A friend of mine often raves about the
islands off Bali, specifically Nusa Lembongan. He loves the island and if he
visits Bali he spend most of his time there relaxing, surfing and generally
having a good time. Recently another friend opened a resort on the island at it
inspired me to view some of the pictures I had taken on my many visits to
Ceningan. I was going through my pictures and I came across a handful of good
snaps taken by myself and others. And so putting two and two together I thought
I would piece together an all too brief and very much dumbed down history of
the islands. When I had finished I realised I could use what I had done for the
Bali Raw blog.
It is believed that the three islands once
formed their own kingdom centred on Nusa Penida. It is also supposed that this
regime was separate from the main rule of the Balinese at the time. However it
is also speculated that the regime did have connections with the South of Bali
around the Bukit area. This is suggested because there are a number of temples
in the area that are positioned and unified with the main temple on Nusa
Penida, Dalem Peed. Dalem Peed is also considered somewhat of a Mecca for some
castes of the Balinese people. And it is
expected that the Balinese with this this status visit the temple at least once
in their lifetimes.
Eventually the Island Kingdom was subjugated
by the Balinese. It is thought that the king who ruled from the area around the
Dalem Peed was murdered in the last quarter of the seventeenth century. Just how he was killed is unclear. But
after his death the islands of Lembongan, Ceningan and Penida were taken over
by the rulers of Bali. These rulers then transformed the islands into a penal
colony and they often shipped major criminals and political activists to their
shores.
The isolation of the islands then brought
about shift in the traditions and culture of the inhabitants. And eventually
they began to cultivate their own unique customs and ceremonies. It is also believed
that during this period a powerful black magic was developed and practised by
the islanders. Word of this powerful magic soon reached the main island. And
overtime the people inhabiting the three islands came to be viewed with a
mixture of trepidation and religious reverence. Due to this fear the rulers of
Bali soon stopped shipping there prisoners and they stopped sending boats to
the islands. Then eventually the islanders were left alone by the rulers of
Bali and they were allowed to govern by themselves.
The people of Bali were not the only ones
who regarded the Island people with uneasiness and fear. Ancient navigation
charts of the time are said to show the three islands marked with a skull and
crossbones symbol. This was apparently done to warn sailors that under no
circumstances should they harbour their ships close to the shores of Nusa
Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan.
The information supplied above was taken
from the internet and I have no way to verify its authenticity. All in all it
is a bit of fun and an excuse to show off some pictures. But thankfully true or
not all of this has changed. And a trip to Bali would not be complete without
at least a visit to Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. For the more adventurous
it is also becoming possible to visit Nusa Penida.
To view more pictures of Ceningan Island or to
learn more about my friends resort please feel free to visit these two sites.
https://www.facebook.com/baliraw?hc_location=timeline
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