Postcards from Bali - Stories of Bali

May 18

3 min read

On Sunday, we did a couple things that were especially important to me.

Banong Dance
Tanah Lot

Instead of giving you the entire details of the day, I want to give you the story of these two events I attended/visited.

Both of these things were totally fascinating!

Barong Dance:

First, I will tell you I was blessed enough to go behind the scenes and meet some of the people. The picture above is one of the dancers prior to getting into costume. She was the sweetest person and truly kind.

Also, when you see Barong (below) know that the costume consists of two peices. Each weighing 160 pounds. There are two people in the costumer.

At first, I thought it was simply going to be a cultural performance for tourists. You know… colorful costumes, music, dancing. Entertaining.

I didn't realize there was an entire story behind the dance.

The story of the Barong Dance is actually about the constant battle between good and evil. Not in a scary kind of way. More in the way life always seems to pull between light and darkness, fear and hope, anger and peace.

The Barong is considered a protective spirit. He almost looks like a mix between a lion, a dragon, and a giant fluffy creature with huge eyes and elaborate decorations. He represents goodness and protection.

Then there is Rangda.

Rangda is the opposite energy. She is often described as a witch or dark spirit and represents chaos, destruction, and darker forces. Her costume is dramatic and honestly a little terrifying. Long fingernails, wild hair, bulging eyes. The kind of character that makes children hide behind their parents a little.

The dance tells the story of the fight between the two.

Interestingly, there is no true winner.

Good does not completely destroy evil. Evil does not completely destroy good.

Instead, the story reflects balance. The idea that both forces always exist in the world and in life itself. One never fully disappears. Such a strong story!

The music during the performance was incredible too. It somehow felt both calming and intense at the same time. The dancers moved their eyes, hands, feet, and fingers with such precision that it almost didn't feel human. Every movement seemed symbolic.

At one point I stopped thinking of it as a performance and started feeling like I was watching something sacred.

Although that seems to happen to me a lot in Bali.

Things that look like entertainment at first seem to turn out to be deeply spiritual underneath.

Honestly, I think that's part of what makes this place feel so magical. A couple additional photos from the dance:

Tanah Lot Temple:

This temple is one of the most beautiful places I've visited in Bali.

The first thing I noticed was the setting. The temple sits out on a large rock formation surrounded by the ocean. It honestly looks like something from a movie. And it made me wonder how it got there.

Tanah Lot is one of Bali’s most sacred sea temples. It was built in the 1500s by a Hindu priest named Dang Hyang Nirartha. According to Balinese history, he traveled along the coast spreading Hindu teachings and felt like this particular spot was spiritually important because of its connection to the sea.

The local fishermen were so inspired by him that they helped him build the temple. It was created as a place to honor the sea gods and protect the island from evil spirits. The ocean plays a big part in Balinese Hindu culture, so temples like this are considered very sacred. Understandably, I wasn't allowed in. They said it only holds about 18 people at a time and it is not for tourists.

That was okay though because what I really loved was the feeling there. I wanted to climb out to those rocks and meditate. The waves werecrashing against the rocks. The air seemed salty. The dark stone temple standing out against the bright blue water. Ahhhhh. (Even though there were quite a few visitors, it still somehow felt peaceful.)

One thing I’ve noticed in Bali is that spirituality is not tucked away inside buildings or reserved only for special occasions. It is a part of everyday life. Not just when you are in church or temple. You feel it everywhere. At homes, businesses, sidewalks, and especially at temples like Tanah Lot. The people are kind and respectful.

Tanah Lot is definitely one of those places that photographs can capture visually, but not emotionally.