Many people think that Bali is an island with a relativelyhomogeneous community. The majority of the population here is Hindu, and inevery major Hindu ceremony, Bali becomes lively with many festivals anddecorations.
This perception of homogeneity is a little bit wrong becausethe Balinese Hindu community can be divided into several classifications basedon their arrival on this island. One of the original inhabitants of the islandof Bali is the Bali Aga who currently lives in several villages in Bali.
Migration to Bali
According to experts, there are three waves of humanmigration to Bali. The first migration wave occurred in prehistoric times. Thesecond wave occurred when Hinduism began to spread throughout the Indonesianarchipelago. The third wave happened when the Majapahit kingdom collapsed andIslamization took place on Java.
Those who came in the first two waves of migration is whatare referred to as the Balinese native tribe, or Bali Aga. Meanwhile, the thirdwave of migration was dominated by Hindus from Java. In Bali, they are referredto as the Bali Jawi.
Characteristics of Bali Aga
Bali Aga Community usually lived in a relatively isolatedarea such as in the mountains. This community lives their daily life with verystrict customary rules. Each community has its own rules which can be slightlydifferent than those in other villages.
The language used in each community is different too. Theystill use Balinese language but with a very noticeably different dialectcompared to other places.
Very exclusive community
People in a Bali Aga village usually maintain their customs very tightly. Residents in this place are not permitted to marry people outside their community. If someone is married to an outsider, the person must leave the village. He also will lose some rights like inheritance from the family. Inter-family marriages are permitted with a minimum threshold of four generations difference.
Although Bali Aga community culturally does not interact orassimilate with outsiders, they are very open to the presence of othercommunities, including tourists. People from Bali Aga village will acceptanyone with open arms, as long as the guest respects their culture.
Tenganan and Trunyan
The village of Tenganan is known for its culturalexclusivity and Gringsing fabric. This village opened itself to the outsideworld starting in the 70s. Today, Tenganan Village has become a tourism villagethat receives many visits annually. You can also find the bloody Pandan Warfestival in this village.
The Trunyan Village community does not like to be called asBali Aga because they consider the term to have a negative connotation. Theyprefer to be called Bali Mula (Original Balinese). Trunyan village is famousbecause they did not bury or cremate their dead. The bodies are simply placedopenly on the ground, covered with only clothes and bamboo canopies.
Bali Aga village has a unique and relatively different culturecompared to other places in Bali. Their naturally isolated locations makes themhave limited interaction with the outside world. But now thosee villages havebecome an attractive cultural tourism destination, where you can see firsthandhow the indigenous culture of Balinese society is carried out every day.