The development statue of Cokorda Mantuk Ring Rana started with laying the first stone by Denpasar Mayor, I.B. Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra, Monday (September 6th).

Head of Denpasar Spatial and House Planning, Ir. Kadek Kusuma Diputra, M.T. said that accompanied the development of the statue of formerly king in Denpasar castle, they had conducted a competition regarding the statue design for Cokorda Mantuk Ring Rana.

“The making of this statue is part of Denpasar devotional form toward the life struggle of I Gusti Ngurah Made Agung,” Kusuma Diputra said.

According to Kusuma, the making of Denpasar King’s statue also mentioned as a man who concerned with traditional literature has part in supporting the identity of Denpasar city as a city with cultural conception. Besides, the statue development of this Denpasar king also takes as the way to reminisce about his figure.

“The fighting spirit and his blood of art embedded in him can become proper example,” said Kesuma Diputra.
Statue development is the replacement for Adipura monument that will be shifted to the intersection at Veteran St – Nangka St – Pattimura St – Yudistira St.

The statue made from bronze whilst the base made from red brick. Physically the statue, according to Kadek Kusuma, will have 7 meter basic diameter, height is 2.75 meter with the base height 3.66 meter. Contract made with Megah Tama Perkasa, co. mentioned that the statue will be finished December this year.

News by Berita Bali

“The perforated cliff happened on Sunday morning and what damaged the most was the temple’s wall,” said the temple head, I Wayan Warsa.

He explained that the cliff condition is labile so when it get poured with torrential rain it perforated.

He also said that the temple wall perforated for along 15 meter and all felt down to the ravine with seven meter in depth.

It caused pretty high lost for people who usually pray at that temple. From the temporary estimation, the lost reached Rp 60 million.

Today, Warsa said, the temple is used by 22 householder who are comes from local banjar. The people could not repair the perforated cliff close to the temple since their financial condition is impossible to do it.

Thus, he hope for the regional government, Bangli Regency could give some assistance to rebild the wall at the cliff as well as with the collapsed chicken. Until today there is no attention from the Bangli government.

Meanwhile, head of Criminal Division of Bangli Police, AKP I Ketut Badra confessed that he still identifying the location. He said that the damage is quite worse but still give no harm for the local people.

News by Antara Bali

Head of Denpasar Health Agency, dr. Luh Sri Armini stated that according to the health research data at Bali Provincial Government, percentage for people above 10 years old who smoke everyday reached 20.2 %. Meanwhile, in Denpasar it reached 16.8 % per day.

According to Sri Armini, some areas such as Padang Panjang City, Capital City of Jakarta and Bandung has already arranged and determined local regulation concerning free-smoking area. Still, Bali Provincial Government has not that kind of local regulation yet.

Nowadays, Denpasar City is still arranging the Mayor regulation in concern with it. “One ofo the most effective ways to realizing free-smoking area is through the application of local regulation as well as other written regulations,” she said.

Previously, there were seven free-smoking areas in Denpasar and today the government would begin the socialization, which involving 120 participants from varied fields such as Local Council of Denpasar, headmaster for junior high and high school in Denpasar, Bendesa Pakraman, head of villages and any other related institutions.

“With the involvement of varied participants comes from different components hoped the program for free-smoking areas can be conducted effectively and not remain as a statement only,” she added.
Sri Armini stated that the danger comes from smoking habit not merely give negative impacts for the smokers only, it also influence their surrounded environment as they affected by it smoke. Passive smoker has higher risk of suffering lung cancer.

News by Berita Bali

Estimation of tourist visiting number exceeding the target set based on the number of tourists visiting during January-June period this year increased up to 14 percent.

Director of Foreign Promotion Division of Cultural and Tourism Affair Ministry, I Gede Pitana in his statement in the middle of National Workshop about tourism and poverty alleviation in Denpasar, on Saturday (August 28th), stated that the increasing of tourist visiting up to 14 percent in its first semester this year is due to the increasing of tourist visiting from tourism potential marketing in Indonesia. For instance is Australia with 40 percent escalation.

“Australia is the most rapid developed and big volume market, it then followed by Singapore, also with the same high volume,” said I Gede Pitana.

Foreign Promotion Director of Cultural and Tourism Affair’s Ministry, I Gede Pitana mentioned that until today there are two tourism potential marketing in Indonesia with visiting traffic growth rate is negative that is Japan and France.

Japanese visiting derivation reached 12 percent meanwhile France reached 1 percent. This condition happened due to the both countries still in recovery process of post-global crisis recovery.

News by Berita Bali

One of Badung government plan this year is arranging its regional layout. Yet, there is numerous problems obstruct the plan. Among them is waste problem and land shifting into a green open area.

Head of Badung DKP – Cleaning and Gardening Agency – I Wayan Suteja on Thursday (August 26) yesterday said that number of people and their economic activity in Badung has resulted in the production of 1.180-meter cubic waste per day. Varied effort has been conducted in order to deal with this waste problem.
“The main cause of this waste problem is people awareness, natural factor, weather and other technical causes such as traffic factor and the wastes sources that far from the final waste disposal area,” he said.

For waste management in Badung, DKP Badung party has taken varied steps covering four sections that are sweeping, storing, transporting and annihilation.

Meanwhile, in relation with the gardening sector, Suteja stated that land shifting function for Telajakan Park become quite worrying problem. He confessed that the volume for Telajakan Park each year decreased due to the land use for economic activity. This is the threat that narrowing the existed park.

Specifically for Kuta, the main tourism area in Badung, Suteja said that there is no city park at this area. Kuta also has no enough green open area and due to the none existence of city park make people have no place for recreation.

News by Bali Post

It has time for Bali to establish a special port specifically for export therefore various handicraft of Bali non-oil and gas export commodity able to compete in export market. “The absence of special port for export, has make Bali non-oil and gas export commodities lose in competition with the same products from Vietnam, Thailand, China and other competitor countries in international market,” said Made Sudana, S.E., a Balinese exporter.

Varied of handicraft entering foreign market all this time shipped through Tanjung Perak Port of Surabaya in East Java, then goes through Singapore for finally send to its final destination country, this process indeed takes long time to finish. Furthermore, it was revealed that the freight charge from Bali to Tanjung Perak Surabaya is far more expensive than from Surabaya to Singapore. This is totally influencing the selling prices of our export commodities from Bali to its destination country.

Bali dependence toward Tanjung Perak Port of Surabaya would increase the price for Bali export commodities. Moreover with the competition of the same commodities from Vietnam, Thailand and other competitors in global market has give high pressure for the handicraftsmen and small business entrepreneurs in producing their export commodities.

“There is continuous pricing pressure from the collector or importer,” Sudana said. It is said that overseas business partners who bought varied of export handicraft commodities usually give the capital first before the goods produce so there is already price estimation from them. Sudana who also sold handicraft products for export market also said that various Bali handicrafts freight overseas such as statues, carvings, furniture, musical instrument and bamboo handicraft. Textile and textile products such as batik songket including garment, are export product that absorbing lot of men power in cities or villages in Bali.

Bali non-oil and gas export realization is in accordance with the note from Bali Industrial and Trading Affair Agency worth US$ 227 million during January-May 2010. Foreign exchange gained from this market increase 21 percent when it is compared with that the same period in 2009, in which resulted in US$ 187 million only.

News by NusaBali

The Chairman of the committee, Mrs. Neeta Maholtra was explained if this association had found to strength the relationship between Balinese and India citizen. “ The founding of BIFA makes Balinese and India citizen could be realized their friendship in the form of religion, culture, art, education or economy’ network. These will be strengthen the national relationship between us” said Mrs. Neeta who owned the network of Queens of India Restaurant accompany with Mr. Deepak Idnani (President of BIFA).

The same proclamation also said by Governor of Bali represented by The Head of Cultural Official. He expected the friendship of Balinese and India citizen in Bali could give contribution to the build of Bali.

One of the trusted Bali’s figure who became the patron of BIFA is Abhiseka Abhiseka Raja Majapahit Bali Dr. Shri I Gst. Ngrh. Arya Wedakarna MWS. He supports the build of Siwa Mandir Pura. “ We will support the build of Siwa Mandir for the community of Hindu India in Bali. If Bali owned Jagatnatha Pura in Orissa, India, there’s no reason for India citizen could not owned Mandir in Bali. This will be the unity symbol of Hindu Bali and Hindu India,” said Wedakarna.

The proclamation of BIFA was bright up with the performance of dance collaboration of Bali and India by ICCB and the Movement of Hindu Indonesia Student, also the India Food Festival.

The event supported by Indian Republic Embassy in Jakarta and Indian Cultural Center Bali (ICCB). The event also marked the celebration of 47th Indian Independency as well as welcoming 65th Indonesia Republic independent day also.

“This is the event that we had waited long since the establishment of BIFA. We hope for this inauguration would increase friendship among Balinese and Indian, especially among those who attended today,” said BIFA president Deetak, accompanied by his secretary Dewi Wastu in the middle of that event.

The show was enlivened with series of cultural performance, the result of Bali-Indian cooperation. There is also Indian Food Festival that prepare varied of the country’s food.

This friendship association accommodating Indian people in Bali, both Hindu and Moslem, so there will be communication that is more intensive in order to build more harmonic relationship with Balinese.

The committee at least would spread 400 invitations to varied circles including Islam figures in Bali. One invitation is valid for maximum two people.

“We estimated that there will be around 70 percent of it,” said Dewi Wastu with his Balinese dialect.

The guest also offered to become the member of BIFA community with only 50.000 Rupiah per person meanwhile a family consist of father-mother and one children only charge 100.000 Rupiah.

Bali Governor, Made Mangku Pastika who invited to inaugurate BIFA could not attend the event and was delegated by head of Bali Provincial Cultural Agency, Ida Bagus Sedhawa.

Bali and India friendship has run for a long time. It even has already established before that country gain its independency. Many Balinese have their chance to have study in India and vice versa.

Governor Mangku Pastika in his welcome speech hope with the presence of BIFA will increase the friendship through varied field such as cultural art, religion, education and more.

BIFA also hoped could push over the increasing of Indian tourists to Bali and vice versa. Thus, make this friendship bond would also could support tourism and automatically gives impact to economic rising.

News by Antara Bali

Among those 25-biodiversity center areas are Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, Nusa Penida, Amed, Les, Lovina, Pemuteran and Perancak.

Director of CI Marine Program, Ketut Sarjana Putra in his statement in the middle of Indonesia Biodiversity Research Center (IBRC) initiation in Denpasar, Tuesday (August 10th) confessed that ecologically the 20 biodiversity center area is part of the kitchen of Bali coastal economic and marine resource.

That biodiversity center area also part of social and cultural area of Bali coastal people.

“From social and cultural point of view in Bali the beach which is always used as a place for melasti – purification – if did not manage well would make the melasti culture gone too, thus, this center area has no ecologic function only but also social and cultural function,” said Ketut Sarjana Putra.

Ketut Sarjana Putra stated, viewing from it land mass the 25 biodiversity center area in Bali reached around 70.000 hectare.

That 70.000 hectare of biodiversity center area is part of the whole triangular area of world’s reef.

News by Berita Bali

Ana, a Seger Oger instructor in Sanur, Bali, on Sunday (August 8th) says that during the SVF the activity they done is “Sunrise Yoga” welcoming the morning sun and “sunset yoga” conducted approaching the dusk.

“The activity at yoga village is more lively when there is ‘workshop’ for yoga after ‘sunrise yoga’ conducted and there is also varied of healthy food presented,” she said.

She confessed that she was the one who initiated the cak yoga, the merging of dance and yoga movements.

“Cak yoga created in order to build unity and happiness aside from giving benefit for health since happiness is also a way to find health, and this is part of yoga ketawa Seger Oger,” she said.

According to Ana, the spontaneous movements and kecak is part of popular dance in Bali, it is due to the dance of populist performance made every people could involve directly.

According to one of yoga member, Jill from Australia who confessed his surprise, that that was his second time participate at yoga village and finally participate in cak yoga.

Jill feels like not a guest anymore in that yoga village since all the participants really showed their togetherness merely in a short time could copying the movement of putting their hands up and said “cak,cak,cak,” together.

“I’ll go home whilst bring this experience to Australia, I’ll tell my families and friends, how incredible was Sanur Festival, especially for its yoga village,” he said.

Meanwhile, the guider as well as the developer of Pasemetonan Yoga Asana Seger Oger Sanur said the institution he and his friend Ida Bagus Sutama developed, began everything with yoga only the two of them now has member at least 400 people.

“Yoga has giving identity for Sanur as the village of yoga, and in this fifth SVF we celebrate it through yoga village,” he said.

Ida Bagus Candi added that yoga exercise in not the expulsive ones, every people could come to Sanur Beach and practicing it freely.

It is said that the yoga movement was initiated with Surya Namaskara (sun salution) adding the amazed and peaceful atmosphere as a weak creature that always yearn for health for body, soul and mind.

“All individual hope for health, that is why people should do yoga routinely,” said Ida Bagus Candi.

News by Antara Bali