The NOW! Bali Podcast

Agama Tirta, the Religion of Water. This is what Balinese religion was often referred to before it’s official title of Hindu Dharma, as water was - and continues to be - an essential element in the rituals and even belief of the Balinese. Today’s episode is taken from one of Jean Couteau’s articles in the NOW! Bali archives, titled Balinese Pilgrims on the Quest for Holy Water. Read the full transcript here.

To get a better understanding of Agama Tirta, we strongly suggest that you listen to Episode 22 which outlines at a macro scale why belief was called 'the religion of water' in Bali. It showcases all ways in which Bali is important to the Balinese.

If you like this episode, or our podcast in general we would be so grateful if you shared with a friend or if could rate us on whatever platform you are listening on. 

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Why is Bali the way it is? How is there a solitary Hindu island in the largest muslim country in the world (by population)? Why is its brand of Hinduism different from what is found in India? Why is it called the Island of the Gods?

To understand everything we see in Bali today, it's necessary to take a deep dive into Bali's history, to see the origins of its culture and its belief systems. This episode is a kind of condensed history of Bali, explaining what made Bali the way it is today. It will help to contextualise everything you see around you on the island.

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The NOW! Bali Podcast is supported by ⁠Genesis Creative Centre⁠⁠, where you'll find video, photo and music studios, as well as other content creation services for any of your personal or business projects.

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(1) You can help grow the Podcast by following or rating us on your preferred Podcast platform, or indeed share our episodes with a friend.

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Myths, folklore and stories in general are powerful forces. They are vessels in which morals and life lessons can be shared to societies, thus guiding them in the 'right' way of being. Myths are an important part of Balinese culture, mainly through the medium of the shadow puppet performance or 'wayang kulit'. It is the puppet master, the dalang, who is therefore responsible for sharing the many Balinese myths and legends, thus spreading the morals society needs to remember.

Read the full transcript here: https://nowbali.co.id/puppet-masters-and-the-power-of-myth-episode-15/

Galungan is one of the most important ceremonies on the Balinese calendar. The exact dates of this auspicious day are calculated through the 210-day Pawukon calendar, where the Galungan period will last 10 days.

What makes this ceremony so special? What is its history and origins? Host Eddy Speirs shares the legend behind Galungan and why the Balinese Hindu celebrate this festive season.

Read the full transcript at https://nowbali.co.id/story-of-galungan/

The way the olden day Balinese perceive time, and remember old events, is not done in a measured and quantitative way - like we do in today's world. In this story by Jean Couteau, 'A Question of Time', he illustrates the interesting way in which time is experienced by Bali's older generations.

Does it somehow relate to the way we are all perceiving time during these 'pandemic' days?

Art has a long history on the island, and really was one of the early lures for tourism to the island back in the 1920s, since then the art industry has grown and grown and Balinese artists today find themselves on the global art stage.

To help us navigate the interesting art landscape in Bali, we’ve invited one of NOW! Bali’s contributors, Richard Horstman, to share his thoughts. In this episode he shares a brief history of Balinese art, explains where art is today on the island and also his vision on how to grow this special art ecosystem for the future.

This week, our Publisher Alistair Speirs takes over the airwaves and shares his thoughts and analysis of tourism, and the new vision that Bali, and in fact all of Indonesia, should embrace in order to re-open the industry in the most effective and efficient way possible going forward.

With many self-help books sharing their own "rules for life", this episode shares the wisdom of Balinese and Hindu belief on what makes a complete life. We share the Purasa Artha, the 4 Goals of Life in Hindu philosophy and unpack this with the duties, rites and actions to achieve this here in Bali.  Other than providing a deeper understanding of the Balinese way of life, this episode may even give you a new perspective on your life. 

This episode's topic is born out of the social unrest surrounding Black Lives Matter (or BLM), and has inspired us to discuss and explore the ideas of embracing and celebrating differences.

Whilst BLM is centred around systemic racism in the US, many countries have their own form of ethnic, cultural or religious oppression. In Indonesia, this has long been centred around religion.

In this episode, we focus on the pillars of tolerance that has helped Indonesia and Bali remain relatively unified despite vast differences in ethnicity and religion. We show parallels between the US and Indonesia, explore the country's founding principles and dive into the many ways Bali showcases religious tolerance which other places can learn from.

Being stuck at home for so long, the dreams of travelling are keeping many people sane. Something to look forward to. No doubt Bali will be high on the list for many — but what will a visit to Bali look be like, post-Covid crisis? We explore the possibilities in this week’s episode.