The Bali Journal

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Good morning…
26/04/2025

Good morning…

31/03/2025

🌊🏝️ Vanishing Shores: How Coastal Abrasion and Airport Expansion Are Threatening Melasti Ritual Sites in Kuta 🙏😢

In the heart of Bali’s coastal culture lies the sacred melasti ceremony 🌊🕯️—an essential Hindu purification ritual conducted before Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence 🌑. This deeply symbolic tradition is performed by the sea 🌺, where holy water from the ocean is believed to cleanse both the physical and spiritual impurities (leteh) of the world 🧘‍♂️🌊.

For decades 🗓️, the beaches of Kuta have been the setting for melasti, drawing processions of devotees in white ceremonial attire 🤍, bearing temple heirlooms and sacred offerings 🛕🌸. But now, these very beaches are disappearing 😞💔.

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⚠️ The Erosion of a Sacred Space

In recent years, severe coastal abrasion has reshaped the Kuta shoreline 🌊⏳. Broad, sandy stretches that once welcomed entire banjars for ritual are now narrowed, unstable, or washed away completely 🏖️➡️🌊. Access to traditional melasti locations has become difficult—and in some cases, impossible ❌🚷.

While natural factors such as rising sea levels 🌡️ and shifting tides 🌙 contribute to the erosion, another man-made factor also looms large: the expansion of Ngurah Rai International Airport ✈️🚧.

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🏗️ Airport Expansion and Its Coastal Consequences

The extension of the airport’s runway—built into the ocean using massive amounts of stone, concrete, and reclaimed land 🪨⚙️🌊—has altered the natural flow of tides and disrupted sediment distribution 🌀 along the southern coastline 🧭. Experts and local residents have long observed that since the airport’s reclamation project, nearby beaches such as Kuta, Tuban, and Kedonganan have experienced faster erosion ⚠️🏖️.

Although the airport plays a vital role in Bali’s tourism and economy 💼🛫, its environmental consequences have not been fully addressed—especially in terms of cultural impact 🧭🙏. The shrinking coastline is not just a physical loss; it’s a disruption of sacred space 🛕😞.

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📿 Melasti: Not Just a Ritual, but an Ecological Statement 🌱

The melasti ceremony reflects the Balinese principle of Tri Hita Karana ☀️🌊🕊️—the harmonious relationship between humans, nature, and the divine. When the ocean no longer offers space for sacred ritual 🏝️🚫, it is more than a logistical problem. It is a spiritual imbalance ⚖️🧘‍♀️, a sign that the harmony we seek in ritual may be breaking in real life 🧩.

Communities are now forced to move melasti to more distant beaches or congested areas 🛻🚦, losing the intimate, ancestral connection to their own sacred shoreline 👣🌊. This shift not only affects the atmosphere of the ceremony 🕯️, but also threatens its continuity 📉.

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🛠️ What Can Be Done? 🤔

Coastal preservation efforts—such as building sea walls 🧱, planting mangroves 🌳, and redistributing sand 🏖️—must go hand-in-hand with cultural impact assessments 📄. Development cannot come at the cost of spirituality 🙏💔. Every square meter reclaimed for infrastructure must be weighed against what it might take away from cultural identity 📿🌀.

Stakeholders—government agencies, local temple councils, and village communities—must collaborate 🤝 in protecting these vulnerable ceremonial spaces 🛕🌊. Education is key—for locals and visitors alike—to understand that Bali’s beaches are not just for sunbathing ☀️, but are living temples for ritual and prayer 📿🌴.

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🔚 Conclusion: What Disappears with the Sand?

As we celebrate Nyepi year after year 📆🌑, perhaps we must also reflect:
Are we simply purifying ourselves 🌿—or are we also protecting the very ground where that purification happens? 🧭💭

If the sea continues to reclaim the land 🌊🏝️—and we continue to allow unchecked development 🏗️—then one day, the memory of melasti in Kuta may exist only in photographs and stories 📷📖.

Let us not wait until then ⏳.

Because when the shoreline retreats, it takes more than just sand—it takes a part of who we are 🕯️🌊🧬.

Happy silent day
29/03/2025

Happy silent day

28/03/2025

Kuta Ogoh ogoh..

Like flowers prepared for prayer, we bloom not to impress, but to surrender. Life becomes beautiful when we let go.” ...
25/03/2025

Like flowers prepared for prayer, we bloom not to impress, but to surrender. Life becomes beautiful when we let go.”

Ogoh ogoh from Tampak Siring Gianyar Bali , what u think??
24/03/2025

Ogoh ogoh from Tampak Siring Gianyar Bali , what u think??

Pengerupukan and Nyepi are not just sacred days for the Balinese—they’ve also become deeply anticipated by many foreign ...
23/03/2025

Pengerupukan and Nyepi are not just sacred days for the Balinese—they’ve also become deeply anticipated by many foreign visitors. From the intense energy of ogoh-ogoh parades to the complete silence of Nyepi, these days offer a rare cultural and spiritual experience that leaves a lasting impression. Many tourists return to Bali just to witness this magical transformation.



“How to Survive (and Actually Enjoy) an Ogoh-Ogoh Parade in Bali – A Proper Aussie Guide” 🇦🇺🔥🛐⸻1. Don’t rock up late, ma...
22/03/2025

“How to Survive (and Actually Enjoy) an Ogoh-Ogoh Parade in Bali – A Proper Aussie Guide” 🇦🇺🔥🛐

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1. Don’t rock up late, mate ⏰🌅👀
You might think, “Bali time, no rush, yeah?”
But nope. These legends don’t muck around. The Ogoh-Ogoh action kicks off around sunset 🌇 on Pengerupukan night (before Nyepi).
Get there early, score a good spot 📸, and avoid doing the awkward shuffle through the crowd with a half-drunk Bintang 🍺 muttering, “Where’s the scary stuff?”
Nah, mate. Plan ahead.

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2. It’s not Halloween, cobber 🎃👹🚫
Yes, you’ll see giant demons, fangs, and glowing eyes 👀🔥…
But this ain’t the time to throw on devil horns or a sexy ghost outfit 👗👻.
This is a sacred spiritual cleansing ritual 🙏.
Observe, respect, and keep your dress-up box at home 🧳.

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3. No, you can’t take one home 🛬📦🏠
We get it. The Ogoh-Ogoh look amazing—giant, terrifying, totally Instagrammable 🤳😱.
But no, they’re not for sale. They’re made for spiritual balance, not your backyard pool party 🏊‍♂️🗿.
Take a photo, not the statue. Cheers.

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4. Dress nice, not like a walking meme 👕🩳🚫😎
You don’t need a full traditional outfit, but try to avoid rocking up in your “Bali singlet” and flamingo boardies 🦩🩲.
Think respectful but breezy 🌬️—cotton shirt, longer shorts, maybe a hat if the sun’s blazing ☀️🧢.
Trust us, your future self (and every local elder nearby) will thank you 🙌.

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5. Embrace the noise & chaos 🎶🔥🎭👯‍♂️
It’s gonna be loud. It’s gonna be crowded. It’s gonna be epic.
You’ll hear gamelan clanging 🎵, shouting 🗣️, drumming 🥁, and maybe a demon puppet twerking.
Let it happen. Bali’s energy is wild in the best way.

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6. Ask questions, not for selfies 🙏💬🤳🚫
Curious? Good. Ask locals what it means 💡—they’ll love to tell you.
But please don’t interrupt someone mid-prayer just to snap a photo 📷😬.
This ain’t Comic-Con. This is community. This is cleansing. This is culture.

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7. Stay for the burn 🔥🧨👀
Some Ogoh-Ogoh get ceremonially burned at the end of the night—
to symbolically destroy all negativity 👹💨.
It’s powerful, ancient, a bit intense—and totally unmissable.
Pro tip: Stand upwind unless you wanna go home smelling like BBQ demon 🐉🔥.

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Final tip? Be chill, be kind, be present 🧘‍♂️🫶🌺
Respect the ceremony, soak in the culture,
and let Bali give you the kind of spiritual slap
you didn’t know you needed ✨🌴🌀.
Oh—and hydrate, yeah? Coconut water over arak this time 🥥🚰.

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21/03/2025

Only in Bali can you see kindergarten kids proudly carrying mini ogoh-ogoh like tiny warriors!”
Before the big Nyepi Day celebration, even the littlest members of the community get involved. These adorable kiddos from kindergarten are already in full festive spirit — marching with their handmade ogoh-ogoh, chanting, smiling, and stealing hearts!

It’s more than just cute — it’s culture, tradition, and community coming alive at every age.
Little hands, big spirit.
Welcome to Bali, where even the tiniest souls honor the gods… and scare away the demons.

Hahahah
20/03/2025

Hahahah

Coffe time
18/03/2025

Coffe time

Happy Sunday
16/03/2025

Happy Sunday

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