Rasabali

“Ogoh-ogoh” is the art form in Bali that describes a big and scary figure as the representation of such a powerful power that was undeniable.

As a form of art, Ogoh-ogoh made to celebrate Nyepi. Usually the young people have been making the Ogoh-ogoh one month before and at the exact day of “pengrupukan” (a day before Nyepi); ogoh-ogoh will be carried all the way around the village.

Not every Hinduism person in Bali makes ogoh-ogoh at Nyepi time. South Bali is the area that always performs ogoh-ogoh parade and they usually make a contest of it.

The difference between one area to another is the one that create so many meanings of ogoh-ogoh creation in the first place. But in common sense, ogoh-ogoh is believed as the representation of the bad side of humankind and it need to be burned down along with the burning process of ogoh-ogoh it.

But some scientist and Hindu practitioner symbolize it as the form of human realization about the power that can bring ever human being especially human and the rest of the world to happiness or destruction.

Almost the whole of the northern region of Bali is under the government of the Buleleng regency. This makes Buleleng the regency with the largest area, amongst the 8 regencies in Bali. The mountain ranges which stretch from the east to the west in the middle of the island belongs to Buleleng as well, and because of this, Buleleng is most complete in wildlife as well, with mountains, flatland, and the seaside on the northern side of Bali. However, although the regency has the Largest area amongst other regencies, a part of the area is dry land, especially in the mountain ranges in the west and the east. The conditions of the wildlife in Buleleng do not allow wetland farming. Instead, plantations of fruits such as orange (citrus), cloves and coffee in the mountain area, and grapes and tobacco alongside the seashore have been developed. As is the case with other areas in the southern part of Bali, Buleleng has played an important role in the past era, when the expedition of the Palapa Wira Gajah Mada reached Bali. Ancient villages, such as Sembiran, Julah, and other surrounding villages shows that northern region of Bali has been active in characterizing the course of history in Bali, and during the reign of Ki Gusti Panji Sakti, some virgin land in East Java was cultivated. Various temples alongside the northern shores, starting from Pura Payogan Prapat Agung, Pura Pulaki, Pura Ponjok Batu, up to Pura Candi Gora proves that this whole area was regarded as an important part of the process of dharma by the spiritual seekers of the past. During the time when Bali was colonized the Dutch, Buleleng was looked upon as strategic by the Dutch as a place to start its movements of conquer.The 8 regencies of Bali, including Buleleng, which were tied with the agreement of the Paswara Asta Negara, but were conquered one by one, starting Buleleng in the north Bali. In 1846, the reign of the kingdom of Buleleng struggled against the hands of the Netherlands in a fierce collision called the War of Buleleng. The pressure Tram me Dutch followed with the battle of Jagaraga, which took place in the year 1849, and put Buleleng totally under Netherland’s rule. The process over the times in Bali, which has lead to the third millennium, has brought Buleleng to be active in the world of tourism as well. The beachside alongside the north, especially Lovina and Kalibukbuk, are areas within Buleleng with potential for accommodating tourists. Generally speaking, the variety of artistic and cultural heritages of Buleleng, are different in its characteristics, compared to that of south Bali.

Of eight regencies and one city in Bali, Bangli is the only regency without a coastline area. However, Bangli owns the biggest lake in Bali, the Batur Lake, which functions as a source of water for a large part of the farmland in south Bali. Regarding the significant role of the lake, the subak system symbolically considers Pura Ulun Danu 8atur as its orientation of worship to the God of Wisnu, who is the protector of the cosmos. Located in the central mountain range and the highlands, Bangli has cool weather and becomes colder at night, especially in Kintamani. With its cool weather, which is also rather foggy and raining, the region, especially Kintamani, can produce high quality fruits. Situated at 400 m above sea level, the mountain ranges of northern Bangli are the biggest producers of bamboos in Bali. Most of traditional buildings in Bali use bamboos from Bangli as materials for the roof. In the traditional buildings in the mountain ranges of Bangli, the bamboo is used as the roof cover. Due to the history of administration in Bali during the monarchy system, Bangli had once taken an important part between the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the 11th century, or during the reign of the King Udayana from the Warmadewa dynasty. Archaeological remains stored in Pura Bukit Panulisan in northern Kintamani can tell us a story of the Bali’s history. Gong Gede in the Pura Ulun Danu Batur is the only remain that can be saved when the Pura Ulun Danu, located in the valley of the Mount Batur, was destructed by an eruption around the year 1926. The lifestyle and the dialect of the people living in the mountain ranges of Kintamani show that it is not only inscriptions which can prove important role of Bangli in the past but also living evidences following the good implementation of its traditional lifestyle. Housing models in Pengotan, Panlipuan, Bayung Gde, Sribatu, and other ancient villages prove the good order of social life at the past. Beside its cool weather and breathtaking views of the wildlife around the Batur Lake, various historical remains well preserved in the regency are another supporting tourism potential of Bangli. Various accommodation facilities and restaurants have been built following tourism boom that wipes across the island.

The Badung Regency Around the end of the 18th century, the region of Badung, which was previously called Nambangan, had been established as a powerful kingdom similar to other kingdoms in Bali. The Badung regency has a very long history which had been led by the Puri Denpasar, Puri Pemecutan, Puri Kesiman, Puri Satria, and Puri Jro Kuta. From an administrative point of view, the political powers of these palaces located in Denpasar have been lessened, since the war of the Puputan Badung which occurred on the 20th of September in 1906. However, their image as a centre for traditional and cultural activities still remains strong up to the present day. Entering the year of 1992, on the 27th of February in 1992, the city of Denpasar was separated from Badung to be a town. Located between 8‹ of southern meridian and 1150 of the eastern meridian or exactly at the heart of the island of Bali, Badung regency has an area of about 41.852 Ha stretching out from the centre of the island to its south end, making a shape of a sword. The area has a population of approximately 332,000, living across 6 districts, with 40 administrative villages. In respect to local custom, the Badung regency can be divided into 119 traditional villages. The high population rate of the Badung regency, which is 720/km2 on average, the spread of the population is yet not well organized The southern side of Badung is more densely populated which is a major area of tourist accommodation facilities compared to the northern side of Badung which is relatively isolated, with agrirulture as its main source of living. Kuta, Kerobokan, Nusa Dua. Tanjung, and the area of Bukit Jimbaran which are all located in the southern side are major areas for tourist accommodation facilities which have raised big revenue for the Badung regency compared to other regencies. If these areas are the centers for tourist accommodation facilities, the northern side of the Badung regency is a destination of the nature-interest tourism, such as rafting. The people of Badung, who welcome the tourism industry as an alternative way to earn living, has developed Badung to be an attractive tourist destination.