Ringside view of Bali

It would be a crime to come away from Bali without appreciating the ritual ceremonies of the Balinese and getting to know some of the age-old customs adhered to by this vibrant pinprick of humanity.

It would be a crime to comeaway from Bali withoutappreciating the ritualceremonies of the Balineseand getting to know some ofthe age-old customs adheredto by this vibrant pinprick ofhumanity.

Landing at Denpasarairport, visitors head for thebeach resorts of Legian,Seminyak and Jimbaran Bay,which are full of powderybeaches, palm-fringed skiesand a roaring nightlife.

There is lots to Bali whichbegs exploration. Head inlandto see the extraordinarylandscapes the contouredrice paddies of Kliki, innumerabletinkling rivulets andthe animated volcanoes.Also, see what's cooking inthe local kitchens, to soak inthe extraordinary customsand traditions of the locals.You'll discover family-templeson every threshold, theBakso-man with his cart ofsteaming hot dumplings,cocks in wicker basketsawaiting a spar, and stallsladen with exotic fruits.

Flower power
Walking though the streets ofUbud, a town overrun withart galleries and kitchenrestaurants, I noticed smallofferings of flowers and foodin tiny leaf baskets everywhere.Tony Tack, a Dutchanthropologist, explained themorning ritual: "Each ofthose flowers has significance.The blue is forKrishna, red for Brahma,white for Shiva and so on... "

In Bali, people spend ahigher percentage of theirsalary on religious observancesthan anywhere else in theworld. We watched a motherand her two children orientthemselves towards GunungAgung, the highest and mostsacred mountain, to pray."These are vestiges of AgamaHinduism; it has a rarestronghold on the Balineseand is deeply embedded intheir psyche," said Tony.

Colourful sight
The colour and pageantry ofBalinese ceremonies is eyecatching.Each day, we sawdecked-up women and mencarrying offerings in decoratedboxes, and sandalwoodidols to seashores andriverbanks. We chanced uponlocals celebrating 'Tumpak', aday earmarked for worshippingtrees and plants.

Balinese performing artstoo, are enmeshed with religiousmythology. Ubud's theatresare replete with shadowpuppet shows, gamelan musicand loose-limbed dances. Wesaw the stylised legong danceand chechak, a lively 'monkeydance'. At Ubud palace, wewatched an enactment of theRamayan involving hugemasks and gongs.

Exploring the east andnorth, and getting lost in thehill-villages was most enjoyable.Here, the locals livedwithout walls, sat withoutchairs and ate without cutlery.At Sideman village, wemet artist Nyoman Mandraover coffee and banana fritters.The conversation turnedto Bali's connection withIndia. "It is my dream to visitIndia someday," he said.Where would you like to go?"I asked. "Ayodhya, Dwarka,Vrindavan" he said, his imaginationfirmly captured in thepages of the ancient texts.

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