Balinese Culture, Reading The Message From Nature
Thursday, April 13th, 2006 by ablteamBalinese culture is always interacting with the surrounding environment. Their way of thinking, in order to fulfill the necessities ofthe physical and spiritual aspects of life, is based on the integration of intuitive intellect with the potential in their immediate environment. For example, if we look at their architecture, the habitat of the population living in the mountain ranges of Kintamani will not be the same as the houses of the Balinese living in the flatlands of Gianyar, or the coastal area of Kuta, even if the climate and weather is not drastically different.
Sirap (shingle) of bamboo is more often used as material for the roofs of buildings in the mountainous areas of Kintamani because, aside from the fact that it functions as a shield from the cold air, there are many bamboo bushes to be found around Kintamani. On the other hand, in lowland and coastal areas, people choose alang-alang (dry grasses) for their roofing, because this is the easiest material to be found in their surrounding environment.
The balinese, especially those who follow the Hindu religion, are a unique people. There uniqueness is event more apparent when it is adapted to the lifestyle of the third millennium. As a krama, or as a member of a village attending a traditional meeting in the village, a Balinese can appear ‘nyaput’, wearing their traditional costume, even is just previously, they may have been in a meeting business partner, wearing neck-ties and suit in an exlusive hotel. It is also normal for a supple, beautiful Balinese girl, who dances at the banjar or at the temple, or even in a hotel could have been panting the wall of the building, or selling marchandise at the market in sweatpants, that same afternoon.




