Return to Bali the island of demons

The demon queen walks through the Candi Bentar and steps down during an performance in Taman Budaya an Balinese exhibition in Denpasar. Rangda is the demon queen of the leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. Terrifying to behold, the child-eating Rangda leads an army of evil witches against the leader of the forces of good - Barong.

Surrounded by water, with hills in the distance, Ponjok Batu temple in Tejakula is a spiritually enriching site. The priest of the Pura Ponjok Batu helped a fisherman from Lombok island when the fisherman’s boat sank at Ponjok Batu each. The fisherman found a shining stone, which was then carved into a boat statue and now stands at the southeast side of the temple. The position of this temple is rather sticking out to the sea as a foreland or Ponjok. Base on the position and condition then this place is named by Ponjok Batu so that the temple is standing above foreland petrify and it is referred as Ponjok Batu Temple.

The Balinese call their religion Agama Tirta ("Science of the Holy Water"), an interpretation of religious ideas from China, India, and Java. Agama Tirta is much closer to the earth and more animist than Indian Hinduism. Fire, water, and flowers are the basic components of all offerings; additional items are given according to one's profession and wealth, and the season in which they're made. No matter what the offering, it must be of the finest ingredients and ritually cleansed before being placed. The variety is mind-boggling, in countless designs and styles. Some offerings may even be as simple as a few grains of rice placed on a banana leaf.

Her name is Sujatmi a common Bali Aga girls name. In some Bali Aga village people live without the casta system and use different names than normaly called in Bali.

Every visitor on Bali should not miss a tour to Bali Aga villages near the Gunung Batur volcano and on the Danau Batur lake. The girl in Tenganan a Bali Aga village is in the age of 15 years. Her name is Lintang which is the name of a star.

The girl Trisna is in the edge of 8 years and already speaking some words English. Balinese kids normally grow up with two languages, the Balinese and the Bahasa Indonesia.

Galih, the boy from my host family is in the age of 10 years. He is ready to go to the Pengerebongan festival dressed in solemnly Balinese outfit.

Balinese spectators and worshippers at the Pengerebongan festival in Pura Dalam Kesiman. Nerebong or ngurek is one tradition done in Bali. the Pengerebongan commonly performed in the Dalam temple in Kesima only. A destination for thousands of spectators coming from all parts of the Balinese island.

Contrary to popular tourist belief, the tradition of Ogoh-Ogoh is relatively new, with its origins in the 80s. Balinese often say that one of the motivations was to give the Balinese youth something constructive to do when preparing for the upcoming New Year. Ogoh-Ogoh are statues up to five metres high, which represent the negative aspects or all living things.

Every temple ceremony is a great event where hundreds or thousands Balinese people coming as worshippers and pilgrims. In front of the temple people have their entertainment on street parties by sweeties, snacks, candies or paraphernalia. Great this penjors, must look the in details. Some are very costly and the local residents spend a lot of money to produce them, sometimes more than 500 US$. There is a contest between the Balinese who produce the bigger, more costly, more colorful, higher and thicker penjor artwork.

Many of the worshipper are falling in real trance during the Pengerebongan celebration in Kesiman/Denpasar. The man sticks the Kris sword into his throat as a symbol sign of self-torture.

The onlookers standing beside the parade in the temple where the Barong and the Rangda witch is passing three times, turning around the temples premise.

Left side my friend Mayang and her relatives walking to the Pengerebongan ceremony in Kesiman/Denpasar.

Street party on a main road in Kesiman a quarter in Denpasar on Bali. Cute kids posing for the photoshoot and look the result some seconds after.

Tulamben is famous for an amazing dive area, where I ha experienced several time already. Close to the lava stone beach its sunken the US Liberty after an eruption of the volcano Gunung Agung in 1963. Now its the paradise for millions fish and for sport divers.

An holy gate to the private premise. The Kori Agung is passed by divinities, high priests and the demons only, other people enter the compound passen the left side of the holy gate.

Sembung is a small village in the Balinese province Mengwi. The group of boys are neighbors from the house where I spent nice days to learn about life from local people.

Gunggus the son of my hosts Fatih and Mayang is ready for one who carries the Ogoh-Ogoh Statue together with his classmates.