Leading Hindu figures voice world peace in Bali

Denpasar: Around 200 influential Hindu figures from 15 countries are currently attending the World Hindu Summit 2012 in Wiswa Sabha, Denpasar, from June 9 to 12.

Among the leaders are Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from Art of Living Foundation India, Muni Amrender, founder and chairman of Universal Ahimsa Foundation USA, and Swami Bajranand, president of Bharatiya Sanskriti Suraksha.

Other participants come from countries including India, Malaysia, Nepal, Belgium, Germany and the US.

“The summit is expected to achieve one vision and mission towards the Bali Charter, recommend and appoint the

I Made Bandem: Encouraging the birth of Balinese contemporary arts

Balinese performing arts maestro I Made Bandem, also known as the Joe Papp of Bali, is currently on his latest mission to encourage young Balinese artists to engage in not only the preservation of the island’s cultural and art heritage, but also in giving birth to more contemporary arts.
Bandem and his wife, Swasthi Widjaja Bandem, who have been for the past five years teaching Balinese performing arts and culture at the Holy Cross College in Massachusetts, will stage novel contemporary arts collaborations at the upcoming annual Bali Arts Festival (PKB), a cultural gathering that he conceptualized together with the late former governor of Bali, Ida Bagus Mantra, 34 years ago.

This year, the author of more than 160 books, including the textbook Balinese Dance in Transition:

I love Bali: Ubud: The Yogi’s playground

by June Arya on 2012-05-31

While the influx of foreign artists around the 1920s and 1930s brought the creative atmosphere to local young Ubud artists, the recent world fever, EPL (or Eat, Pray, Love) in 2010, almost a century later, did the reverse. Both, no doubt, have successfully brought in fame and money. Ubud’s transformation process, from “home of the artists” to “yogi’s playground”, is somewhat a cultural product innovation.

The earlier era produced more tangible products, like artworks and museums, for instance.

The following era is more provocative with its intangible products; this era sells the atmosphere promoted in
Julia Roberts’ movie, EPL.

The movie was the usual Hollywood drama, but which influenced so many women across the world to leave their job and come to dream in Bali.

Thanks to Oprah, as well, for the great support. Indeed, Bali, as love-finding or pilgrimage