The story behind Kecak is taken from the Hindu epic Ramayana, the dance tells the story of Prince Rama and his rescue of Princess Sita, who has been kidnapped by the evil King of Lanka.

A troupe of over 150 bare-chested men serve as the chorus circling the flame at the centre where the dancer are performing.

In the 1930’s Wayan Limbak worked with German painter Walter Spies to create the Kecak from movements and themes in the traditional sanghyang exorcism ritual and the portions of the Ramayana. This collaboration between artists worked to create a dance that was both authentic to Balinese traditions but also palatable to Western tourist’s narrow tastes at the time. Wayan Limbak popularized the dance by traveling throughout the world with Balinese performance groups. These travels have helped to make the Kecak famous throughout the world.

Attending a Kecak recital is a must for any visitor to Bali. It is a wondrous experience, and a window into the musical and artistic culture that make the Balinese a special people.

The people of Tenganan occupy a special place in the population of Bali. They claim to have been created by the god Indra himself, and for proof of this refer to the "Usana Bali", a Balinese creation story written on palm-leaves in the 14th century, which states that the inhabitants of the village of Tenganan are descended from gods. The Bali Aga (Old Balinese) of Tenganan, like those of Trunyan (see Penelokan, Surroundings), form an independent community consisting of a number of groups organized in accordance with strict rules. They recognize no right of private property: everything belongs to the community. At the age of eight boys and girls must, after a transitional period of a year, join a group (truna or daha), and thereafter their family home is of only subordinate importance: the group is now responsible for bringing the children up to be full members of the community (krama desa). Later they are assigned, according to age, sex, occupation and capacity, to the "right" group, in which they remain for the rest of their lives.

As "favorites of the gods", the people of Tenganan see their aim in life not as strenuous physical labor but as the enjoyment of leisure, and also as the maintenance of old traditions and crafts. They let other people work for them: the rice-fields around the village are tended by peasants from other areas, who pay rent in the form of a proportion of the produce. The villagers of Tenganan thus have time to devote themselves to playing in gamelan orchestras, weaving fine textiles (this is the only place where the technique of double ikat is practiced: see Art and Culture, Textiles) or copying old manuscripts. Any villagers who dissociate themselves from the community (for example by marrying someone from another village) lose all their rights as natives of the village. They may be allowed to remain in Tenganan but will be required to move to a section of the village to the east, Banjar Pande, and will not be permitted to take part in any religious ceremonies.

Another version reveals that the people of Tenganan came from Peneges village, located in Gianyar, precisely near Bedahulu. Based on the folklore, once upon a time Bedahulu King lost one of his horses. The people looked for it to the east and the horse was finally found dead by Ki Patih Tunjung Biru, the King's right hand. For his loyalty, the King finally gave Ki Patih Tunjung Biru an authority to govern the land as far as the aroma of the carrion of the horse can be smelled. Ki Patih was an intelligent person, so he cut the carrion into pieces and spread it as far as he could. Thus he received a quite large area.

The word Pegeringsingan was taken from the word "geringsing". Geringsing is a traditional woven product that can only be found in Tenganan. Geringsing is noticed to be sacred for the belief that it has a magical power to drive away the evil or the black magic. Geringsing derived from the word "gering" means decease and "sing" means no.

As an ancient village, Tenganan Pegeringsingan is identical with religious activities. Many temple festivals performed in this village that attract visitors to come. The most famous one is "Mekare-kare" or "Perang Pandan". This is a ceremonial fight or war using thorny pandanous leaves as the weapon. This festival usually takes place in relation to the celebration of "Sasih Kelima" or the fifth Balinese month. Many other uniqueness of custom and culture can be found here that make Tenganan worth to visit.

Calling the soul
DiggingDue to the huge amount of time and expense involved, a cremation is usually postponed for months or even years. In the meantime the body of the deceased is temporarily buried. Family members first wash and groom the corpse, then wrap it in cloths and mats. A raw egg is rolled across it and smashed to the ground, removing all impurities. The body is then transported to the cemetery on a simple bier and buried without a casket.

Once a favorable day has been set, an army of ritual specialists, artists, priests, family members, friends and neighbors of all ages and sexes is mobilized - calling upon an encyclopedia of communal knowledge in the creation of offerings and artifacts of every imaginable shape, color and ingredient and the performance of a series of elaborate rites.

ngabenBefore cremation a "soul calling" ritual must be held at the grave. Offerings are made, and as the corpse cannot be returned to the house once it has been buried, the soul is taken home in a sangah urip effigy made of leaves and wood. Outside the house a paper and coconut shell lamp - a damar kurung is hung to guide the soul home.

The washing of the corpse is symbolically repeated on an adegan, a small board with a human figure drawn on it. The day before the cremation, a priest prays for favorable treatment of the soul in the afterlife. Various types of holy water are made and offerings are purified. The angenan, an eggshell lamp mounted on a decorated coconut, serves as a memorial.

The procession
On the day of the cremation, once the sun has passed the zenith, loud gong music plays and a lively procession heads off to the cemetery. Dozens of offerings and ritual objects lead the way and the body is carried in a colorful tower (wadah, bade) fashioned of wood, bamboo and paper, shouldered by scores of shouting men. Platforms at the base represent the earth, sometimes resting on the cosmic turtle and serpents of the underworld. On the back of the tower may be a winged and fanged face of the son of the earth, and higher up a goose symbolizing purity.

Above these platforms is an open space for the body, or its effigy, and crowning the tower is an odd number of roofs. The caste and clan of the deceased determine the number - 11 for royalty, less for persons of more humble birth. Attached to the front of the tower is a long, white cloth (lantaran) held by family members to represent their ties to the deceased. The tower is rotated at each crossroads, to disorient and prevent the soul from returning to disturb the living.

Release through fire and water
ngabenArriving at the cemetery, the effigy or body is taken down and a pair of birds set free - symbolic of the soul's release. On a platform under a high roof stands a wooden sarcophagus (patulangan, palinggihan) decorated with cloth and paper, sometimes carried in procession ahead of the tower. 'Me sarcophagus is in the shape of an animal such as a bull, winged Eon or elephant-headed fish.

The sarcophagus is opened and the body or newly exhumed remains (sometimes simply an effigy) are carried around it and placed inside. The shroud is opened, jars of holy water are poured over the body and shattered. Cloths, letters of introduction to the gods and effigies are piled inside, and the sarcophagus is closed. Offerings are placed below to start the fire and the sarcophagus and corpse are consumed by flames. 'Me tower is burned separately.

Death brings with it the opportunity to fulfill all duties toward the deceased, and there is no public display of mourning if the deceased has lived a long and full life. Weeping near a corpse disturbs the soul, making it unwilling to leave. Grief is expressed in private, however, especially if a young person has died prematurely as the result of serious illness or a tragic accident.

Purification and deification
When the corpse has finally been reduced to ashes, the flames are doused and the family hunts for bone fragments, forming them into a small human shape. The bones are pulverized and placed in an effigy made from a coconut, which is taken on a bier to the sea or river and cast into the waters. Three days later another ceremony removes the ritual pollution brought by death upon the living.

Twelve days after the cremation, the soul of the deceased is purified in a ngrorasin rite, often accompanied by rites (mukur, nyekah, ngasti, maligia) to deify the ancestor. This may be delayed for several decades. A sekah effigy is made for the soul and placed in a high pavilion. In the evening, family members pray and offer their respects. Early the next morning, the image is broken and burned, and the ashes placed in a decorated coconut. A tower (bukur, madhya) then transports it to the sea for disposal.

Finnaly, in the nyegara-gunung ceremony the family express thanks to the gods of the oceans and muntains. Offerings are brought to important sea and mountains temples, after which the diefied soul is enshrined in a clan or familiy temple, awaiting its next reincarnation.

Through the puppets, he relates the story line (which the audience usually already knows by heart) and embellishes the universal themes through improvisational asides incorporating the local village's gossip or happenings.These asides are usually hilarious to the audience.

The function of the shadow play is to educate as well as amuse, by portraying good and evil, with good always triumphing, although evil is never destroyed. In Hindu thought, good and evil are necessary parts of the whole and must exist in equilibrium.

In Bali, shadow plays are extremely popular, with performances given during sacred temple ceremonies, private family ceremonies, and in the villages, just for fun. A typical performance can last six hours or more, often ending at daybreak. The audience, including little children, sits on the ground, enthralled, for the entire story. Although involving much horseplay and slapstick comedy in the lighthearted Balinese fashion, every aspect of the shadow play has mystical overtones, symbolism, and esoteric meanings.

Menjangan island is surrounded by beautiful white sandy beaches. Coral formations close to the shore are good for scuba diving and snorkelling.

The island of Menjangan is surrounded by a coral reef, characterised by deep drop offs of up to 60 metres and by complex rock formations. These distinctive features have given rise to a great number of large and small caves, festooned with sponge and soft corals and often inhabited by large groupers, moray eels and in the smaller caves by young snappers and batfish. The sea beds are also rich in large barrel sponges and vibrant sea fans, some of which are truly enormous. Given the depth, the moderate flow of current and protection from strong winds, it is common to see tuna, shoals of jack-fish, batfish, angelfish, sea turtles, and on occasion, sharks, especially off the outer corners of the island.

The more popular dive sites at Menjangan are: The Eel Garden, Pos II and, for the more experienced, a deep dive (40M) to the Anker Wreck, a 150 years old wooden boat.

The Anker Wreck
No-one knows the name of this small wooden boat, even if it had one, or what brought it to the area. The wreck is actually named for the anchor that still lies about 6-8M from the surface. You follow the anchor chain down the steep slope to the flattened remains of the shipwreck (35-50M), which lie across about 60M of sand. This is the deepest dive site offered by AquaMarine, we believe that the good visibility and calm conditions mean that it will present no problems to experienced divers.

Following the anchor chain down to 32M, there is a second (coral-covered) anchor at the point where the site becomes a sand slope. It is here that you see the first parts of the wreck, dark against the white sand. Across the site you will find copper sheeting and bottles, the boat's cargo (artefacts, not for souvenirs). There are still some parts of the boat which remain out of the sand, and which are covered in gorgonians, a sure sign of little or no currents at the site.

The wall to the west, at 5-10M, is rich with many overhangs, cracks and caves. A good idea for an extended safety stop after this dive.

Garden Eel Point
Starting this dive from the most north-western tip of Menjangan Island, following the wall southwards towards the Bali/Menjangan channel, you will see some of the most healthy and diverse coral on Menjangan. The cracks and breaks in the wall are filled with a great diversity of reef fish.

If conditions dictate that you cannot enter at the NW tip of the island, you will enter closer to Garden Eel Point.

Gradually following the wall down from the top (5-8M) to 25M (max depth 35M), where it becomes a white sand slope, you find a big gorgonian fan with long-nose hawkfish. This area is also known for sightings of white tip reef shark, small schools of barracudas, turtles, and of course Napoleonfish. From this 25M point we ascend (slowly) up the slope, over many soft corals, until reaching a huge colony of garden eels, which covers the slope from 20M to beyond where it flattens out at 14M.

From Garden Eel Point we head south to a coral garden at 5-12M. This area gives us Big-Eyed Trevally, Titan Triggerfish, many clownfish in their anemones and often a surprisingly number of scorpionfish.

Pos II
Located on Menjangan's most south-easterly point, Pos II can be beach-entry or boat-entry, and is usually drift-diving: whether beach or boat, the dives start at 12M, where the white sand slope meets the top of the wall.

If there is a current, it is generally north-easterly. Slowly descending along the wall, drifting with the current, to approx 25M (max depth 50M+) we see a profusion of soft corals, sponges, small gorgonians, moray eels and lionfish. Levelling out at 25M, the current takes us along the wall to the east point of the island, a dramatic area covered in large gorgonians. Here, where we meet the waters travelling down the north-east of Menjangan, there is an upwelling of cold waters from the deep ocean. This brings with it turtle, Manta Ray, shark, occasional Mola-Mola and other pelagics. We, of course, also encounter thermoclines here. Our safety stop is done above the remains of the coral reef (8-12M). As there is quite a population of Titan Triggerfish in the area, we need to choose our spot carefully.

Very occasionally we find that the current is actually heading west. Almost immediately you find an area where, if the conditions are right, you can see pelagics. Descending slowly along the wall, the diversity of reef fish is remarkable: angelfish, anthias, chromis, gobies, scorpionfish. The surface of the wall is full of crevasses, cracks and overhangs which hide many treasures. There is the occasional cave too.


Pemuteran
Located 20mins along the north coast from Labuan Lalang, Pemuteran is a small collection of resorts located on the beach. The diving here is on 500M wide coral-covered banks or mounds that go from the sand floor, at around 25M, up to about 6M from the surface. The top coral cover is a mixture of hard, soft and fire corals with some sea fans and sponges deeper. No currents to speak of and visibility is usually good, but varies quite a bit due to shallowness (wave action stirring up the bottom, run-off after rain).

The coral cover was very badly affected by coral-bleaching after El Nino in 1998.

Apr-Oct gives good conditions in Pemuteran but during the NW monsoon (Dec-Mar) conditions are usually poor (Jan and Feb is v wavy).

Due to the easy conditions, and close proximity to the resorts, you can night-dive at Pemuteran - not only on these coral mounds (takas) but also on the reef just off the beach.

The museum features a good variety of the artist’s paintings in both oil and water colors. Most of his paintings are of his wife Ni Pollok or other young Balinese women in various states of repose or doing traditional crafts such as weaving.

Born in 1880, Le Mayeur was the youngest son of a noble Belgian family. As an adult he was passionate about travel and spent time exploring various countries before arriving on Bali’s shores in 1932. Spellbound by the sights and sounds of the island, he journeyed south to Denpasar where he rented a small house and chose to live within a Balinese community, much to the displeasure to the ruling Dutch authorities.

For almost 8 months he spent all of his time painting inspiring objects including two Balinese Legong dancers who were considered legends in their time. Le Mayeur exhibited these works in Singapore, which were extremely well received by art collectors and critics alike. Deciding to reap the benefits of this success, he then extended his stay in Bali and purchased a modest piece of land on the Sanur coast. He also married his model, the lovely dancer Ni Pollock and she became the subject for a lot more of his works.

Le Mayeur’s reputation as an acclaimed artist was enhanced with further exhibitions in Singapore and Malaysia. Many of his works were considered masterpieces and highly sought after by art collectors. Sukarno, Indonesia’s first President and Prime Minister Nehru of India were just some of the clients who visited Le Mayeur at his studio in Sanur.

After Ni Pollok’s death in 1985, the museum was taken over by the Indonesian government. For several years the paintings were neglected, resulting in deterioration, but by 2003, Mr. Ketut Naria made an appeal to the State Ministry for Culture and Tourism, through the deputy assistant of art, Surya Yuga, that Le Mayeur’s works be immediately restored.

In 2003 a restoration team was brought together for the purpose of restoring all of the paintings in the Le Mayeur Museum. While conditions have improved, there are still several paintings which are in need of attention.