Bali Demographics

Religion
The Balinese are Hindu yet their religion is very different from of the Indian veriety. They do have a caste system, but there are no untouchables and occupantion is not governed by caste. In fact, the only thing that reflects tha caste system is the language which has three tiers 95% of all the Balinese are Hindu Dharma and speak Low or everyday Balinese with each other; Middle Balinese is used for talking to strangers, at formal occasions or to people of the higher "Ksatriya" caste, High Balinese is used when talking to the highest class, the Brahmana, or to a "Pedanda" (priest). It may sound complicated, but most of the words at the low and midium levels are the same, whereas High Balinese is a mixture of Middle Balinese and "Kawi", the ancient Javanese language.

The Balinese worship the Hindu trinity Brahma, Shiva and Visnu, who are seen as manifestations of the Supreme God "Sanghyang Widhi". Other Indian gods like Ganesha (the elephant-headed god) also often appear, but more commonly, one will see shrines to the many gods and spirits that are uniquely Balinese. Balinese believe strongly in magic and the power of spirits, and much of their religion is based upon this. They believe that good spirits dwell in the mountains and that the seas are home to demos and ogres. Most villages have at least three main temple; one, the "Pura Puseh" or temple of origin, faces the mountains and is dedicated to the village founders, another, the "Pura Desa" or village temple, is normally found in the centre and is dedicated to the walfare of the village, the last, the "Pura Dalem", is aligned with the sea and is dedicated to the spirits of the dead. Aside from these village temple, almost every house has its own shrine and you can also find monuments dedicated to the spirits of agriculture, art and all other aspects of life. Some temples, "Pura Besakih" for example, on the slopes of Mount Agung, are considered especially important and people from all over Bali travel for workship there.

Offerings play a significant role in Balinese life as they appease the spirits and thus bring prosperity and good health to the family. Every day small offering trays "Canang Sari" containing symbolic food, flowers, cigarettes and money, are placed on the shrines, in the temples, outside houses and shops, and even at dangerous crossroads.

Festivals are another great occasion for appeasing the gods. The women bear huge, beautifully arranged, pyramids of food, fruit and flowers on their heads while the men might conduct a blood sacrifice through a cock-fight. There are tradtional dances and music and the gods are invited to come down to join in the festivities. The festivals are usually very exciting occasions and well worth observing, if you are in the area. A crucial thing to remember, if you wish to join in celebrations or enter a temple, is that three are a number of rules that have to be respected.

Language
Balinese and Indonesian are the most widely spoken languages in Bali, and many Balinese people are bilingual or even trilingual. There are severeal indigenious Balinese languages, most widely spoken is modern common Balinese. The usage of different Balinese languages was traditionally determined by the Balinese caste system and by clan membership, but this tradition is becoming part of history.

English is a common third language owing to the island's large tourism industry.

The People
Life in Bali is very communal with organization of villages, farming and even the creative arts being decided by the community. The local government is responsible for schools, clinic, hospital and roads but all other aspects of life are placed in the handof two traditional comminittees, whose roots in Balinese culture stretch back centuries.

The first, "Subak", concerns the production of rice and organizes the complex irrigation system. Everyone who own a "sawah", or rice field must join their local "Subak", which the ensures that eveery member gets his fair distribution of irrigation water. Traditionally, the head of the "Subak" has his "sawah" at the very bottom of the hill, so that the water has to pass through every other "sawah" before reaching his own.

The other community organization is the "Banjar", which arranges all village festivals, marriage ceremonies and cremations, as well as a form of community service known as "Gotong - Royong". Most villages have at least one "Banjar" and all males have to join one when they marry. "Banjars", on average, have a membership of between 50 to 100 families and each "Banjar" has its own meeting place called "Bale Banjar". As well being used for regular meetings, the "Bale" is where the local gamelan or ochestras and drama groups practice.