Indonesia is formed by a myriad of different cultures and ethnic groups. Among them, the Hindu one; is concentrated at east of this vast archipelago, where it has builta society, living harmonically within nature and its own gods "Who olfers gifts to gods, receives gifts from them ", it is said in this island where Hinduism, Buddhism e animism have merged into an unique religion and where people seems to know the cause and effect law, determining its own karma. It's clever people; besides being intelligent Since no god has everdescehded ; from sky to take his fruits basket and since floWers withered under an indifferent suh, they've decided to present " gifts if~ a symbolic way, not in fact. ~ After the ceremonies all that sort of good things is recollected and brought home to eat it afong with relatives. This way the Balinese ensure themselves i both the gods' benevolence and a full % stomach. I-iarmony, wifh which life passes here founds its top expression in art. At Bafi, artists are farmers and i farmers artists. Each little village has its own Gamelan orcnesrra, rne rraomonar aannese mu sic, and its own ballet company. One of the Balinese dances, the most expressive. is the Legong. It is a hymn to the female sensualiry and dancers trained ; at the Peliatan dancing centre since ; they are nine dance iL The musical accompaniment is entrusted to men who plays the gongs, the most important instrument of the island. Who listen to the Gamelan for the lirst time, will hear only a series of chaotic '! sounds, but a Balinese, in this sequence ' of only five different notes distinguishes the sound of the different gongs and the kind of their sound. At Ubud, a picturesque village at the intemal of the isle, live many painters, dancers and musicians of Bali. Sculptors and stonecutters are concentrated . in the Batubulan village. We lind a lot ol tirta at Bali. that are ` ceremonial public baths. In the tirta men and women meet to have a refreshing .: bath, or to have a ritualóath, to make an ol%r to the ancestors spirits or simply to . have a chat. As well as the everyday lile and religiousness merge, also lile and dead are inseparable. At Bali dead does not rise lair When a person dies, his corpse is burned with a festive ceremony, during which the soul delivers and prepares itself to reincarnate again or to rest at the top ol a mountain. The most sacred mountain at is the GunungAgung. theAgungvolcano. Here the attendance of the rites is not dogma tic subjection to rituals whose meaning and origins nobody knows anymore. It is a daily gesture of humility and gratitude towani the spirits one comes from and toward the vital force that according to the Balinese manifests itself in all things and people. The animist aspect of the Balinese religiousness is represented also by the shamans-healers who enjoy great respect among people. The recovery of a person, having a fit ot negative energies, as depression or a disease, is carried out while the patíent is in trance, during which the shaman and his assistanfs expel the ill, using incense smokes and special massages. Massage starts from feet, employing salt crystals to stimulate circulation. Then follows a head massage using jasmine and lotus to obtain the face relax. It tollows the massage of the body and a whole peeling with rice meal mixed with ginger and other natural extracts. Affer an integral bath with cold water, the óody is "soaped" with yoghurt. It tollows another bath, this time with hot water, with stimulating vegetable essences. Finally the patient rests, while the masseuse prepares a healthy drink and goes to the home little temple to offer incense to ancestors, flowers and sweets. The Hinduism religion is not only at Bali, but also in the neighbouringJava Island. Before becoming a sultanate. Java was Hindu religion. With the progress of Islam, Hindus had to withdraw toward the utmost west of Java and Bali. Once a year, in the tull moon night of the Kesoto month, the Hindu community celebrates the ceremony ot the Kesoto or Kesada on the crater ol the volcano, that is the active centre ot the plateau ol the Tengger, an enormous crater of an extinct volcano, become a sea of sand. According to the legend, a princess and his husband, being unable to have babies, came here to pray gods to let them have children. Gods pleased their requirement on the condition that the couple would sacrifice one of their sons to the Brommo volcano. They had 25 sons, but they did not want to sacdfize any of them. When the Bromo volcano reacted with strong eruptions the couple had to sacritice the youngerson during the tull moon night of the month of Kesoto. Since then the Hindus of Java, to placate gods who sometimes shake earth, compelling the inhabitants to get away, thrcw offers into the volcano during a full moon night ot the month ot Kescto. Got at the top of the volcano, offers are thrown into the crater, where tens and tens ot mendicants are ready to catch them. catching what they can, before everything falls at the bottom of the crater Beggars are Moslems, poor people who live in the surroundings and come here to benelit from this shower of foods, poultry, cigarettes and money. So, everyyearitisrepeatedthespectacle ol who offers tc gods and who goes on a little more with theses offers!

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