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Balinese Monster and Scary Creatures

Wednesday, November 28th, 2007 by Sidarta Wijaya

Speaking about monster or scary creatures, Egyptians have their mummy, Pennsylvanians boast of their Dracula, but what do Balinese have? Since Leak is technically a human who change their shape into various other scary creatures or weird things and can assume their human form again when their time is over so it cannot be categorized as monster or scary creatures and the last choice for the equivalence of monster and scary creature in Balinese culture is Bhuta Kala.

bhuta kala
An exorcist priest destroy Bhuta Kala and hobglobins by meditating. I Rena, Batuan (c. 1940), China ink and watercolour on paper, 25 x 38 cm. Basle, llc 16459 (E. Schlager Beguest, 1971).

Though philosophically Bhuta Kala is defined as negative force of nature not necessarily monsters or scary creatures but most Balinese believe that Bhuta Kala has scary and weird form. There are Bhuta Kalas with monstrous eyes, small heads, large stomach, flaming hairs, bald heads, some consisting of only right or left side of the body, flying head (begoong), of one arm with a face (tangan-tangan), a trunk with a face (lawean), a knee (katugtug), a leg with a face (enjek pupu) or flaying entrails (basang-basang).

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Tukang Terang (Rain Man)

Monday, December 25th, 2006 by ablteam

When rainy season finally comes, there should be rain everyday in Bali. The service of a rain man (tukang terang) is in high demand, since many traditional or secular events are held outdoor and a sudden down pour of rain will be a great problem.

The traditional rain man of Bali is someone who has strong magical powers that enable him to move the rain from one place to another. The magical power is obtained by observing a strict self-purification and adherence to spiritual processes. Talent and a family line of rain man are also important requirements for obtaining this magical power.
The ability of the rain man is not just moving the rain from one place to another but also in making the rain.

tukang terang1

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Public Bath Place

Saturday, December 16th, 2006 by ablteam

Speaking about public bath place in Bali, you cannot expect well sanitized public bath place as you will see in Japan. Public bath place in Bali offers a totally natural approach to the art of bathing. Public bath place in Bali mainly Tukad (river) and Pancoran (nature formed shower which derives its water from underground water supply).

Taking a bath in the river is a daily activity for Balinese in rural area. Although almost all the Balinese have their own bathroom in house compound, they prefer to take a bath in the river than in their own bathroom.

tukad

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