Picture Titah Anamika
The first time I visited Bali two decades ago, I remember being mesmerized by the rhythm of the gamelan, the scent of incense curling through temple courtyards, and the slow, deliberate grace of the dancers. It was hypnotically beautiful. My recent visits through the years, I noticed something else. Just beyond the temple gates, tourists in sarongs , with palms slapped together, were posing for selfies, their phones flashing as priests carried out sacred offerings. The ceremony was not just being witnessed, it was being consumed. Consumed, because instead of getting hypnotically lost in the beauty of it all, the ritual becomes yet another social media post many would devour.
That’s when it struck me, beauty, when pulled out of its indigeneity, can lose its meaning.
We like to tell ourselves that borrowing from other cultures is a sign of admiration, a kind of global love language, if you like. But admiration without understanding can easily become appropriation. And when power, privilege and profit get involved, it ceased being sharing and the long journey of taking, comes into place.
The Bali Contradiction
Bali’s relationship with tourism is one of constant negotiation. On one hand, visitors help sustain livelihoods and preserve traditional crafts. On the other, the rituals that were once private expressions of devotion are increasingly staged for an audience. Dances meant for gods are now performed nightly in hotel courtyards. Temple ceremonies become backdrops for influencer content.
For Balinese communities, this can be both a blessing and a burden. “We want people to experience our culture,” a local guide once told me, “but not to own it.” That tension between hospitality and protection, sits at the centre of cultural appropriation.
India And The Commercialisation Of The Sacred
In India, that tension takes another form. The West’s obsession with yoga and Eastern spirituality has created an industry worth billions, but often at the cost of erasing the practice’s soul. Yoga, once a deeply spiritual discipline rooted in self-awareness, discipline and service to others, has been rebranded into Lululemon leggings, playlists, Insta-stories and hashtags. The Sanskrit chants, the philosophical foundations, the moral principles, have been pushed aside in favour of something more palatable called profits.
Even symbols carry this burden. The bindi, a dot that once signified spiritual insight or marital status, has been turned into a fashion accessory. At music festivals, you’ll see it glittering across foreheads as a statement of boho chic. Meanwhile, Indian women who wear it every day in Western countries are sometimes met with ridicules or stereotyping. The same symbol, dismissed or devalued in one context, exoticized in another. That’s not appreciation; it’s hypocrisy.
The Western Gaze
There’s a pattern here, and it’s not new. For centuries, the West has viewed the East through a romanticised lens. Mysterious, spiritual, exotic are the words often used to describe the eastern-bit of the world. Colonial powers once took land and labour and today, the taking is cultural and practices. Rituals that took centuries to evolve are condensed into trends that last a season.
Social media has made it worse. On Instagram, so-called wellness influencers chant Sanskrit mantras between sponsored posts. On TikTok, traditional dances become viral soundbites, disconnected from their origins. Culture becomes content, stripped-off from the people who live and own it.
From Appropriation To Appreciation
But there is another way. Cultural exchange, when done right, can be one of humanity’s most beautiful expressions. It starts with humility. Ask and not assume. It means learning the story behind the dance before performing it, the philosophy behind yoga before teaching it, the significance of a symbol before wearing it. Give credit where it’s due. Collaborate with local teachers, artisans and communities. Pay them fairly. Support the preservation of the traditions you admire. Share culture like a conversation, not a commodity which you can profit off.
When I think back to that temple in Bali, I remember the priest’s quiet focus amid the chaos. The way he continued his prayer as cameras clicked all around him. There was grace in that moment, but also sadness. Culture is not performance for the world’s entertainment, it’s a living inheritance, sacred and innately beautiful.
A Final Reflection
We live in a globalized world where boundaries blur and ideas travel faster than ever. That can be a good thing, if we approach it with respect. But respect requires awareness. It means recognizing that not everything beautiful is ours to claim and not everything ancient is ours to sell. Cultural appreciation asks us to listen before we imitate, to understand before we adopt and to honour before we display. The truth is, culture is not a costume we put on for a festival or a vacation. It’s a story. A story that deserves to be told by those who lived it first.
