Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
able, and in many temples you'll be required to wear a sarong (usually provided at the gate of
the most-visited temples). In addition, you should wear a
ceremonial sash
around your waist
whenever you visit a temple. These can be bought cheaply at most shops selling sarongs, and
can be of any style (the Balinese sometimes make do with a rolled-up sarong wrapped around
their waist or even a towel); they too are provided for visitors to popular temples.
When attending special
temple ceremonies
, cremations and other village festivals, you
should try to dress up as formally as possible: sarongs and sashes are obligatory, and shirts
with buttons are preferable to T-shirts. Don't walk in front of anyone who's praying, or take
their photo, and try not to sit higher than the priest or the table of offerings. Never use a flash.
At temples, you'll be expected to give a
donation
towards upkeep (Rp10,000 or so is an ac-
ceptable amount) and to sign the donation book. There's no need to be prompted into larger
sums when you read how much the previous visitor donated - extra noughts are quite easy to
add.
Because the shedding of blood is considered to make someone
ritually unclean
(
sebel
) in
Balinese Hinduism, women are not allowed to enter a temple, or to attend any religious cere-
monies, during
menstruation
, and the same applies to anyone bearing a fresh wound. Under
the same precepts, new mothers and their babies are also considered to be
sebel
for the first
42 days after the birth (new fathers are unclean for three days), and anyone who has been
recently bereaved is
sebel
until three days after burial or cremation. These restrictions apply
to non-Balinese as well, and are sometimes detailed on English-language notices outside the
temple.
Mosques
On the whole, the
mosques
of Lombok and Bali don't hold much cultural or architectural
interest for non Islamic tourists, but should you have occasion to visit one, it's as well to be
aware of certain Islamic practices. Everyone is required to take off their shoes before enter-
ing, and to wear long sleeves and long trousers; women should cover their shoulders and may
also be asked to cover their heads (bring your own scarf or shawl). Men and women always
pray in separate parts of the mosque, though there are unlikely to be signs telling you where
to go. Women are forbidden to engage in certain religious activities during menstruation, and
this includes entering a mosque.
hours. If visiting Lombok during this time, you should be sensitive to this, although you'll
certainly be able to find places to eat. Adherence varies across the island at this time: it is
most apparent in the south and the east, but something you might not even notice in Senggigi.
