JAKARTA, BALI, August 16, 2007: Mario Koch broaches the subject of Balinese identity in this short concise editorial and casts light on the topic. Koch was motivated by attendance at the Kuningan-Galungan, a grand celebration honoring ancestors last June in Bali. Koch writes, “Avenues of lamak (woven palm leaves) and penjor (decorated bamboo poles) stand witness to never-ending processions; a unique mix of the sounds of gamelan and the odors of incense and sandalwood fill the humid air. From village kitchens waft smoke and the aromas of home-cooked feasts. Young men in trance-like states carry shrines holding ancestral effigies from mountain temples to the sea. Beside them, copper-skinned young women in beautiful costumes walk ardently. Once again, we feel reminded of the cultural uniqueness, if not the exotic abundance and beauty, of Bali.”
Social scientist Dr. I Gusti Nyoman Aryana expounds, “Galungan is the greatest of all our ceremonies. This is of a veritably perennial character. Its individual-psychological as well as socio-political meaning can hardly be overestimated.” He further adds his thoughts on what it means to be a Hindu in Bali, “Are we really in danger? What exactly is it, that might be? Who or what is the source of our fears? To decide what veritably is to be preserved becomes so hard if it’s so unclear what Bali-sein (Balinese-ness) really is about.”
According to Koch, Balinese identity was originally jeopardized back in 1908 when the Dutch overthrew the last independent Balinese ruler and the colonial power set out to promote Bali vigorously as an exotic tourism paradise and a living museum of the ancient Javanese-Hindu tradition. Then under Sukarno’s presidency, the first principle to be fulfilled by every Indonesian was the belief in a single god. The news release explains the next major setback, “Soeharto’s authoritarian regime surely played its part in reshaping Bali-Sein. In order to develop the country and attract foreign currency, international tourism was taken to ever new heights during his 33-year rule -with ‘Paradise Bali’ the primary location.”
However as Dr. Arjana concludes, “We need to set out to deconstruct. Let us Balinese scratch off some layers of lacquer. There’s a lot of true beauty to be found underneath ‘Paradise Bali’.”