Kuta Selatan, Bali

My first day in Kuta Selatan is spent relaxing. More specifically, it’s spent relaxing on the beach. Nusa Dua is a pristine stretch of pure white sand, lapped by the gentle turquoise waters of the Bali Sea. It’s pure heaven, sitting here with an ice-cold mango smoothie, made from local mangoes so sweet and creamy they seem like a gift from the gods themselves, enjoying the hot sun and the cool island breeze. Then, heading off for a dip in the clear waters that are just cold enough to be refreshing, and just warm enough to be soothing. I could do this all day, and I do, waiting until the candy colours of the Balinese sunset start to stain the sky pink, orange, and blue. 

The next day, I take a bus and head to Tanah Lot. This small, ancient temple, built around the 16th Century, is reachable only during low tide by a short walk across the soft sand. When the tide comes in, it’s cut off from Bali and stands as a rocky islet. It’s just one of 6 offshore island temples in Bali, all of which can be spotted from Tanah Lot’s highest point. Legend has it that this temple is protected by a great family of sea snakes, some small, but others growing to monstrous sizes.

The seas around Tanah Lot are indeed home to large populations of sea snakes, who make their homes in the many small sea caves on the island. The Balinese believe these snakes to be the descendants of the sea snake god Basuki, who protects the waters around Bali. As such, they are sacred, and each evening are given offerings by the faithful and priests. 

Basuki is a fearsome but benevolent dragon-like god, associated with harmony, balance, protection and the element of water. In their stories, the Balinese tell us that our world travels through the cosmos on the back of a giant turtle named Bedawang Nala. Sometimes, Bedawang Nala’s movements cause earthquakes in our realm. To keep us safe, Vasuki coils his long body around the turtle, stabilising his movements and protecting Bali from destruction. 

Basuki is almost certainly a Balinese reinterpretation of the character of Vasuki, the great snake-king of the Nagas (giant, cobra-like beings) in Hindu mythology. Reflecting on the myth of Bedawang Nala and Basuki, I notice how similar it is, in its interest in the power of the snake to wrap, bind, and hold in place, providing stability and order to what was formerly chaos, to the Sanskrit myth of Vasuki and the Churning of the Ocean of Milk:

Vasuki was the great serpent king who ruled over the Naga, magical cobra beings. It is said that when the gods churned the Ocean of Milk to obtain the nectar of immortality, Vasuki, who had the honour of curling around Lord Shiva’s neck as an ornament, was used as the churning rope. He was twisted around the holy mountain of Mandara, and grasped on one side by the gods, and on the other by the demons. Together, they played a cosmic game of tug-of-war, pulling Vasuki back and forth, churning the ocean until amrita, the elixir of eternal youth, was formed from the waves, granting the gods and demons the immortality they now enjoy.

This story has found its way into Balinese mythology, and Basuki/Vasuki can be found all across the island in the temple’s statues. Sometimes he’s curled around Bedawang Nala, other times he’s participating in the churning of the Ocean of Milk. To the Balinese, he is the protector of their land and the keeper of order. He shows how the ancient myths of India have been adapted to the old stories, the geography and the culture of Bali.