Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Padangtegal, Ubud - Bali...
(Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana)
We woke up fairly early and strolled down to Monkey Forest Park, a sacred monkey forest sanctuary. On our way we navigated through offerings made to the Hindu spirits that were placed in front of homes and businesses. The offerings were of food and flowers often placed in a freshly constructed bamboo tray along with a burning stick of incense. We later learned this are typically offered three times a day as meal offerings to the spirits.
Immediately entering the sacred forest I felt like I was in another world, a world entwining the spiritual and natural. A world that felt like it had been in existence forever. We descended a stone stairway across a deep stream into a thick rain forested area called the Holy Bathing Temple. The stairways' rail was a thick stone snake that, like most of the stone, was covered with a furry layer of green moss. Statues adorned most of the stonework, including figures of gods, monkeys, frogs, elephants, snails and dragon-like faces. Most of the temple had been built in the 14th century, but one area had two equally amazing carvings of Komodo dragons sculpted in 1999. They were part of the continuing effort to inspire respect for all creatures, inculding the endangered Komodo dragon. The entire Holy Bathing Temple area was dwafted by huge trees covered with an amazing tapestry of vines.
We ascended out of the bathing temple into utter chaos. Two rival monkey groups were fighting over the morning feeding area of the park. About 50-60 monkeys were screaming, chasing and leaping at each other. After the encounters were over, they settled down and started feeding on potatoes that the guardians of the park provided. The world of monkeys seems like a world of fun and we were right in the middle of it. They are so agile and active that it was impossibly to absorb all that was happening around us.
John, with his backpack on, attracted attention and soon had monkeys crawling all over him, pulling on pack zippers and reaching their hands in his pockets looking for food. He was surprisingly calm and I was able to get some good photos and video. Later on a few jumped on me to explore food opportunities. They are amazingly human-like and have very soft little hands. It's still very strange to realize they are totally wild animals and still have they crawl all over you. One even started going through John's hair looking to groom out bugs or fleas (John, maybe it's time to got your hair cut!).
There were lots of baby monekys, they estimate there are 120-young ones this year. Many of them were amazingly independant. Others had protective mothers that would not allow them to stray, holding onto their tails to keep them close.
The variety of behavior is amazing. One monkey was trying to get a snail out of it's shell by washing it, tossing it back and forth and rubbing it on the stone pavement. Others were wrestling, leaping from or into trees. grooming each other and various other activities that I will leave unstated.
The park is enchanting and hard to leave with the only incentive for exiting being the growing number of human visitors. Near dusk we made another visit to the park and our monkey friends.
Kecak Fire and Trance Dance - Ubud, Bali...
(presented by the Desa Adat Sambahan village - Ubud, Bali)
We bought tickets and attended an evening performance of the Kecak Fire and Trance dance in at Pura Batu Karu in Udon. It was an amazing 1 1/2-hour experience.
Here's a description from the pamphlet:
<>
Kecak is a special dance that's accompanied by human music voice, called gamelan suara. In this dance, the story is developed through a choir of more than one hundred men. These men sit positioned in a concentric circle around the primary stage. As they sing, sway, stand or lie prone, their voices and dances tell a fragment of the Hindu epic Ramayana.
<>
The audience, about 40 of us, sat in a 1/4 arc about 10-feet from the choir. The center of the circle was established by a candelabra of flames. Actors and actresses would enter and depart from the top of a wide, high staircase to our right. They were dressed in striking costumes with dramatics expressions frozen on their masks.
Usually there were two sections of the choir, one making a monkey-like rhythmatic sound, the other acting as a chorus. Actors or actresses might sing their own part of the story or the story teller might sing for them. The dance is very stylized but manages to express the spectrum of the human story, from love stories to battle scenes.
The large chorus was amazingly cohesive and alive. You could tell that they love being part of this story and value their own part in expressing it. The sound from them is awesome. Once you've heard and seen them do the monkey rhythm, you can't help but miss it when it stops and get excited when it starts again. It is a frequent but welcome thread in the dance.
I'm afraid I didn't study the pamphlet before attending the dance, so the scenes of the actor and actresses were enjoyable, but not very understandable in a story sense. I would compare my experience to attending an opera where you don't know the story of the opera before you come to it.
The Trance dance is another experience entirely. Again from the pamphlet:
<>
Trance Dance (Sanghyang Djaran)
The Sanghyang Djaran is a God-inspired trance dance the function of which is to protect society against evil forces and epidemics. It can take several forms. Here it is presented as Sanghyang Djaran, where djaran means horse. In Java, as well as Bali, the hobby horse is associated with trance and is also seen in the Kuda Kepang in West Java serving a similar function. The horse rider is lulled into trance by the repetitive sounds of the gamelan suara. While in that state, he walks on a bed of burning coconut husks responding to the dynamic sounds of the gamelan suara.
<>
What happens is the bare footed horse rider runs through the pile of burning coconut husks, kicking them in every direction. Attendants sweep them into the middle again for another run through. The results are somewhat random and add a sense of excitement for the audience, which at any time may become an unwilling recipient of the flaming byproducts of the trance dance.
After the dances of the evening ended, the actors and actresses came out to allow us to take photos of them and of any of us who wanted a photo with them. It was a very fine evening. My kudos to this group!
Balinese Macaques Monekys...
<>
The monkeys that live in the sanctuary are called Balinese macaques, also known as long-tailed macaques. Their scientific name is macaca fascicularis and, aside from humans, macaques are the most widespread and successful of all primates.
About 237 macaques currently reside in the forest. There are approximately 30 adult males, 87 adult females and 120 young. These macaques live primarily in three clusters of females and males. Each of these groups tends to use different areas of the forest different times of the day. However, nearly all the macaques use all of the forest. Conflicts sometimes arise when two groups are in the same area.
Adult males weigh up to 8-10 kilos and have large canine teeth. broad shoulders and facial hair that resembles a mustache. The adult females are smaller than the males (4-8 kilograms) and have long facial hair resembling beards.
Balinese macaque society is centered around groups of related females called "matrilines". Male macaques usually migrate in from other areas in an attempt to associate themselves with the female matrilines. Both male and females have sets of dominance relationships, but they are not always clear or consistent.
Mating can take place all the year round but most infants are born during the months of May - August. Macaque mothers range from very protective to very permissive with their infants. Many females who are not the mother spend time holding and caring for infants. Sometimes you will even see an adult male "mothering" as well.
Research and Conservation
The sacred monkey forest serves not only as an important component in the spiritual and daily lives of the villages, but it is the site of several research and conservation programs. The maintenance and management of special places like this pull the attention of researchers from all over the world.
Especially interactions between human beings and the monkeys of this sacred place are subject to surveys and research studies.
It is important to treat the monkeys with respect as this is their forest home and you are a guest in it. Please remain on the paved paths. The monkeys may become aggressive if you invade their private areas (Wenara Wana staff and researchers may occassionally be seen in these areas - please do not follow them). Absolutely do not tease or provoke the monkeys for any reason.
If you wish to feed the macaques please do so carefully., and it they take food from you, please do not attempt to retrieve it. It is also of great importance that you treat the trees, the plants and other animals and structures within the monkey forest with great respect.
This is a holy area and an important ecological reserve. Please strive to enjoy the beauty and magic of this place while at the same time conserving and respecting what lives in it. If you have any question or if you needs assistance, please ask the Wanara Wana personnel (identified by their green uniforms) or a member of the reseach project.
Dear parents, please look after your children and guide them through this sanctuary.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary and the Tri Hita Karana Doctrine...
For those who are interested, this is the text of the brochure for the park that explains the religious philosophy behind it:
<>
Tri Hita Karana Doctrine
In accordance with Balinese Hindu philosophy, peace and liberty are obtainable in our lives only when we respect and observe the three harmonious relationships known as the Tri Hita Karana:
1. The Gods blessed life and created nature and its contents.
2. Nature offers subsistence, nourishment, needs and activities for human beings.
3. Human beings have an obligation to establish traditional village structure, to build temples in which to worship, to hold various ceremonies, to make daily offering, to preserve nature and to solve problems together.
This doctrine can be seen in practure during many special ceremonies. Two ceremonies which are related to the monkey forest are Tempek Kandang, where people make special offerings to the forest (and all the animals in general), and Tumpek Nguduh, where plants are equally celebrated.
The Temples
Based on analysis of the Pura Purana, a holy lontar book, which is an historical record of the temples, the Holy Monkey Temples were built during the mid-14th century during the Pereng Dynasty or early Gegel Dynasty. There are three holy temples in the sacred monkey forest:
The PURA DALEM AGUNG TEMPLE is located in the southeastern poriton of the main forest area. This temple is the main temple for the village of Padangtegal and it is the most promoinent temple in the monkey forest.
To the northest, down a long flight of steps and next to the stream you will find the HOLY BATHING TEMPLE with a structure of the "Three Mandala COncept".
The Utama Mandala, in the northern position is the area of the Gods. The Madia Mandala, for disciples of the deities is located at the centre and contains the holy pool. The Nista Manadala at the southern bridge is the special bathing place for humans.
The third temple, PURA PRAJAPATI (funeral or cremation temple) is located on the eastern edge of the main rain forest alongside a graveyard.
In addition to the three temples you will also notice two graveyards and a number of statues and carvings throughout the sacred monkey forest.
(Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana)
We woke up fairly early and strolled down to Monkey Forest Park, a sacred monkey forest sanctuary. On our way we navigated through offerings made to the Hindu spirits that were placed in front of homes and businesses. The offerings were of food and flowers often placed in a freshly constructed bamboo tray along with a burning stick of incense. We later learned this are typically offered three times a day as meal offerings to the spirits.
Immediately entering the sacred forest I felt like I was in another world, a world entwining the spiritual and natural. A world that felt like it had been in existence forever. We descended a stone stairway across a deep stream into a thick rain forested area called the Holy Bathing Temple. The stairways' rail was a thick stone snake that, like most of the stone, was covered with a furry layer of green moss. Statues adorned most of the stonework, including figures of gods, monkeys, frogs, elephants, snails and dragon-like faces. Most of the temple had been built in the 14th century, but one area had two equally amazing carvings of Komodo dragons sculpted in 1999. They were part of the continuing effort to inspire respect for all creatures, inculding the endangered Komodo dragon. The entire Holy Bathing Temple area was dwafted by huge trees covered with an amazing tapestry of vines.
We ascended out of the bathing temple into utter chaos. Two rival monkey groups were fighting over the morning feeding area of the park. About 50-60 monkeys were screaming, chasing and leaping at each other. After the encounters were over, they settled down and started feeding on potatoes that the guardians of the park provided. The world of monkeys seems like a world of fun and we were right in the middle of it. They are so agile and active that it was impossibly to absorb all that was happening around us.
John, with his backpack on, attracted attention and soon had monkeys crawling all over him, pulling on pack zippers and reaching their hands in his pockets looking for food. He was surprisingly calm and I was able to get some good photos and video. Later on a few jumped on me to explore food opportunities. They are amazingly human-like and have very soft little hands. It's still very strange to realize they are totally wild animals and still have they crawl all over you. One even started going through John's hair looking to groom out bugs or fleas (John, maybe it's time to got your hair cut!).
There were lots of baby monekys, they estimate there are 120-young ones this year. Many of them were amazingly independant. Others had protective mothers that would not allow them to stray, holding onto their tails to keep them close.
The variety of behavior is amazing. One monkey was trying to get a snail out of it's shell by washing it, tossing it back and forth and rubbing it on the stone pavement. Others were wrestling, leaping from or into trees. grooming each other and various other activities that I will leave unstated.
The park is enchanting and hard to leave with the only incentive for exiting being the growing number of human visitors. Near dusk we made another visit to the park and our monkey friends.
Kecak Fire and Trance Dance - Ubud, Bali...
(presented by the Desa Adat Sambahan village - Ubud, Bali)
We bought tickets and attended an evening performance of the Kecak Fire and Trance dance in at Pura Batu Karu in Udon. It was an amazing 1 1/2-hour experience.
Here's a description from the pamphlet:
<
Kecak is a special dance that's accompanied by human music voice, called gamelan suara. In this dance, the story is developed through a choir of more than one hundred men. These men sit positioned in a concentric circle around the primary stage. As they sing, sway, stand or lie prone, their voices and dances tell a fragment of the Hindu epic Ramayana.
<
The audience, about 40 of us, sat in a 1/4 arc about 10-feet from the choir. The center of the circle was established by a candelabra of flames. Actors and actresses would enter and depart from the top of a wide, high staircase to our right. They were dressed in striking costumes with dramatics expressions frozen on their masks.
Usually there were two sections of the choir, one making a monkey-like rhythmatic sound, the other acting as a chorus. Actors or actresses might sing their own part of the story or the story teller might sing for them. The dance is very stylized but manages to express the spectrum of the human story, from love stories to battle scenes.
The large chorus was amazingly cohesive and alive. You could tell that they love being part of this story and value their own part in expressing it. The sound from them is awesome. Once you've heard and seen them do the monkey rhythm, you can't help but miss it when it stops and get excited when it starts again. It is a frequent but welcome thread in the dance.
I'm afraid I didn't study the pamphlet before attending the dance, so the scenes of the actor and actresses were enjoyable, but not very understandable in a story sense. I would compare my experience to attending an opera where you don't know the story of the opera before you come to it.
The Trance dance is another experience entirely. Again from the pamphlet:
<
Trance Dance (Sanghyang Djaran)
The Sanghyang Djaran is a God-inspired trance dance the function of which is to protect society against evil forces and epidemics. It can take several forms. Here it is presented as Sanghyang Djaran, where djaran means horse. In Java, as well as Bali, the hobby horse is associated with trance and is also seen in the Kuda Kepang in West Java serving a similar function. The horse rider is lulled into trance by the repetitive sounds of the gamelan suara. While in that state, he walks on a bed of burning coconut husks responding to the dynamic sounds of the gamelan suara.
<
What happens is the bare footed horse rider runs through the pile of burning coconut husks, kicking them in every direction. Attendants sweep them into the middle again for another run through. The results are somewhat random and add a sense of excitement for the audience, which at any time may become an unwilling recipient of the flaming byproducts of the trance dance.
After the dances of the evening ended, the actors and actresses came out to allow us to take photos of them and of any of us who wanted a photo with them. It was a very fine evening. My kudos to this group!
Balinese Macaques Monekys...
<
The monkeys that live in the sanctuary are called Balinese macaques, also known as long-tailed macaques. Their scientific name is macaca fascicularis and, aside from humans, macaques are the most widespread and successful of all primates.
About 237 macaques currently reside in the forest. There are approximately 30 adult males, 87 adult females and 120 young. These macaques live primarily in three clusters of females and males. Each of these groups tends to use different areas of the forest different times of the day. However, nearly all the macaques use all of the forest. Conflicts sometimes arise when two groups are in the same area.
Adult males weigh up to 8-10 kilos and have large canine teeth. broad shoulders and facial hair that resembles a mustache. The adult females are smaller than the males (4-8 kilograms) and have long facial hair resembling beards.
Balinese macaque society is centered around groups of related females called "matrilines". Male macaques usually migrate in from other areas in an attempt to associate themselves with the female matrilines. Both male and females have sets of dominance relationships, but they are not always clear or consistent.
Mating can take place all the year round but most infants are born during the months of May - August. Macaque mothers range from very protective to very permissive with their infants. Many females who are not the mother spend time holding and caring for infants. Sometimes you will even see an adult male "mothering" as well.
Research and Conservation
The sacred monkey forest serves not only as an important component in the spiritual and daily lives of the villages, but it is the site of several research and conservation programs. The maintenance and management of special places like this pull the attention of researchers from all over the world.
Especially interactions between human beings and the monkeys of this sacred place are subject to surveys and research studies.
It is important to treat the monkeys with respect as this is their forest home and you are a guest in it. Please remain on the paved paths. The monkeys may become aggressive if you invade their private areas (Wenara Wana staff and researchers may occassionally be seen in these areas - please do not follow them). Absolutely do not tease or provoke the monkeys for any reason.
If you wish to feed the macaques please do so carefully., and it they take food from you, please do not attempt to retrieve it. It is also of great importance that you treat the trees, the plants and other animals and structures within the monkey forest with great respect.
This is a holy area and an important ecological reserve. Please strive to enjoy the beauty and magic of this place while at the same time conserving and respecting what lives in it. If you have any question or if you needs assistance, please ask the Wanara Wana personnel (identified by their green uniforms) or a member of the reseach project.
Dear parents, please look after your children and guide them through this sanctuary.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary and the Tri Hita Karana Doctrine...
For those who are interested, this is the text of the brochure for the park that explains the religious philosophy behind it:
<
Tri Hita Karana Doctrine
In accordance with Balinese Hindu philosophy, peace and liberty are obtainable in our lives only when we respect and observe the three harmonious relationships known as the Tri Hita Karana:
1. The Gods blessed life and created nature and its contents.
2. Nature offers subsistence, nourishment, needs and activities for human beings.
3. Human beings have an obligation to establish traditional village structure, to build temples in which to worship, to hold various ceremonies, to make daily offering, to preserve nature and to solve problems together.
This doctrine can be seen in practure during many special ceremonies. Two ceremonies which are related to the monkey forest are Tempek Kandang, where people make special offerings to the forest (and all the animals in general), and Tumpek Nguduh, where plants are equally celebrated.
The Temples
Based on analysis of the Pura Purana, a holy lontar book, which is an historical record of the temples, the Holy Monkey Temples were built during the mid-14th century during the Pereng Dynasty or early Gegel Dynasty. There are three holy temples in the sacred monkey forest:
The PURA DALEM AGUNG TEMPLE is located in the southeastern poriton of the main forest area. This temple is the main temple for the village of Padangtegal and it is the most promoinent temple in the monkey forest.
To the northest, down a long flight of steps and next to the stream you will find the HOLY BATHING TEMPLE with a structure of the "Three Mandala COncept".
The Utama Mandala, in the northern position is the area of the Gods. The Madia Mandala, for disciples of the deities is located at the centre and contains the holy pool. The Nista Manadala at the southern bridge is the special bathing place for humans.
The third temple, PURA PRAJAPATI (funeral or cremation temple) is located on the eastern edge of the main rain forest alongside a graveyard.
In addition to the three temples you will also notice two graveyards and a number of statues and carvings throughout the sacred monkey forest.
posted by Chris at 10:00 PM
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