Balinese Names

In Bali there is special naming system which different than most of the world. For instance they do not use a surname or family name . In fact there is also no first name. There are four names only. Yes only 4. Which means first, second, third and fourth child. This is based on Hinduism's caste system. Balinese people are Hindu but they are not really following caste system as it is in India. But the names comes from Sanskrit or Hindi languages. 

Balinese Names

I and Ni means like Mr. and Mrs. in English

1. First born child       Wayan - Putu, Gede, Ni Luh, Iluh, Luh,
2. Second born child  Made  - Kadek, Adek, Ade, Nengah,
3. Third born child      Komang - Nyoman, Man, Mang,
4. Forth born child      Ketut   - Tut,

What if you have fifth kid? They just return to Wayan again and if sixth become Made again and so on. The other name is in fact peoples real name next to this names. It is not a family name. For example I Made Surita. Surita is the real name but they call each other mostly with these four birth order names. So if you call the person Surita even their relatives can not know who you talking about sometimes.

Also there are some other names based on caste or regional  things or pointing their elder relatives hero, king, priest, noble, important person etc.. Such as Gusti, Dewa, Dwi, Bagus Ayu, Agung....

Bajra Sadhi Monument

Bali maybe mostly sun and sea tourism destination nowadays. But there are places to see inside the Denpasar City too. One of them is monument inside a park which surrounded by government buildings near Renon Area. 

Bajra Sadhi Monument is symbol of Balinese People struggle against Dutch colonial. It built in Puputan Margarana Square. Puputan means suicide in local language. So this name also related with this monument. Because last puputan organized during this conflict by Balinese Hero Ngurah Rai. Bajra means bell. It shaped as a bell. 

The best time to visit there sunday mornings. because it is inside a wide park you can see many local people there that time too. The road closed untill noon that time. 

It is not only monument but a small museum which inside there are dioramas.

Mother Temple - Besakih

Mother Temple 

         There are many temples in Bali that is why they call it 'island of gods'. There are small ones and big ones, for families and big families and areas and some series of important temples. Those all are hindu temples. But there is a temple which is main temple. Mother temple of all followers Balinese people. The name is also Besakih Temple. It may come from its location. Or other names Besakih Mother Temple or Pura Besakih. Pura means temple in Balinese. The area temple located namely Besakih on slopes Mounth Agung which is an active volcano actually and the highest mountain in Bali right now. It is also a tourism destination and one of the must see place in your visit. Besakih Temple in fact not only one single temple but like a complex of temples. It is like a small fort with lots of temples inside.

     Like i said it is belong to all Balinese people. There is a reason for it and it is not only a religious reason but ancesteral. Why? Because Balinese people when they first immigrate here to island from Java Island ( yes they are not original people of Island, Original Balinese People is called Bali Aga or Trunyan People) around 40 Clan came to island and they built this temple and inside the temple there are temples for each 40 clan. Now all the people in Bali are member of one of this clan and automatically member of one of this temple there.

Galungan and Kuningan

Galungan soon will start for 2012 in Bali. What is The Galungan? Galungan a kind of holiday in Bali which ends with Kuningan. According to Balinese calendar it starts in different days in every year. Sometimes twice a year it took place because it calculated by 210 day calendar. So means it take place in every seven months. This year in 2012 it will start  29 august and Kuningan is 8 september. In Balinese Hinduism belief during Galungan their deceased ancestors visiting the earth. To welcome them, people clean temples, make offerings, dances and lots of penjors ( a bamboo pole ) set on sides of roads. If you see penjors around the roads you can know this is galungan time in Bali as a foreigner.

Anyway I say "Selamat Hari Raya Galungan dan Kuningan"( Happy Galungan and Kuningan ).

Penjor

Nyepi

Nyepi or Hari Raya Nyepi is Balinese new year. On this day you can not go out or turn on lights. Only hospitals or police allowed this day to use electricity. It is day of silence and new year of Saka Calendar. For locals day for meditation, silence, fasting and so on religious rituals.


Each year it takes place on different days. In 2012 it was on 23  march and in 2013 it will be on 12 march. It has some calculation to find. It is based on Saka Calendar of Bali.

You can see at the mid night of this day Ogoh-ogoh which symbolize demons. They do parade first and fight with other villages ogoh-ogoh and then burn it. There is also competition for beauty contest for ogoh-ogoh. In fact it is one of the rituals parading them demonstrating to fight each other and then burn them. During this day there are several other rituals too but this one maybe the only one worth to watch.

Balinese Calendar

Balinese calendar

Saka

In Bali' complicated culture and rituals there is also a calendar. In fact there is more than one calendar. Two of them. But the one they use even now is namely Saka. You can hear on Bali local people name almost everyday and specify days as good day bad day etc according to this calendar. They even arrange their weddings, ceremonies and special events by this calender with advice of clerics who has studied about Balinese culture and religion and tradition.

This calendar starts with nyepi  which all of expatriates here familiar with this name i guess. Because in nyepi you should not go out from home or turn on any light. Island will turn to a ghost city this day. It is a lunar calendar. It has months as follow;

• kasa
• karo
• katiga
• kapat
• kalima
• kanem
• kapitu
• kawalu
• kasanga
• kadasa
• jyestha
• sadha

 Other Balinese calendar is Pawukon which is 210 days calendar.
There are also Javanese calendar and islamic calenders in Indonesia and Bali.

Banjar

Banjar means community in Bali. If you are Balinese local person, you are member of this community. Like in every village or street there are Banjars. All of them linked to each other. It is like a big mechanical machine. They handle things communal. Including religion ceremonies, traditions, administrative things. It is something like a local government i can say. They have also security. Which you also have to attend it if you are member of them.

In agricultural system, in the world they chosen as best agricultural system by UN. In fact its name Subak which is like a branch of Banjar responsible from agricultural things like farms and livestock etc.