Bali is perhaps the most developed and most popular tourist resort in Indonesia. It is famous for its stunning landscapes, for which fans of spectacular photos adore it, virgin rainforests, gigantic volcanoes, ancient temples, and of course delightful beaches. And most importantly, despite any crises, the flow of tourists from all over the world does not weaken, but quite the opposite, every year there are more and more tourists. However, despite such multiculturalism, the color of Bali does not diminish at all. Although this is not surprising, because national values are embedded in the official coat of arms of Bali.
History of the coat of arms
It is easy to understand the reason why some of the traditional Balinese things of the island were awarded such an honor, if you delve a little into the history of this region. Like many other islands of the Malay Archipelago, this one was also captured by European colonialists, who were least of all interested in the culture of the natives, but were very interested in direct financial gain. As a result, the Dutch, under whose jurisdiction this land was listed, exerted strong pressure on the locals, which later resulted in massive ritual suicides. The proud Balinese preferred honorable suicide to death at the hands of superior enemies. After the island gained independence, the traditional culture began to revive, which was immortalized in the coat of arms.
Bali coat of arms description
Its composition consists of such elements as: a blue colored pentagon (used as a background); hindu temple; Lotus flower; ritual fans; tape with a motto. The background is of prime importance in the composition. In this case, it is a direct reference to a good deity named Barong, who is the local protector of the island villages.
The lotus is the personification of strength. In a narrower sense, it is perceived as a symbol of wisdom, spirituality and judicious humility of spirit. And I must say that in general, this is in line with the spirit of Bali.
We should also pay special attention to the fans. In the heraldic traditions of this region, they are a symbol of dignity, power and emphasize the royal origin of the inhabitants of Bali (after all, as you know, its first settlers were the last king of the island of Java, who fled from there under the pressure of Muslim devastators along with his retinue).
The island's motto is simple and optimistic - “The Great Island of Bali”.
