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Our gay travel adventure to Bali is very special. During this two week journey we will attend traditional Balinese Legong & Kecak dances, participate in traditional temple rituals, possibly attend elaborate cremation ceremonies, shop among the many traditional arts and crafts of Ubud, indulge in Bali's extensive international cuisine, deepen our yoga and meditation practices, go whitewater rafting and snorkeling, visit scenic mountain and ocean temples, ancient sacred sites, native healers, and artisans.
The island of Bali is geographically located 8 degrees south of the equator and 18degrees north of the western end of Australia. One of the thousands of islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago, Bali's fame is disproportionate to its size. The island is about 90 miles long and 48 miles wide, but it has more than 3 million people and probably more than 11,000 temples - small and large, local and regional. Originally inhabited by aboriginal peoples of uncertain origin, Bali was colonized by a seafaring people, called the Austronesians, some four or five thousand years ago. Since the seventh century AD, the animistic Balinese have absorbed diverse elements of Mahayana Buddhism, orthodox Shivaism, and Tantrism. Today, the island is the only remaining stronghold of Hinduism in the archipelago, and Balinese religion is a fascinating amalgam of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Malay ancestor cults with magical beliefs and practices. A range of towering volcanic mountains divides the island into northern and southern portions. For the Balinese these mountains are the homes of the gods. The range includes four primary sacred mountains: Agung, Batur, Batukao, and Abang. Of these, Gunung Agung, Bali's highest mountain at 10,308 feet, is the most sacred to the island's Hindus, while Gunung Batur is considered most holy by the aboriginal people in the remote jungles around Lake Batur. Mt. Agung is the abode of Batara Gunung Agung, also identified as Mahadewa, the supreme manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva.
Bali is an island of temples. The Balinese call a shrine "palinggih", which simply means "place" or "seat" and refers to any sort of temporary or permanent place toward which devotions and offerings are made. In no case is the shrine itself considered sacred; the shrine exists or is built as a residence for sacred, or holy, spirits - whether ancestors or Hindu deities. Bali is a society of hamlets clustered around temples. As a culture organism, the villages are its vital organs and the network of temples its nervous system.
Balinese temples are not closed buildings, but rectangular courtyards open to the sky, with rows of shrines and altars dedicated to various gods and deities. The gods are not thought to be present in the temples except on the dates of the temple's festivals; therefore, the temples are usually left empty. On festival days the congregation of each temple assembles to pray to and entertain the visiting deities. Most Balinese families belong to a half dozen or more temples and devote several weeks of labor each year to maintaining the temples and preparing them for numerous festivals. Prayers and offerings to the gods comprise only a small part of typical temple festivals. The primary activities carried on in the temples are ceremonies of sacred dance and music. Since the destruction of Tibet, this is one of the last societies in which all facets of life - agriculture, economics, politics, technology, social customs, and the arts - are welded together by a strong spiritual center. All over the island, from the capital of Denpasar to the tiniest village, plaited baskets filled with blossoms and herbs lie on the sidewalks, on the prows of fishing boats, and in markets. These offerings are made from dawn till dusk, to placate evil spirits and honor helpful ones. What's truly remarkable is that this genuine spiritualism coexists with Indonesia's most developed tourist infrastructure. The beautiful beaches of the southern coast are thick with resort developments, but it is in the interior - a land of terraced fields, well-preserved temples, towering volcanoes, and quaint towns - that you can fully appreciate Bali's passionate and beautiful way of life.
Have questions?
Contact us at 800-754-1875 or info@spiritjourneys.com
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