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Hell a la Balinese

Saturday, February 16th, 2008 by Sidarta Wijaya

Hell from Balinese point of view can be seen in the ceiling of the Kertha Gosa, the traditional courtroom of Gelgel Kingdom in the heart of Semarapura town, Klungkung Regency. I think picture will tell about the Balinese vision on hell better than words so here are some pictures that show various punishments for the sinned souls in hell painted with the classic Kamasan style.

Epic of Life; Hell a la Balinese

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Divine Rage versus Heaven and Hell

Friday, August 10th, 2007 by Sidarta Wijaya

Divine rage is a belief in which deities and ancestors may punish one for one’s actions, especially in relation with religious ethic or ritual such as failure to perform a cremation, failure to fulfill a promise to the deities, forgetting a particular offering, entering temple while one is in spiritually unclean state, etc. The punishment does not take the form of a judgment in the afterworld, but in the form of illness, misfortune or death.

This idea divine rage (kaduken, or kasalahang) is still feared by most of Balinese. It is provides an effective social and moral controlling device which ensures the obedience of the Balinese to religious ethic and sometimes contribute to the continuity of the performance of the religious ritual and at the end fear of divine rage support directly to the preservation of Balinese culture though in uncomfortable way.

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