Bali is the best place for spending your holiday. This Paradise Island has amazing panorama of nature, awesome culture, sensational food and friendly local people. Bali also offers unique village, those are Tenganan, Taro, Petulu. Those called by the unique villages because it be the place of sacred animal. The societies believe that animal as sacred animal and they don’t allowed hurting or slaughtering it. There are 3 villages with their sacred animal;
White Cow in Taro Village
Taro Village is located in Tegalalang District, Gianyar Regency. It will take 1.5 hours, if you stay in Kuta area or 45 kilometers. Taro Village also called by the village of white cow. The cow in Taro Village is different than the other cow in Indonesia. The characterized of this cow is has white leather and feather, the iris is limpid, the color of horn is more faded than the other, and can’t be exposed direct sunlight. Local people called this cow with Taro’s Cow which is the endemic from Taro Village.
This unique cow having become a tourist attraction throughout the country is so far still well preserved. Even, one of the ancestral heritages is highly trustworthy because it is believed as the vehicle of Lord Shiva. Existence of this animal is purified by local community. Even, they are given a special nickname. For bulls, they are called Ida Bagus Lanang, while the heifers are called Si Luh. It is said the white cow is the descendant of the Nandini cow. To Balinese people, it poses a complementary means of ceremonies called Ngasti.
To preserve the population, the local community is now building a cage for maintaining their health. This rare animal is made a space within an area of 5 hectares as its native habitat. The making of cage also poses the arrangement for the convenience of visitors who want to see the existence of the native animal to Taro village.
Petulu is the Heron Village
The herons has been nested since 1965 and initially only 5 herons. Every month, the populations of herons grow faster and they breed in there. At first, they are immigration from the other place and come to this village and stay in there. The local people disturbed with this condition, they catch and the heron. But after catching the heron, the local people felt not comfortable, because they are visited by big scary ghost in their dream or the reality. So, the local people ask to Pendanda (Balinese Clergyman) and conduct a ritual.
When the ritual is beginning, the clergyman is trance and told if the heron is rancang (guard) of God who worshiped in Desa Temple (temple set up in village). The herons are as the niskala guard (invisible guard) and protect the village from pest in the rice field. After people making a monument in the Desa Temple as offerings to heron, the village become prosperous, the harvest is abundant and there is no pests threaten until today.
The Petulu’s heron has white color and brown in back and face. They live on the trees which along of road till in front of Desa Temple. You will find them in sasih kelima until sasih kesanga (Balinese mouth) or October-March. The herons will nest and keep their children on that period. On April-September, you also find them, but the population less than October-March. I suggest you to visit this unique place at 5 pm, because they come back from finding food. Don’t forget to wear hat, to cover your head from the heron’s feces. If you are lucky, you will see 2 black herons. According the local people they are the leader of thousand of herons.
Sacred Buffalo in Tenganan Village
While walking in Tenganan Village, Karangasem Regency, you will find a line of local people's house neatly, awesome gringsing cloth and amazing culture. Beside of that, this village gives you something new, its sacred buffalo. The buffalo does not have cage and roam freely. Mammal is so freely walking in the yard of the village.
The local societies believe that there are ngangonang (herding) these sacred animals. Therefore the local society cannot keep and feed it anymore, because they can find some food by itself. The local society did not disturb the tranquility of sacred buffaloes. If it broke yard of local people house, the society will throw it out.
To ensure no interference to the buffaloes, the village also has awig-awig (traditional rule). The societies not allow tending their pets in the yard of the village. This rule is still maintained by the society until today.
It is recommended place to visit when you get holiday in the Amazing Island, where you just book your trip through a reliable travel agency. I believe your trip will be awesome and get unforgettable experience.
