Rice Growing In Bail

What is a Subak?

A Subak is a community of rice farmers. Each Subak has a leader to represent the Subak at the temple. The leaders go to the temple to set the irrigation system for the next year. This is important because the irrigation system makes sure that every field from the top of the hill to the bottom of the hill gets an equal amount of water.

The  Priest

The high priest is chosen at birth by the goddess of the lake to be a human form of herself until death.There are twenty four  priests and one high priest. It is the high priests job to divide the water from Lake Batur and Kintamani between the people and to decide when to farm the land, as it all has to be farmed at the same time. This is a natural pest control because if pests have no were to go to eat, they will starve and there wont be any coming to eat the crops when you are farming again.

Farmers

Rice farmers harvest their crops three times a year and make $500 a year ($1.50a day) some make no money and eat only the rice they harvest. They harvest just enough to keep themselves and their families alive. this is called subsistence farming.

The Importance of Rice

Rice growing is very important in hindu balinese community. There are rise ceremonies, offerings of rise and people put rise on their forehead and neck at the temple. Rice is a source of life for the balinese people.

 

 

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