Cultural Overview Of Bali

You can’t talk about Bali without talking also about culture- if there’s one thing that the island is known for other than it’s natural beauty, it’s the rich cultural heritage of its people. Bali has a past dominated by the Balinese `Rajas’ (kings), whose descendants still own their ancestral palaces and continue to be highly respected patrons of the traditional arts of Bali. And art is what you’ll find all over the island- whether it’s in the form of exquisitely carved ancient temples, or the graceful dances of artistes. You’ll see signs of Balinese culture in traditional festivals like the Balinese Caka New Year, heralded by drummers who are supposed to drive evil spirits back to their own world. During the New Year, temple deities are taken to the sea to be ritually bathed. Hinduism is, and has been for centuries, an important religion in Bali, and most of the festivals here are Hindu ones.

Yes, Bali is more or less synonymous with culture- you’ll see lots of signs of it, and that is one of the reasons why so many tourists flock to the island.