In the Ruinations

Colby Katz

Asoka Bali is really all about teak.

Ruination Company's lamps are good enough to pass as sculpture.

Details

Ruinations, 954-566-4823. Asoka Bali, 954-564-4021.

Ruinations is at 1428 NE 26th St., Wilton Manors, 954-568-1675, with an additional location at Coral Ridge Mall, 3200 N. Federal Hwy., Fort Lauderdale. Asoka Bali is at 1408 NE 26th St., Wilton Manors.

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More About

• Robert Zorzi
• Christopher Cartwright
• Hurricane Wilma
• Religion
• Hinduism

Next to teak, Asoka Bali is dominated by Buddhas. There are whole Buddhas and Buddha heads, Buddhas in metal and wood and volcanic rock. There are tiny and medium and large Buddhas. There are freestanding (sitting?) Buddhas and Buddhas encased in glass and plastic.

Again, this might seem odd coming from a country as heavily Muslim as Indonesia. But religion on the island of Bali is apparently dominated by a peculiar blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, and ancestor worship called Hindu Dharma. In that light, the abundance of Buddhas makes perfect sense, as does the presence of a massive, magnificent representation of the Hindu elephant god Ganesha displayed at the head of a bed and, for that matter, the Christmas items. Maybe this harmonious blend of seemingly incongruous cultures is what makes Asoka Bali such a strangely serene place to visit.