, and has worked in the education sector 
jayanti.ravi.dna@gmail.com