The Sacred & The Profane: Restoring Cultural Resilience in Bali

Abstract

The Indonesian island of Bali has established its position as one of the top tourist destinations in the world. For over a century, the tourism sector has influenced the island’s social and built environment: Tourism has replaced agriculture as the main contributor in the local’s population’s livelihood, where it accounts to 80% of the island’s economy. And as the tourist numbers grow over the years, Bali has seen a rapid increase in the numbers of hotels and resorts scattered across the island. Bali’s popularity as a tourist destination was started back in the 1920s, during a period where Indonesia was colonised by The Dutch. The success of the Dutch Colony’s tourism strategy for Bali has subsequently shaped its physical domain. There is no precursor for hotels as a building type in Balinese tradition and yet, driven by the economics of modern tourism, hotel buildings are reshaping the face of the island. They have not been designed to mimic but rather to convey or facilitate a consciously artificial reading of a place. One goes to a hotel to be deliberately treated to a simulacrum – a partial simulation of the real. The island’s current touristic culture has overshadowed the authenticity of Balinese traditions and values. Surely, the image of bona fide Bali is far from yogis doing yoga with a mountain or seashore setting. To understand Bali as it would be perceived through the locals’ lenses, a thorough study on the fundamental traditional philosophies has been undertaken for this thesis. These philosophies have been applied to all aspects of the Balinese’s daily life for centuries, from architecture to their day-to-day life activities and rituals. The most foundational traditional philosophy is the concept of Tri Angga, which divides everything in the natural world into three parts. This tripartite division is organised based on the degree of sacredness. The Balinese believe every element in the universe has its correct place, and proper positioning in relation to the rest of the world is important for maintaining harmonious relationships. Another traditional philosophy that has a vital influence on the local’s livelihood is Tri Hita Karana which translates to the “three causes of well-being/prosperity.” The philosophy fosters harmony between people through collective cooperation; between humans and God, embodied in numerous rituals and offerings to appease deities; and harmony between humans and their environment, which strives to conserve nature and promote the sustainability and balance of the environment.