ABOUT BALI

Bali is one of the province of Indonesian archipelagos, which is divided into 8 districts Gianyar, Klungkung, Karangasem, Bangli, Buleleng, Tabanan, Jembrana, and Badung regency, plus the city is the provincial capital of Denpasar.

Bali province itself is an island called Bali and has other small islands namely Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan, Nusa Lembongan, and Menjangan Island.

Bali is famous for its cultural tourism, has grown since the arrival of Dutch merchant ships led by Admiral Cornelius de Houtman in 1679 in order to set sail in search of spices, when he got in Bali, it became obvious there were no spices at all but many unique inhabitants with completely different life style from those of any other islands they had ever seen. Finally Houtman sailed back to his base-port of Batavia, in Java, with nothing but a bundle of reports about a “new” island he had found, the island which was called by its habitants : “Bali !” and from then on the name of Bali spread rapidly throughout Europe, and the world.

Today, Bali, which is still called Bali, lives in the 21th century along with other parts of the world. Nearly three and half century after it was “found” by Houtman its requirements probably are not too much different from the needs of any other region but Bali today is not the same as the Bali Houtman had seen three and half centuries ago. There have been improvements made by the progress of modern technology for the comfort of Bali’s guests. However, what so called changes have been made are not more than an outward appearance, just gratifications to comfort the guests’ outward life, while inwardly the culture of Bali itself is still the Bali of centuries ago.

The ceremonies the people perform for their deities, and the customs the people retain, or the traditions they protect among the fast stream of technological developments, all are kept up as is the life style itself.

PENATARAN SASIH TEMPLE

The Balinese mythology says that at the beginning of the world there were seven other moons besides the moon could see in the sky. One of the seven moons had fallen down to the earth, shining brightly which made the world have no night but daylight all the time. therefore it was impossible for the thieves to do their work. One of the thieves then urinated upon that fallen moon to extinguish it.

The moon spoken about in that mythology is "Bulan Pejeng", the moon of Pejeng village. It is a big bronze drum from about 300 BC, believed by the locals as sacred, and put on higher shrine in the inner yard of a temple, the temple of Penataran Sasih. It is shaped like a women's hip, nearly 2 meters along the top but smaller in the middle, made of solid bronze and is believed to be the biggest of its kind in the world. The carvings around it form eight faces. The lid side (1.865 meters) is decorated by carvings of star and circle.

KEBO EDAN TEMPLE

Not far from Penataran Sasih Temple, at the other side of the road, lies a massive temple gate, called "Kebo Edan Temple" the "Crazy Buffalo Temple", where an ancient stone statue is kept beside a lot of others, collected from surrounding villages and ricefields. The biggest statue is of a "Giant" standing on hos legs, 3.60 meters high. The locals said that statue represents Bima, the second brother of Pandawa of the Mahabharata story. He is dancing the perish dance (or Moksha dance) for he is believed to be the manifestation figure of Shiva. This statue has a mask on its face, a snack wound around its wrist, and it has four penises swinging, showing that it is dancing.

It cannot be dated exactly but, it is known that the last king who held a ceremony related to this theme was the king Sri Asura Ratna Bumi Banten from the 14th century.

KEBO IWA TEMPLE

Originally the name of this temple is Pura Puseh (Puseh Temple), located in the village of Blahbatuh, but since there is an ancient stone statue head of the giant Kebo Iwa kept in this place it is called Kebo Iwa Temple. The head statue itself, more than 1 meter high, thought to be from the 14th century, was possibly made somewhere outnof the island but has no similarity with Hindu - Javanese carvins of that age. Another ancient statue, which looks like it was influenced by the Buddhist style, lies peacefully in a niche near the massive main gate.

Though some of other parts of this temple are new, most of the statues are believed to be ancient, made by Kebo Iwa himself. There are two warriors, possibly two Gods, astride horses, made of stone, guarding the main gate at the side while some other statues, one of them is of the Ganesha, fill a special pavillion inside.

It is a little bit confusing to fid this temple since there are several similar temples along the road of Blahbatuh village. The temple of Kebo Iwa is the one which is exactly opposite the public hall, about 200 meters from the main road between Denpasar and Gianyar.

DURGA KUTRI

About four kilometers before one enters the town of Gianyar from Denpasar, on the right side of the road, there is a small hill covered by giant trees, called Bukit Darma, where the temple of Durga Kutri lies. Through a small doorbeside the main gate of the temple visitors can reach the inner part by ascending a 113 step stairway and find the holist shrine is believed to be the original burial place for Ratu (Queen) Gunapriya who came to Bali from Java and ruled this island till her death in 1006 AD. She is also known as "Mahendradatta", the mother of famous king Airlangga from East Java. In this temple she is represented in the statue as Durga herself, the wife of Shiva, with her six arms, standing on top of the bull Nandi, her husband bull.

TAMPAKSIRING/TIRTA EMPUL

Tirta Empul is the real name of the temple and its water spring, but more people prefer to call it Tampaksiring eventhoughbthis latter name is the name of a village, 2 kilometers down the hill, and has no connection with the spring nor temple.

According to the legend of the locals this spring was created when the lord of heaven Indra had to fight against a demon king Maya Denawa, and his blow then pierced the earth creating the springs. One of year, on the fourth fullmoon of thenlunar calendar, the locals present a ceremony to purify the temple. the date of this ceremony, was found the same as what was written on a stone document kept in the temple of Sakenanof (of the same village). That stone was read by Dr. Stutterheim, who found that the spring of "Air Hampul" was built by king Chandrabhayasingha Warmadewa in 960 AD.

The springs of Tirta Empul are believed to be sacred, so it is not allowed for people bath there, but in the lower parts of temple there are several places built for those who want to have a bath. Close to the springs, on hill side, stands the rest house for the Dutch colonial officer which was restored and used for the palace of first President of Indonesia, Ir. Soekarno.

GUNUNG KAWI

Somewhere near Nagapatna, India, there was a Buddhist holy place called Amarawati, the name was usednby king Udayana for holy place he used for meditation : Dharma Amarawati. Udayana ruled Bali from 988 AD to 1007 AD, but this place was found in 1920 by a Dutch high officer, Damste, and furthermore by Krijgsman during his investigation in 1949. This place now is known as Gunung Kawi for is located on a hill of that name.

Entering this location visitors should walk down a long stairway, and reach the right bank of small river Pakerisan, where on its bank to the left of the enterance gate lies a row of four tombs carved on the hill walls. It is the monument to the four concubunes of king Anak Wungsu ( the youngest son of Udayana) who also ruled Bali from 1049 to 1977. On the left bank, from the upper to lower course, are rhe rombs of Udayana, of his wife Gunapriya, of his chief concubine, his son Makarata, and the southernmost is the tomb of Anak Wungsu himself. Next to the lower course is located the vihara (monastery) for the hermits with its several caves used as room.

MUSEUM "GEDONG ARCA"

The history of Bali which dates back to the "Stone-Age" is still explored and studied, which means that still more and more relics from the excavations and investigations are collected and bought to this museum. Ancient Stone-coffins (sarcophagus), earthenware, ceramics, bone-utensils, and a large collection mostly from "Stone-Age" which people have found all over the island, are well kept here. It is also the duty of this museum to investogate and excavated the historical heirlooms throughoutnthe island, as well as the care temples and tombs.

YEH PULU

In 1925 a group of archeologists excavated this relief, a large piece of artwork carved on a steep river bank. It is an account of the common workers, displaying the forms working blacksmiths, walking fruit sellers, and many other daily activities.

athe experts believe that this carving is the oldest artwork to express the non traditional themes. Only a piece of traditional form remains here, a statue of sitting Ganesha. The history of this relief cannot dated exactly but it is believed that it was carved sometime around the 14th century .

GOA GAJAH

In the beginning this cave was only known by the local people and the small animals living there, before being announced to the public in 1923. Its history can not be detected, but it can be proved only, that it was built in the 11th century between 950 and 1050 AD, most probably around the year 1000 AD when Bali was ruled by king Udayana.

Inside this T shaped cave is found several niches, perhaps they were used by adepts to put their belongings while meditating. At one of the ends of it lies a statue of Ganesha, the God of Science, and the other end contains a triple lingga, the symbol of male sovereignty. In front of the cave is the bathing place, divided into three parts by walls, decorated by six big stone statues. This bathing place was found in 1954. The name Goa Gajah, the Elephant Cave, was derived from a book written by Empu Prapancha in 1365, the "Negara Kertagama", where in it was written that there was a place called Bedahulu and another place near there called Lwa Gajah, the "Elephant Water" or the "River of Elephant".

UBUD

Ubud is small district (Kecamatan) that formerly was a small kingdom but has become a famous tourist resort in recent days. The development of this village had begun with the arrival of Walter Spies, a Moscow born German artist, in the years of the twenties, and he established an artist group "Pita Maha". Later, Rudolf Bonnet, a Dutch painter, was appointed by the institution of the museum to manage the traditional painting gallery in this village, which now is known as "Puri Lukisan" museum, where the best traditional paintings are housed. Ubud is famous for it is the "Center of Arts", as well as its monkey forest, and its suspension bridge over the river of Campuhan.

Campuhan (this means "the meeting of two rivers") is a beautiful river, where the people, either the visitors or locals, go to bath in the open air behind the shady bushed steep banks.

Another particular aspect of Ubud is the artists, to whom everybody could easily ask to paint their portrait whitin an hour or even less.

Unlike the other resort, Ubud is a typical Balinese village which is "still going strong", untempted by the tourist flows but keeping its atmosphere as what it naturally should be.