Many have heard of Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence, and understand that for 24 hours the entire island undergoes a strict period of no work, no activity and no sound. But what is the reason behind this Day of Silence? And why is Nyepi observed on the day it is observed? These are the questions we hope to answer in this episode of the NOW! Bali Podcast with host, Eddy Speirs. For more details you can read the full article on Nyepi on our website. How to support NOW! Bali (1) You can help grow the Po...
Mar 26, 2025•8 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Tjokorda Raka Kerthyasa is an esteemed member of the Ubud Royal Family and holds the position of Bendesa Adat of Ubud (Head of Customary Village Organisation) since 2009. He is one of Bali’s respected authorities on culture and local traditions. He joins the podcast ahead of a colossal ceremony taking place in Ubud, on 10 November 2024, known as Karya Agung Penyejeg Jagat . This opens a wider conversation surrounding the nature of ceremonies and the intricacies of ‘ yadnya ’, or sacrifices (offe...
Nov 03, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 31
In this episode, host Eddy Speirs shares a bite-sized perspective piece on factors that help to perpetuate Balinese rituals through time. Balinese Hindu philosophy has some effective built-in mechanisms for self-perpetuation down the generations. It is a mechanism driven by duty, debt and superstition. This is seen in the principle known as Tri Rna , the three duties or obligations one must fulfil during one’s life. This episode comes from an article published in TIMELESS Bali Volume 4, the four...
Oct 31, 2024•8 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Bali, renowned for its breathtaking landscapes and vibrant culture, has faced escalating environmental challenges as its tourism industry continues to grow. Issues such as waste mismanagement and ecological degradation have prompted a local response led by Eco Tourism Bali. Founded in 2021 by Suzy Hutomo , Chairperson of BodyShop Indonesia, and Rahmi Fajar Harini, a Balinese entrepreneur with a background in hospitality and public relations, the social impact business is building the path to mak...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 29
In this episode, host Eddy Speirs covers one of the most central aspects of Balinese Hindu ritual life: the Pawukon Calendar. This episode outlines the mythological origins of Hari Saraswati, The Day of Knowledge, rooted in the legend of 'Watugunung', Bali's own 'Oedipus' tale. This is tied to the creation of the calendar as well as wariga, the knowledge of time . Following this is an explanation of how the Pawukon calendar is used , and what 'calculations' must be done to define specific auspic...
Oct 12, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In this episode, we welcome Prof. Dr. I Made Bandem and Bruce Carpenter who recently published 'Masks of Bali: Between Heaven and Hell' , an epic 2-volume collection on Bali's traditional masks, a historical publication set to define this field of art for generations to come. Note: this episode is best enjoyed as a Video ( YouTube version available here ). In this insightful conversation, Pak Bandem and Pak Bruce share their in-depth knowledge on Balinese masks, explaining the history of masks i...
May 16, 2023•1 hr 54 min•Season 1Ep. 27
This episode discusses Balinese healing traditions in the modern age, speaking to Tjok Gde Kerthyasa on how both science and spirituality are important to his work, why Balinese cosmology is important to holistic healing, and also what it will take to make Bali’s healing offerings more trusted and robust. Tjok Gde Kerthyasa is the founder of Tirta Usada , a holistic clinic and research centre in Ubud. With his mixed background — his mother, Jero Asri Kerthyasa, is Australian; his father Tjokorda...
Jan 27, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 26
In the same way we all make targets and goals for ourselves in the new year, why shouldn’t an island do the same? Why can’t Bali strive to be and do better? NOW! Bali Founder Alistair Speirs joins this episode to share his 20 Bali New Year Resolutions , some guidelines required to maintain the island's place as a world-renowned destination that everyone can love, or indeed as a wonderful place to live for residents. NOW! Bali Magazine is now back in print! Available as a bi-monthly publication, ...
Jan 04, 2023•11 min
Full Video Interview available on YouTube here. Stored in distant archives of universities abroad, the earliest recordings of Balinese music and dance have remained a mystery for the greater Balinese society, alongside footage and photography of island life just a century ago. Bali 1928, a project on a mission to repatriate this old documentation back to the island, is seeing the effects the past can have on today’s generation. Artistic communities, environmental groups, everyday Balinese awe-in...
Sep 02, 2022•50 min
Full Video Interview available on YouTube here. Stored in distant archives of universities abroad, the earliest recordings of Balinese music and dance have remained a mystery for the greater Balinese society, alongside footage and photography of island life just a century ago. Bali 1928, a project on a mission to repatriate this old documentation back to the island, is seeing the effects the past can have on today’s generation. Artistic communities, environmental groups, everyday Balinese awe-in...
Aug 08, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 23
The significance of water in Bali cannot be understated. In this episode we seek to illustrate the many ways in which water is part of life on the island and why it is such a central element in Balinese belief. You'll learn why Bali's belief system was called 'Agama Tirta', religion of holy water, before it was officially called 'Balinese Hinduism'. From the cycles of reincarnation, to the cult of fertility, self purification and cleansing of the world, water is present throughout life and even ...
Jun 02, 2022•13 min
Found in most banjars across Bali, the distinct appearance of the Barong Landung characters are unmistakeable in the assortment of Balinese religious effigies. This conspicuous couple, always found together, are at face-value just symbols of an old Balinese love story. However, digging deeper, this historic husband and wife drama speaks not of love, but of identity. It is symbolic of Bali’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious history, and ultimately of the centuries-long relationship the island has...
Mar 17, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In this episode of the podcast we’ll be exploring changes in Bali - and of Bali - discussing the effects of the island’s transformation into modern livelihoods and land-use. To read the transcript of the episode, feel free to visit our website article here . This episode comes from a feature article in our recently published, 'Preservation in Times of Progress' , our January 2022 Digital Edition of NOW! Bali Magazine which you can read here . In this episode, as well as this edition, we bring to...
Jan 23, 2022•14 min•Ep. 20
In this episode, host Eddy Speirs is joined by two special guests, Ewa Wojkowska & Robi Navicula . Together they discuss a range of topics, including plastic pollution, Bali’s environmental crisis, beliefs surrounding nature, the future of Bali’s agricultural communities and also the island’s vibrant music scene. Ewa Wojkowska is the Co-Founder of Kopernik, a research and development lab based in Indonesia that focuses on poverty alleviation and finding solutions to social and environmental ...
Oct 08, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 19
Jatiluwih, the 600 hectares of rice fields in Tabanan, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is listed as a cultural landscape... but what does that even mean? It refers to the subak water-sharing system and how the rice fields are the manifestation of the Balinese Tri Hita Karana Philosophy, the three elements of well being, God Nature and People, that must be in balance and in harmony with one-another. So how exactly does the subak, a water-sharing or irrigation system, represent t...
Jul 13, 2021•15 min
Agama Tirta, the Religion of Water. This is what Balinese religion was often referred to before it’s official title of Hindu Dharma, as water was - and continues to be - an essential element in the rituals and even belief of the Balinese. Today’s episode is taken from one of Jean Couteau’s articles in the NOW! Bali archives, titled Balinese Pilgrims on the Quest for Holy Water. Read the full transcript here. To get a better understanding of Agama Tirta, we strongly suggest that you listen to Epi...
Apr 26, 2021•9 min
Why is Bali the way it is? How is there a solitary Hindu island in the largest muslim country in the world (by population)? Why is its brand of Hinduism different from what is found in India? Why is it called the Island of the Gods? To understand everything we see in Bali today, it's necessary to take a deep dive into Bali's history, to see the origins of its culture and its belief systems. This episode is a kind of condensed history of Bali, explaining what made Bali the way it is today. It wil...
Mar 23, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Myths, folklore and stories in general are powerful forces. They are vessels in which morals and life lessons can be shared to societies, thus guiding them in the 'right' way of being. Myths are an important part of Balinese culture, mainly through the medium of the shadow puppet performance or 'wayang kulit'. It is the puppet master, the dalang, who is therefore responsible for sharing the many Balinese myths and legends, thus spreading the morals society needs to remember. Read the full transc...
Oct 17, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Galungan is one of the most important ceremonies on the Balinese calendar. The exact dates of this auspicious day are calculated through the 210-day Pawukon calendar , where the Galungan period will last 10 days. What makes this ceremony so special? What is its history and origins? Host Eddy Speirs shares the legend behind Galungan and why the Balinese Hindu celebrate this festive season. Read the full transcript at https://nowbali.co.id/story-of-galungan/...
Sep 15, 2020•9 min•Season 1Ep. 14
The way the olden day Balinese perceive time, and remember old events, is not done in a measured and quantitative way - like we do in today's world. In this story by Jean Couteau, 'A Question of Time', he illustrates the interesting way in which time is experienced by Bali's older generations. Does it somehow relate to the way we are all perceiving time during these 'pandemic' days?
Aug 13, 2020•11 min
Art has a long history on the island, and really was one of the early lures for tourism to the island back in the 1920s, since then the art industry has grown and grown and Balinese artists today find themselves on the global art stage. To help us navigate the interesting art landscape in Bali, we’ve invited one of NOW! Bali’s contributors, Richard Horstman , to share his thoughts. In this episode he shares a brief history of Balinese art, explains where art is today on the island and also his v...
Jul 13, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Season 1Ep. 12
This week, our Publisher Alistair Speirs takes over the airwaves and shares his thoughts and analysis of tourism, and the new vision that Bali, and in fact all of Indonesia, should embrace in order to re-open the industry in the most effective and efficient way possible going forward.
Jul 06, 2020•10 min•Season 1Ep. 11
With many self-help books sharing their own "rules for life", this episode shares the wisdom of Balinese and Hindu belief on what makes a complete life. We share the Purasa Artha, the 4 Goals of Life in Hindu philosophy and unpack this with the duties, rites and actions to achieve this here in Bali. Other than providing a deeper understanding of the Balinese way of life, this episode may even give you a new perspective on your life.
Jun 20, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 10
This episode's topic is born out of the social unrest surrounding Black Lives Matter (or BLM), and has inspired us to discuss and explore the ideas of embracing and celebrating differences. Whilst BLM is centred around systemic racism in the US, many countries have their own form of ethnic, cultural or religious oppression. In Indonesia, this has long been centred around religion. In this episode, we focus on the pillars of tolerance that has helped Indonesia and Bali remain relatively unified d...
Jun 09, 2020•15 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Being stuck at home for so long, the dreams of travelling are keeping many people sane. Something to look forward to. No doubt Bali will be high on the list for many — but what will a visit to Bali look be like, post-Covid crisis? We explore the possibilities in this week’s episode.
May 30, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 8
More tourists is always good, right? Not always. What if they don’t care about the local culture, or have no curiosity for the history? Then numbers don’t mean anything. So, how can we promote Bali to attract people who DO care?
May 18, 2020•14 min•Season 1Ep. 7
In this opinion piece, NOW! Publisher Alistair Speirs shares his thoughts on business ethics and tourism in the time of Covid-19 in Bali. He touches on why, in these difficult times, it is the absolute responsibility of business owners and leaders to help those most vulnerable.
May 11, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Did you know, being centuries old, Bali's great temples have a whole host of wonderful myths and legends surrounding their founding? As with all things in Bali, there is plenty of magic and mysticism involved. This week we share the stories of Tanah Lot Temple (Pura Tanah Lot) and Uluwatu Temple (Pura Luhur Uluwatu), and the role the travelling priest, Dang Hyang Nirartha, had to play.
May 04, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 5
"The crisis will end. They all do. And usually precipitate another because our ability to recover is pretty much equal to our ability to plan, says Alistair Speirs who has seen his weary way through many crises in Indonesia: from riots to earthquakes, from financial collapses to tsunamis. And if we are truly honest and compare our recovery time and our recovery programs to our neighbours in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, we will see we are very much slower than they are. Why is this and what ...
Apr 23, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In Bali, north has a different meaning. North, or Kaja, is towards the mountain, Mount Agung to be exact. It is the direction towards the spiritual, where the Balinese orient themselves towards. This orientation is found throughout Balinese structures and is all about orienting oneself with the universe.
Apr 20, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 3
