No matter where you go in Bali, the urban and village areas, you will always find one person being part of Banjar all around. Simply defined, Banjar is a Balinese community consisting of locals and non-local who decided to permanently stay in Bali. Now you wondered why Bali has so many of them. What the root of Balinese Communities truly is? Bali Villas R Us covers the answers to the entire questions above in the following.

Can You Imagine? One Small Village in Bali Can Comprise of More than 10 Banjar Balinese Communities

But why? As an old saying goes, we cannot survive without the hand of others. To live, we need one another, don’t we? When it’s heavy to carry the world on your own, somehow you can make it through in togetherness. However, in today’s world, changes are real, and people are becoming more secluded. Some people even prevent themselves to be tied in a certain community and choose to be independent and be free. However, Banjar in Bali is more than just a neighbor, it’s a way of life.

It’s an essential aspect for a Balinese to have a community to be his or her home.

Banjar is what keeps the bond in Balinese’s social life solid. But does it mean Balinese people only socialize in their community and not with another outside of their community? The answer is no, being in a Banjar doesn’t make you an anti-social or a fanatic. Banjar does not have a complicated purpose as well. You help one another in the social aspects of life or the Balinese word, you are to do Ngayah. It’s almost like joining a volunteer work for public causes such as: helping a family to conduct Ngaben or cremation ceremony, Nganten or wedding, and many more.

You can still befriend others outside your community and probably be married to one from another region and change your community too. One can only take part in one Banjar but s/he can also belong not only in one community. Several ways a community is established in Bali are found by:

1. The base of Hindu religion
2. A similar ancestor temple
3. Blood (family bond)
4. The village where they are from
5. A community of Balinese farmers found by the similar traditional irrigation system (Subak)
6. A change of community because of marital status
7. A group of people newly registered in a community through an administration process

The central government in Indonesia have officially made local communities in Bali since 1979 as the lowest structure of society in national governance. They carry out the purposes of customary and administrative. One local community of Banjar should at least contain 5 families. It can also grow big comprising more than 100 families as well.

Purposes of Balinese Communities

Local communities in Bali conform with the law governing in Indonesia and each has its territories where they can exert control over the areas; to manage and help their surrounding neighborhood based on the local customs recognized and respected in the country.

Banjar serves two general purposes; the first one is to fulfill their duty in customary purpose. Second is to assist in the administrative process. Each Banjar has two chiefs or kelian that keeps a tab on the society. So, one kelian will be in charge in Banjar Dinas and the other one in the Banjar Adat. However, there could be a case where to handle both, they will trust one person.

1. Banjar Dinas, oversees affairs related to administrative processes in succeeding programs established by the government of Indonesia to the society. These are from the making of KTP (Identity Card), birth certificate, activities by Integrated Healthcare Center, and Family Welfare Development, until arranging an orderly implementation of the public selection of the representatives.
2. Banjar Adat, oversees matters associated with customs. For instance, scheduling customary rites like weddings, cremation ceremonies, and making sure religious traditions be observed profoundly by locals. Usually, people from outside who are newly registered in a Banjar are exception from joining in the customary events, especially when they are not Hindu devotees. But they must exchange their absence for some form of monthly compensation. This compensation system also works on those members that cannot keep their duty because, for instance, they must work or study abroad.

How Balinese Communities Work?

Balinese communities have each of their meeting spot called Bale Banjar. This is the place where all the activities including all the members taking place. Active Balinese communities usually have their meeting agendas. They will discuss important events that will have to be taken into account in the current month.

They also have programs for targeted members. For wives in every household of registered Banjar members, there should join PKK or Family Welfare Development. They usually arrange skill-building activities such as cooking, fitness, and sewing classes. For the youngster there is STT. They are in charge of preparing Nyepi and Galungan tradition from the making of penjor and ogoh-ogoh. There is also pecalang. Usually a men in balinese communities will take this role to keep the safety of the neighborhood especially in Nyepi.

Balinese families and married Balinese couples should participate in Banjar Adat. By joining Banjar Adat, they receive the rights and responsibilities entitled in the Banjar. They are expected to join helping members of the Banjar when they are needing it. Supposedly a family from the member passes away, every family in Banjar should be down to assist in the funeral process and to donate. The right for the members is given in form of the help received by the unfortunate member and the responsibility should be carried out to get the right so the help they get is also following the good deed they had done in the former time.

Balinese Communities – The Secret to Harmonious Social Life Balance in Bali

Everything will be so much lighter when we handle the laborious work together. Isn’t it beautiful that part of the social belief created by the Balinese ancestors still strongly exists in this modern world? A time where people are competing to be on their own. Banjar is essentially what makes Bali the island we knew it. A warm home full of humble people because they are used to being part of a community where they are used to sorting out troubles in togetherness. That it relies on the power of sincerity to give out your energy and money for the sake of others that don’t even have a familial bond with you. Imagine having an understanding like that of Bali in every corner of the globe, could you see how magnificent the world will be?

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