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Showing posts from April, 2019

THE BALINESE RANGDA

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Image: By Yanajin33 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28405296 In Balinese mythology, Rangda is the queen of witches who has an ugly face, sharp fangs, tousled hair and long fingernails. She also has a bad temper and is as cunning as a fox. It is said that Rangda was probably the Queen Mahendradatta who lived on Java Island in the 11th century. She was exiled by King Dharmodayana because she was accused for allegedly bewitching the king’s second wife. Rangda was deeply provoked and took revenge by slaughtering half of the king’s family members with the help of witches and evil spirits. Later, she crowned herself queen and ruled the country. Rangda means widow in ancient Javanese language. However, it was used less and less as this word was considered negative by the Javanese in olden days. Rangda is the important character in Balinese traditional dance. Sendratari is the very dance that displays the fight between Rangda and Barong. I

THE ANGEL ISLAND

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Image: Wikimedia Commons Pulau Bidadari or The Angel Island is an amazing and outstanding tourist destination which is worth visiting. It isn’t very far from Jakarta and it needs half an hour to arrive at the beautiful island. Tourists usually go to Marina Ancol Port where speedboat and jet-ski are hired for travelling to the Angel Island. The departure is from 08:00 to 10:00 am. It’s so crowded at weekends. However, only two departures are available on a normal weekday. While you’re on the way, you’ll see the islands which have their own historical values, such as Cipir, Ontrust and Kelor Islands. Fortresses, houses and harbours were built on those islands by the Dutch government during the Dutch occupation. In the 17th century, the Angel Island was the location that supported the activities on Ontrust Island, in which the supporting facilities had been built. The Dutch East India Company relocated a leprosy hospital from Angke in 1679. That was why the Angel Island was ca