Why Bali Is Special: A Deep Look into Its Culture, Community, and Origins

The Strength of Community: More Than a Social Structure

What truly distinguishes Bali from other destinations is its community spirit. Every Balinese person belongs to several layers of social groups: the extended family, the banjar (a form of local council), and the temple-based village association. These networks are not casual, they define a person’s responsibilities, privileges, and identity in domestic and public roles.

The banjar is the foundation of community life. It manages social events, resolves conflicts, and ensures that rituals are conducted properly. When a family hosts a wedding or cremation, the entire banjar helps. Labor, food, and costs are shared, participation is not optional but expected. This sense of obligation reinforces social cohesion and ensures that no one faces major life events alone.

Anthropologists Hildred Geertz and Clifford Geertz in book Kinship in Bali (1975), described this social order as the hamlet. This usage appears in phrases like “the opposition between group and community.” However, the identification of banjar with community is far from consistent. Many other types of groups can function as “the community” in a commoner’s life, and the roles and powers of the hamlet are often limited. Because of this variation, the Balinese hamlet does not align with idealized models such as Redfield’s “small community” or the “village republic” described by Goris and Korn.

The governing body of the hamlet, the krama banjar, consists of all adult male citizens. Each man must have a female partner to qualify. This partner is usually his wife, but in her absence, a sister, mother, or daughter may serve the role. If a man does not have such a partner, he is typically excluded from the council. This is because many council responsibilities involve women’s work, such as preparing offerings for religious ceremonies.

The definition of adulthood varies among adat villages. In some, a man becomes an adult when he marries; in others, when he has his first child. In certain villages, he only qualifies after his father dies and he assumes his father’s place. In these latter cases, councils tend to be smaller. Only one brother may hold a seat at a time, while the others assist with tasks but have no voting role. Rules for retirement from the council also differ between villages, reflecting the diversity and complexity of local traditions. It is not based on formal elections or bureaucracies but on mutual trust, respect, and continuity . These close-knit communities make Bali remarkably resilient. Even as tourism brings rapid development, most traditional villages maintain their local governance, religious obligations, and communal values.

Art and Expression: More Than Performance

Balinese art is another window into the island’s soul. Here, art is not separate from life; it is part of religious and community expression. Dance, music, sculpture, and painting are all infused with spiritual meaning. Performances are not solely for entertainment; they are offerings to the gods.

Traditional dances like the Barong, Legong, and Kecak are deeply symbolic. Each movement tells a story from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana or Mahabharata. Children are trained from an early age in these forms, not necessarily to become professional artists, but because cultural participation is a duty. Every temple festival includes music from a gamelan orchestra and choreographed rituals; art and religion blend seamlessly.

Woodcarving and painting also reflect sacred themes. Masks are carved not just for visual effect but to embody spiritual forces; before use, they are blessed in a ritual. These artistic practices continue to evolve; modern Balinese artists often incorporate contemporary themes without abandoning traditional forms.

One of the most profound artistic and symbolic expressions in Balinese culture appears during the preparations for Nyepi, the Balinese New Year. In the days leading up to this sacred day, villages create towering ogoh-ogoh, an elaborate effigies representing demonic forces and negative energies. These figures are built from bamboo frames, cloth, paint, and papier-mâché, often with exaggerated faces and dramatic gestures. Their construction involves collaboration among sculptors, painters, dancers, and musicians. The result is not only a visual spectacle but also a ritual object, used to absorb and represent chaos before being ceremonially eliminated.