Did you enjoy discovering more about some lesser known spots in Bali? Today we bring to you a few secrets of Bali that you might not have known about before!
1. Forgotten recipes
You love Babi Guling and Nasi Campur, but have you tried out Jubel Manis or Pesan be Nyawan?
Before you sign up to test taste these traditional dishes, did you know that they are made of… dragonfly larvae and wasp nests? Having second thoughts? These dishes are not wide available, due to the scarcity of ingredients. As you can imagine, wasp nests are not too easily harvested. As for Jubel Manis, the dragonfly larvae depicted in the picture above, it is cooked with lime and coconut. They used to be easily harvested from rice fields. However, the use of modern pesticides has made their number dwindle.
2. Celestial Chariot Wheel: Moon of Pejeng
Visitors to Pejeng might have chanced upon this ancient artifact in Pejeng Temple. It is the single largest cast kettle drum in the world and is more than 2000 years old, measuring almost 2m high and 1m in diameter. According to legends, it is the remnant of a celestial chariot wheel that was carrying the moon across the sky. Up till now, scientists have not worked out where it came from. Some thinks it resembles North Vietnamese drums and others believe it came from a nearby village. Of course, some still believe it came from a chariot wheel in the night sky. We’ll never know for sure…
3. The Kissing Game
Nyepi might seem to be no fun, where everyone has to stay in and be quiet. But we think we have found out an incentive for them to do so!
The day after Nyepi, the Balinese in Banjar Kaja, Denpasar, celebrate Omed-Omedan, a fun and entertaining festival in which selected village girls and boys kiss each other to please the gods. Only youths above 15 and who are single are allowed to participate. After dancing and prayers, the girls and boys selected to participate would be pushed into the center of the road where they would embrace and kiss in front of the cheering crowds. In some instances, sparks fly and relationships are formed. Regardless, it is great entertainment for everyone. Only those from Banjar Kaja village are allowed to participate, however, tourists are always welcome to be part of the audience.
4. Food Fight!
Thailand has its Songkran Water Festival in which everyone gets soaked in a good ol’ water fight. Bali takes it up a notch with a full scale food fight. Each year in Kapal Village, the Tipat War is carried out to celebrate the bountiful rice harvest. The men offer prayers in the village temple before marching out to sling rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves at each other. The fun is not just for the men, though. After 5 minutes, the rest of the village joins in, and it turns into a boisterous chaos in which men, women and children are hurling rice cakes at each other, laughing and shouting all the way. It is 10 minutes of unadulterated fun, after which everyone picks and opens up the rice cakes for a feast. Broken bits and pieces are buried in the fields for prosperity. On the practical side, it’s fertilizer for the soil, ensuring a good harvest again next year.
5. Heavenly Nymphs Dancing
Sanghyang Dedari can be loosely translated as divine angels, and is a dance performed by virgin prepubescent girls in a state of trance. Heavenly nymphs are thought to possess these girls and allow them to dance with beautiful graceful movements. The state of entrancement allows the dancers to make perfectly synchronized movements, even with their eyes closed. This dance is associated with healing and well being of the village, to drive out spirits of illness and bad luck.
Hopefully you have learnt something new about Bali today, the fascinating culture of Bali never ceases to amaze us!
