Bali: The Rice Terraces.

The view from those terraces is different but definitely stunning in its own way! Rice production in Bali probably constitutes the most crucial part of the national  economy. It holds an important part not only of the Balinese diet but also the culture and religion. Dewi Shri, the ancient goddess is there to protect the rice harvest and have the locals celebrate her through rituals such as the Sundanese Seren Taum.  Subak  is the traditional eco-friendly practice of irrigation management, created to ensure the necessary water supplies for the rice paddies. Rice cultivation in Bali has well been depicted in folk art ever since the eighth century with typical scenes of a water buffalo attached to a plough, women planting seedlings or men carrying sheaves of rice on each end of a pole across their shoulders. Water is omnipresent. The Subaks, (that remain under the authority of local priests), form complex “networks” around water temples to develop an entire philosophical system that will create a communion between human effort and spirituality, a harmonious relationship between people and their environment. To the people of Bali, rice is a gift from the gods…