The mask that guards the village
A protector, not a monster
Barong is usually described to first-time visitors as "a lion," which is close enough to picture but misses the point. He's a benevolent protective spirit who takes animal form — most often the shaggy, gold-fanged Barong Ket seen at Batubulan, though Balinese villages also keep boar, tiger and elephant versions for other ceremonies. Each village's Barong mask is considered sacred, ritually cared for by its own custodians, and brought out for temple ceremonies as much as for paying audiences. What you're watching at the morning show is a genuine ritual object, worn by a trained dancer, not a costume built for tourists.
Why this happens in a temple courtyard, every day
The dance is staged inside or beside a village temple — at Batubulan, that's Pura Puseh Batubulan — because the story it tells isn't folklore, it's an active piece of Balinese Hindu cosmology: the ongoing, never-finally-won balance between protective and destructive forces. Villages perform it partly for income from visitors and partly because doing so is itself considered a form of spiritual maintenance. That's also why the show runs on a fixed daily schedule rather than being staged as a one-off spectacle — it's closer to a temple keeping its doors open than a theatre running a limited season.
Stāsts
Barong and Rangda: a fight neither side wins
The performance dramatises a single, specific conflict from Balinese belief — not a generic "good vs evil" fable, but a named rivalry between two figures who represent forces the Balinese consider permanently, deliberately unresolved.
The widow-witch
Rangda
Rangda is a demon queen with a mask of bulging eyes, a lolling tongue and long fangs, trailing white hair and pendulous breasts — the visual opposite of Barong's warmth. She represents adharma: chaotic, destructive power, and in some tellings is linked to Calon Arang, a widow-sorceress from Balinese legend who terrorised a kingdom with black magic. Her entrance is the moment the tone of the show flips from playful to genuinely unsettling.
Crucially, neither side wins outright. Barong and Rangda fight to a magical standstill — her curses countered by his protective power — and the performance ends not with a victory but with a truce, because in Balinese belief dharma and adharma aren't meant to cancel each other out; they're meant to stay in tension, permanently. That refusal to give the story a tidy ending is one of the more genuinely thought-provoking things about watching it as an outsider.
Noslēgums
The moment the dancers turn their blades inward
What actually happens
As the standoff between Barong and Rangda reaches its peak, a group of men — Rangda's followers, under her curse — draw kris daggers and, one by one, fall into a trance state and turn the blades against their own chests. Performed correctly, the points don't break the skin; local belief holds that Barong's protective power is what keeps the dancers safe, and the trance itself is treated as a genuine altered state, not stagecraft. A pemangku (temple priest) or a designated attendant stays close throughout, ready to intervene, sprinkle holy water and bring each dancer back to ordinary awareness.
Why it's the part people remember
It's staged close to the audience, unamplified, with the gamelan orchestra driving the tension rather than any theatrical lighting or sound effects — which is part of why it lands harder than the description suggests. It's also the single most-asked-about part of the show beforehand and the part most worth knowing the context for going in: this isn't a simulated stunt built for a tour bus schedule, it's the culmination of a ritual the village would be performing on some level even without an audience.
Photography during this part
Most venues allow photography and video throughout the performance, including the trance sequence — unlike some other Balinese ceremonies, this is treated as public performance rather than a closed ritual. Flash is generally discouraged that close to the dancers; check the specific venue's house rules on arrival if you're unsure.
Kur to apskatīt
Seeing it at Pura Puseh Batubulan
The venue
Batubulan, a village on the southern edge of Ubud known for its stone-carving workshops, has staged the Barong and Kris dance for visitors since the 1930s — one of the longest-running versions of the show on the island — performed in the open-air stage of Pura Puseh Batubulan, the village's origin temple. The setting is a real, still-active temple compound rather than a purpose-built theatre, which is part of why the atmosphere feels closer to a ceremony you're being allowed to watch than a show staged around you.
How the morning slot actually works
The show runs on a single fixed morning start most days of the year, with the gates and box office opening shortly beforehand for walk-up tickets and pre-booked collection. Because it's a daily fixture rather than an occasional event, the practical planning question isn't "will there be a show" — there almost always is — it's "can I get there on time," since traffic into Batubulan from central Ubud can be slower than the short map distance suggests, especially close to the start time.
Seating and what's included
Seating is typically open bench-style around the courtyard stage on a basic ticket, with a small number of upgraded front-row seats sold separately on some listings; hotel pickup and drop-off is usually a separate paid add-on rather than bundled into the ticket price, so check the specific inclusions on your chosen listing before assuming a driver is covered.
Rezervējiet ar pārliecību
Atrodiet Barong & Kris dejas biļeti saviem datumiem.
Katru no zemāk minētajām iespējām var rezervēt, izmantojot GetYourGuide — tās ir pieejamas reāllaikā, un gala cena tiek parādīta jūsu valūtā pirms apmaksas.
Plānojot atlikušo dienas daļu
Fitting the dance into an Ubud day
Because the show runs once, mid-morning, it slots naturally into one side of a full day out rather than needing its own dedicated trip — most visitors pair it with either the rice terraces to the north or Ubud's temples and markets to the east.
- Early morning
Arrive at Batubulan
Aim to reach Pura Puseh Batubulan with time to collect tickets and find a seat before the gamelan starts — arriving right at start time risks a bench at the back of the courtyard.
- Mid-morning
The performance
Around an hour of Barong, Rangda and the kris trance finale, ending in time to still make a full day of it.
- Midday
North to Tegallalang or Jatiluwih
The Tegallalang rice terraces are the closer, busier option; Jatiluwih is further but far less crowded, if you'd rather trade travel time for space to actually look at the view.
- Afternoon
East to central Ubud
Ubud Palace, the Ubud Art Market and the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary are all walkable from each other in central Ubud, and pair naturally with an early lunch after the show if you'd rather stay closer to town instead.
GEO/FAQ
Barong dejas jautājumi
Kas ir Barong deja vienā teikumā?
Tā ir ikdienas baliniešu hinduistu rituāla izrāde, kas notiek tempļa pagalmā — visslavenākā Pura Puseh Batubulan templī, netālu no Ubudas —, kurā labvēlīgs lauvai līdzīgs sargegars (Barongs) stājas pretī dēmonu raganai (Rangdai), un izrāde noslēdzas ar transā iegrimušiem dejotājiem, kas spiež kris dunci pret savām krūtīm, neievainojot sevi.
Vai tas ir tas pats, kas Kecak uguns deja Uluwatu?
Nē — tās ir divas dažādas izrādes. Barongs ir dienas izrāde, parasti vēlā rītā, Batubulanā, ar pilnu gamelāna orķestri un Baronga pret Rangdu sižetu. Kecak ir vakara vai saulrieta izrāde Uluwatu klints templī, ko pilnībā izpilda sēdošs vīru koris, skandējot "cak" bez mūzikas instrumentiem, pārstāstot Ramajanu un noslēdzoties ar uguns transa secību. Dažu dienas ekskursiju maršrutos ir iekļautas abas izrādes vienā dienā dažādos laikos — pirms rezervēšanas ir vērts pārbaudīt, kuru tieši konkrētais piedāvājums aptver.
Vai kris transs ir bīstams, vai arī tas ir inscenēts?
Vietējā līmenī tas tiek uzskatīts par īstu rituāla transa stāvokli, nevis ieplānotu triku — tiek uzskatīts, ka dejotāji atrodas Rangdas lāsta ietekmē un Baronga spēks tos pasargā no ievainojumiem, un tempļa kalpotājs visu laiku atrodas tuvumā, lai iejauktos un pēc tam atdzīvinātu katru dejotāju ar svēto ūdeni. Lai kāds būtu jūsu viedoklis par šo ticējumu, dunči un transs ir īsti; izpildītāji reizēm ir guvuši nelielus ievainojumus, kas ir viens no iemesliem, kāpēc paši izpildītāji rituālo aizsardzību un uzraudzību uztver nopietni.
Cik ilgi izrāde ilgst, un vai ir starpbrīdis?
Lielākā daļa izrāžu ilgst aptuveni 60–90 minūtes bez starpbrīža, nepārtraukti attīstoties no Baronga rotaļīgā sākuma caur Rangdas ienākšanu līdz kris transa finālam.
Cikos sākas izrāde, un cik ilgi iepriekš man vajadzētu rezervēt?
Batubulanas izrāde notiek noteiktā vēlā rīta sākuma laikā lielākajā daļā gada dienu — tā ir ikdienas norise, nevis neregulārs pasākums, tāpēc tā ļoti reti tiek pilnībā izpārdota. Galvenais plānošanas risks nav pieejamība, bet gan satiksme un laiks: rezervējiet dienu iepriekš, ja vēlaties, lai būtu iekļauta uzņemšana viesnīcā, un atvēliet papildu ceļa laiku no centrālās Ubudas.
Vai man ir jāģērbjas formāli vai jāapsedz ķermenis? Tas ir īsts templis.
Piemērots ir pieticīgs, cieņpilns apģērbs, jo izrāde notiek aktīvā tempļa teritorijā — drošākais variants ir saprātīgi aizsegt plecus un ceļus, līdzīgi kā apmeklējot jebkuru darbojošos baliniešu templi. Gudri neformāls ceļojumu apģērbs ir piemērots; peldkostīmi vai ļoti atklājošs apģērbs izceļas un nav piemērots šai videi.
Vai es varu fotografēt un filmēt izrādes laikā, ieskaitot transa daļu?
Parasti jā — lielākajā daļā norises vietu, tostarp Batubulan, ir atļauts fotografēt un filmēt visā izrādes laikā, ieskaitot krisa transa secību, jo tas tiek izrādīts kā publiska izrāde, nevis slēgta ceremonija. Zibspuldzi dejotāju tuvumā transa laikā parasti neiesaka; precīzus norises vietas noteikumus pārbaudiet ierašanās brīdī.
Vai biļetes cenā ir iekļauta transporta vai viesnīcas sagaidīšana?
Ne vienmēr — lielākajā daļā piedāvājumu pamata biļete sedz tikai ieeju, savukārt viesnīcas sagaidīšana un nogādāšana tiek pārdota kā atsevišķs papildinājums, un nelielam skaitam paaugstinātas klases sēdvietu priekšējās rindās ir atsevišķa cena. Pirms pieņemat, ka šoferis ir iekļauts, pārbaudiet konkrētā piedāvājuma iekļautos pakalpojumus.
Vai norādītā cena ir galīgā, un kā darbojas rezervēšana?
Jūs rezervējat caur GetYourGuide, kas pirms apmaksas parāda galīgo cenu jūsu valūtā un jau iepriekš norāda atcelšanas politiku jūsu konkrētajam datumam — cena, ko redzat, ir cena, ko maksājat, bez slēptām maksām norēķināšanās brīdī. Mēs esam neatkarīgs ceļvedis Bali ikdienas deju izrādēm, nevis templis, trupa vai biļešu kase; pati rezervēšana tiek veikta, izmantojot GetYourGuide drošu norēķinu sistēmu.
Vai Batubulan ir vienīgā vieta, kur netālu no Ubudas var redzēt Barong deju?
Nē — vairāki ciemati ap Ubudu un Denpasaru katru dienu rīko savas Barong un Kris izrādes līdzīgā rīta grafikā, un dažas dienas ekskursijas apvieno Barong izrādi ar citiem pieturas punktiem, piemēram, Tegallalang rīsu terasēm, Goa Gajah vai kafijas plantāciju. Batubulan versija Pura Puseh Batubulan ir viena no visilgāk notiekošajām tūristiem, aizsākoties 1930. gados, tāpēc tā ir tā, uz kuru lielākā daļa piedāvājumu pēc noklusējuma atsaucas.
Vēl neesat izlēmis, uz kuru rītu doties?
Atstājiet savu e-pastu un aptuveno Ubudas apmeklējuma laiku — mēs jums nosūtīsim īsu izrāžu laiku apkopojumu un ieteikumus, kā to iekļaut savā rītā.