Barong dance, Bedugul, Kedaton, dan Tanah-Lot Tour.

  26 January 2007, 23:46:23 (123 clicks)

A morning trip to the central part of Bali with en route stops at Batubulan village to see the Barong and Kris Dance, a dance depicting an eternal fight between good and evil spirit.

Barong is a large lion type creature played by two men representing of good spirit meanwhile Rangda which is with long fingernails and droopy breasts symbolizing the evil spirit.A Full  day tour with first visit to Alas Kedaton - a holy monkey forest where hundreds of tame monkeys and fruit bats will entertain you with their antic. Tanah Lot Temple - an important sea temple perched on a jagged rock jutting into the sea and nearly cut off from the mainland of Bali by wave erosion. No historical record is found so far to construct the history of the temple but scripture of Dang Hyang Nirartha mentions that the priest Dang Hyang Nirartha had visited the temple and asked the people around the area to build shrine. While the priest also educate the fisherman in making fish trap.  The temple as a whole is dedicated to the God of the sea, where fisherman pray to get fish and prosperity.
The highlight of this tour is to visit to Candikuning fruits  markets - supplies local fruit and vegetables, spices and also local flowers. Ulun Danu Temple - located beautifully on the bank of Lake Beratan, the second largest lake in Bali makes this temple as one of favorite destinations. The name of Ulun Danu literally means " the beginning of the lake" but this might not claim that the site is the beginning of a lake. The approximation of the construction was on Caka 1556 or 1634 AD, this is recorded with chronogram at Pura Taman Ayun read as Sad Butha Yaksa Dewa where in fact Taman Ayun is built just after the construction of Ulun Danu Temple. The whole complex consists of 4 units each dedicated to spirit of Lingga Petak and temporary abode gods. It looks that the temple symbolizing the nature of surrounding as the respects of nature greatness since the location is surrounded by peaks of Bali's mountain chain such as to the east is Mt Mangu, to the south is Mt Teratai Bang, and to the west is Mt Pohan. Until now local religious leaders still dedicate this temple as the abode of Shiva, even though it is also called " the abode of Ulun Danu God" as the symbol of fertility. A ritual called " Pekelem" means sacrifice to be sunk will be held based on special occasion when the situation of life is considered not normal such as the spread of epidemic, flooding, earthquake causing casualties, many others special and natural catastrophes. It consists of young animals such as duck, chicken, pig, buffalo which is dressed with white cloth or black for pig  and buffalo, legs given accessories of Chinese coins or gold with complicated palm leave decorated offerings, intricate cookies and burned incense.