Bali (Indonesia) The culture Photographed and presented by Jair (Yair) Moreshet, 2009 © () Music : Traditional Bali Gamelan

 The relatively small island of Bali is a part of the Indonesia archipelago (of 17,508 islands).  With their own unique variation of Hinduism, Bali is an exception in the predominantly Muslim Indonesia.  With 20,000 temples and shrines, Bali is known as the "Island of the Gods".  Bali is famed for its exceptionally rich art and beauty which is rooted in its rituals and spiritual symbolism: Sculpture, carving, and performing arts.  The island’s landscape provides a picturesque backdrop to its colorful, deeply spiritual culture.

The Bali culture/religion not only recognizes the existence of evil forces, but also animates/personifies them as demons and ogres, expressing them artistically in sculpture and maintaining regular rituals to appease them. The figure on the entrance to Hotel Tjampuhan in Ubud is very common.

The town of Ubud in central Bali is a centre of the Balinese culture, arts and crafts. The Hotel Tjampuhan, nestled into the tropical beauty of the sacred river gorge, was in the 1930's the home of the German painter Walter Spies, who discovered Bali’s art and introduced it to the west.

Hotel Tjampuhan, Ubud: The restaurant.

Besakih Temple, the island’s “mother temple", on the slope of the sacred Mt. Agung. The prominent statues on the sides are the common evil figures. As if their features are not enough, they are typically executed in materials deteriorating under weather to become even uglier.

Kertagosa, the law court of the former Klungkung kingdom.

Lake Beratan, home to the “floating” Ulun Danu Temple.

The “floating” Ulun Danu Temple on Lake Beratan in session.

The Ubud area. The temple infrastructure used for a daytime performance of the mythical Barong and Kris Dances. These storytelling dances combine Balinese myths and history to narrate the eternal struggle between good and evil.

The daytime performance of the Barong and Kris Dances: Preparations for the show.

The daytime performance of Barong and Kris Dances.

The Ubud area: An entrance to a hospital.

The Ubud area: A store.

Ubud: An urban facade on the sidewalk. (Notice the evil figures on the sides of the door.)

Ubud: A (private) shrine in the yard behind the urban facade.

The Ubud area: An upscale art store.

Ubud: A temple on the main street.

Ubud: A small open air temple in the center of a shopping area, supporting business throughout the day by continuously running rituals to appease evil forces.

Ubud: The small open air temple in the center of a shopping area. Given the pile of offerings and smoking scent sticks, they must have had a lot of business that day.

Ubud: A typical procession carrying offerings to a nearby temple.

The Ubud Water Palace, Ubud’s best open-air stage just before the evening performance of the traditional Balinese Legong Dance.