Bali is a paradise for them, who want to enjoy traditional dances, since Bali has various traditional dances to be enjoyed. From sacred dances to social dances or from male dances to female all are available in this island. The most well-known male dance is Baris. There are several types of Baris, for instance solo Baris, Baris Gede, Chinese Baris, etc which come from various regions.

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Not many people know that Bali has a part (district) at south-east side consisting three islands. The biggest one is named Nusa Penida. The smaller island is called Nusa Lembongan and the smallest one is known as Nusa Ceningan, this island is situated between Nusa penida and Nusa Lembongan. Each of them has own tourist destination and unique art. However, Nusa Penida offers awesome beaches that are still pure and conservation for birds, plants, and turtle, and a very special dance, because of that people often call it as Golden Egg but it has not hatched yet. Why?

Nusa Penida is a district belonging to Klungkung regency. In order to get to Nusa Penida you have to take a trip to Padang Bay first. Then, you have to cross Badung Strait (between Bali Island and Nusa Penida) using “Roro-Nusa Jaya Abadi” the only ferryboat that can help you cross to Nusa Penida. After spending about one hour voyage then you will reach Toya Pakeh Harbor. At there you can travel the island by “omprengan” or modified pick-up car.

Nusa Penida has many tourism destinations that can be enjoyed. Beaches are very easy to be found in this island, Puncak Temu where you can find beautiful scene, several choices of art performance can be watched.

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Here is an interesting writing on Buddhism in Bali by venerable S. Dhammika. It is interesting to see the point of view of a Buddhist Monk form outside Bali on Buddhism in Bali.

Much attention has been given to how far west Buddhism extended in ancient times. The most westerly Buddhist monument that can be is the foundations of a large stupa in the south east corner of the ancient citadel of Khiva in Turkmenistan. Small communities of Buddhists may have existed beyond this but if they did they would have been insignificant, isolated and exceptional. We can say therefor that the outer edge of Buddhism in the west was what is now eastern Iran. But how far to the east did Buddhism spread its gentle and civilizing influence? To the outer islands of Indonesia, to Australia or perhaps beyond? In the 1920’s a superb bronze bust of the Buddha was found on Sulawesi, one of the larger islands that make up Indonesia. This is the eastern most point that any Buddhist antiquity has ever been found. There is, though, no evidence of an enduring Buddhist presence either on Sulawesi or beyond it; no ruined temples or monasteries, no inscriptions or references to it in the historical records. However, only a few hundred miles south west of Sulawesi is the small island of Bali where MajapahitG and literary evidence shows that Buddhism existed along side Hinduism for about seven hundred years.

Indian merchants first arrived in Bali in about 200 BCE and it was probably these people who introduced Buddhism and Hinduism. A Balinese work of uncertain date called the Nagarakertagama by the Buddhist monk lists all the Buddhist temples in Bali, twenty six altogether, and mentions that in 1275 King Kretanagara underwent a Tantric Buddhist initiation to protect his kingdom from an expected invasion by Kublai Khan. The island’s history is scant until 1343 when it was conquered by and absorbed into the Majapahit Empire of Java-Sumatra. Hinduism and Buddhism both received state patronage although the type of Buddhism that prevailed gradually became indistinguishable from Hinduism. A Javanese Buddhist work from about the 12th century contains this telling verse. “The one substance is called two, that is, the Buddha and Siva. They say they are different but how can they be divided? Despite differences there is oneness”. Clearly at the time these words were being composed some Buddhists were struggling to maintain the uniqueness of the Dharma while others were stressing its similarity with Hinduism. Eventually in both Java and Bali the integrators prevailed. Incidentally, the phrase “Despite differences there is oneness” ( Bhineka tunggal ika ) has been taken as the motto for the Republic of Indonesia. With the collapse of Mahapahit in 1515 and the ascendancy of Islam, Java’s old intellectual and religious elite, including the last surviving Buddhist monks and scholars sought refuge in Bali.

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Indonesian celebrated Kartini Day on 21th April annually. Kartini is a name of Indonesian woman that struggled for women emancipation. Because of her Indonesian women could go to school and their position are not lower than men anymore so that Indonesian appreciate her through celebrate her birthday as national holiday. Actually, Indonesia has several other National Heroines; Cut Nyak Dien, Christina Marthatiahahu, and many more.

Obviously, Bali also has heroine although not many people know about her and she is not admitted as a National Heroine yet. Her name was Ida I Dewa Agung Istri Kanya. Her father was a King of Klungkung. She had a step brother named Tjokorda Rai, the only one successor of Klungkung kingdom at that time.

In 1815 Tjokorda Rai ascended the throne entitled Ida I Dewa Agung Putra II while Istri Kanya assisted him leading the kingdom. Istri Kanya played a big role in wiping out the colonizer from Klungkung. She was known as a woman with outstanding characters, stubborn, and firm.

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History:
The name of Bukit Jambul was firstly given during the Dutch invasion in Indonesia by a tourist, who was inspired by a high hill standing on the south of the main road connecting Klungkung regency and Besakih of Karangasem regency. There is a Hindu Temple called Pura Pucak Sari on the top of the hill, which is surrounded by big trees. Below the temple complex there is a stunning panorama of rice fields. This makes the trees look like a tufting hair from a distance ( Bukit = hill, Jambul = Tuft of hair).

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Excalibur in Bali
Two Long-Lost Sacred Keris (Swords) Receive a Homecoming Welcome to Bali.

Two priceless keepsakes of Bali’s ancient kingdoms of Klungkung and Gelgel have made a brief and very emotional homecoming to mark the 100th anniversary of the Puputan sacrifice on April 28, 2008.

On a 100 year-long journey from Bali, Holland, Jakarta and now back to Bali - two priceless bejeweled ceremonial swords or keris have been given a memorial tour of their “old home” in Bali. So revered are the two Keris that each bears it own name – Ardawaike for the sword from the Klungkung Palace and Tombake Ki Baru Gudug for the weapon from the Gelgel Palace.

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