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Welcome to Bali! Indonesia, in South
East Asia, is the world’s largest archipelago (a series of islands in
a chain) spanning over 5, 000 kilometres in distance. To get an idea of how large a distance
this is, we can compare it to the approximate distance you would travel if
you went from Ottawa to Yellowknife by car! Bali is one of the
more than 18.000 islands that make up Indonesia. Bali is known as the “Ďsland of the Gods” due to the many deities
that the Balinese believe in and the Bali-Hindu religious festivals, which
take place during the year. Bali is probably one
of the best-known islands of Indonesia as over one million tourists come to
visit this beautiful island paradise each year. Approximately 3 million people inhabit the island whose
ancestors it is believed, came from their next-door neighbour to the west,
the island of Java. “ It is believed
that when Islam conquered Java in the 15th and 16th
centuries, the Hindu-Javanese elite fled to Bali to preserve its refined and
sophisticated culture” (Muller, 18). Despite all of the
international attention and modern day influences on this tiny island, the
Balinese people have miraculously retained much of their spiritual beliefs
and culture. Their religious beliefs
are woven into the fabric of their lives where these beliefs govern every
aspect of their lives from their arts, to working, eating and sleeping and
the daily interactions with each other. |
