Culture

Probably no island in the world has, had its praises sung so frequently or so vehemently in recent years, as Bali. For here is the world's last paradise, an island haven of such shimmering beauty, such magical atmosphere, that few can easily tear themselves away. Scholars may scoff, businessmen smile, but let them put one foot on Bali and suddenly it dawns: almost everything that has been said about the island is true. Bali has a magic about it, an atmosphere at once relaxing and unique that springs, not from any one factor but from the inter-relationship of many: a fabulously green and fertile countryside, terraced paddy-fields, dream-like beaches of coral sand, the majestic mixture of volcanic mountains, lakes and streams, flora with the most exotic hues - and temples, flamboyant ceremonies at every turn, their form guided by the complex Hindu-Bali religion.

According to legend, Bali was originally a flat, barren island. When Java fell to the Mohammedans, the disgusted Hindu gods decided to move to Bali, but it became necessary for then to build dwelling-places high enough for their exalted rank. So they created the mountains, one for each of the cardinal points. The highest, Gunung Agung, was erected in the east, the place of honor; the Batur in the north; the Batukau in the west; and since there had to be one for the south, the raised table-land (Tafelhoek) of Bukit Pecatu became the seat of the patron of the south. The Batur is venerated in its neighborhood, and the Batukau is holy to the villages on its slopes, but it is the Gunung Agung, Bali's highest mountain (10,506 feet) that is most sacred to the whole of the island.

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