Giant statue taking shape on a hill in Bali<\/p>\n
Text and photos by Pandaya<\/p>\n
JIMBARAN, Bali (JP): As the taxi from Denpasar dropped me off
\nat a hotel in Kuta, I suddenly remembered the giant multimillion
\ndollar statue built somewhere in the general area some four years
\nago.<\/p>\n
The next morning, when I asked the taxi driver to take me to
\nGaruda Wisnu Kencana on Ungasan hill, he clarified in his heavy
\nBalinese accent what I meant: \"Oh, GWK in Uluwatu?\"<\/p>\n
Apparently, the statue is better known by its acronym among
\npeople in the street.<\/p>\n
When we passed Ngurah Rai International Airport and the hill
\nstanding tall on the horizon, the statue billed as the Indonesian
\nversion of the Statue of Liberty was nowhere in sight, even
\nthough its founders once boasted that it would be visible from a
\ndistance of 20 kilometers.<\/p>\n
\"The statue is only 15 percent finished,\" came a quick reply
\nfrom an employee of the 230-hectare cultural park, about 30
\nminutes drive to the north of Kuta. It, like so many other
\ngrandiose schemes of the mid-1990s, has been cut down to size by
\nthe crisis.<\/p>\n
Sitting on the top of the lime hill is a giant bronze bust of
\nVishnu, the god that takes care of the universe in Hinduism. The
\n\"garuda\", the mythical bird in the Mahabarata epic that Vishnu
\nrides, is still under construction in Bandung and will be flown
\nin for assembly some time in the middle of the year.<\/p>\n
The Rp 30 billion statue is the creation of Nyoman Nuarta, a
\nBandung-based Balinese artist known for his love of making
\nimmense works.<\/p>\n
Nyoman is building the figure of the bird, which will be 11
\nmeters tall, 10 meters wide and 20 meters long for its perch 283
\nmeters above sea level. The next stage will be to build the
\nwings.<\/p>\n
Although it represents only 15 percent of the planned whole
\nbody, the grandeur can already be felt with Vishnu. The tall
\ngrayish bust, with its eyes closed and its arms lopped off at the
\nelbows, leans forward on its pedestal.<\/p>\n
Except on the crowded weekends, sightseeing at the complex is
\nwhat the visitor can largely enjoy. Cultural events, such as Bali
\ndances, are organized on holidays at the amphitheater designed to
\naccommodate 10,000 people.<\/p>\n
There have been few activities at other facilities like the
\nmuseum, exhibition hall and boutique. Of course, the restaurants
\nare the busiest during the day.<\/p>\n
Although it is a widely advertised tourist attraction, there
\nis not much yet you can enjoy there on the hill under the
\nscorching sun of Bali, aside from admiring the unfinished Vishnu
\nbust and the panorama of Kuta and Denpasar below and beyond. The
\nview of the city lights is even more beautiful at night.<\/p>\n
Visitors will probably have to wait a few years before the
\npark is completed, more attractions created, the whole area fully
\ndeveloped and a better transportation system made available.<\/p>\n
\"In fact, we want the visitors to go there and see the statue
\nin the making process,\" says Anita Kastubi, the business
\ndevelopment manager of GWK Foundation based in Jakarta. She
\nclaims between 300 and 400 people come to the park every day.<\/p>\n
Anita acknowledged that the financial crisis hampered the
\nproject, which is owned by the government-owned Bali Tourism
\nDevelopment Corporation and several private concerns.<\/p>\n
The government recently injected Rp 1 billion to keep the
\nproject going.<\/p>\n
While the spirit to accomplish the masterpiece keeps aflame,
\nGWK cherishes its ambition to develop the World Cultural Forum
\nwhere every participating country would have its own pavilion in
\nthe park.<\/p>\n
Although GWK is well-located, transportation is a problem for
\nvisitors traveling individually because there is no regular bus
\nshuttle. Bus services from nearby places like Kuta, Denpasar,
\nPecatu and Jimbaran drop passengers at the park's entrance, which
\nmeans a 10-minute walk up the hill. The easiest, but expensive,
\nway to go is by taxi, which sometimes insist on payment in U.S.
\ndollars.<\/p>",
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