Bali to build world's tallest statue to woo tourists

Bali to build world's tallest statue to woo tourists

By Pandaya

UNGASAN, Bali (JP): About one hundred Hindus, deeply engrossed
in prayer, sat on mats in the open next to a 1.4 hectare, 15-
meter-deep pit on the peak of the Memedi barren lime hill.

At the right end of the front row of those praying was
Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave, a non-
Hindu who clumsily struggled to follow every move shown by a
Balinese woman by his side.

The serenity under the scorching midday sun was spoiled
somewhat by the deafening roar of a helicopter flying overhead,
with a photographer aboard taking pictures of the event which
drew thousands of people from all walks of life.

A band of men clad in traditional Balinese attire played the
typical, lively local music. They led the rite and the guests
down into the pit in a grand procession.

Waiting at the bottom of the pit was a colossal troupe of 400
Kecak dancers and 1,000 local children dressed in traditional
pecalang costume. Behind the scenes was the famed Balinese
choreographer, Wayan Dibya.

The extravaganza peaked in a short rite of groundbreaking for
the construction of the highly controversial Rp 200 billion
(US$83 million) Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue.

"All the colossal rite shows is that local Hindus do not
object to the project as some people have claimed," the statue's
architect Nyoman Nuarta said.

Although the actual work began long before the June 8 corner-
stone laying ceremony, the controversy it sparked has not
entirely settled down.

Critics say that Bali needs more basic facilities such as
roads, water supplies and waste treatment technology instead of
an expensive monument.

Expected to be completed by the end of 2000, the 140-meter-
tall brass and steel statue is tipped to be this century's
greatest work, which hopefully will add to the existing seven
world's wonder.

Officials are tight lipped on how money to finance the mega
project was obtained. Nuarta said the money came from PT Garuda
Adimatra, the government, and unidentified donors.

Sitting atop the 286-meter-high hill, the statue will be
taller than the 120-meter Buddha Ushiku Arcadia in Japan, the
300-meter Eiffel Tower in France and the 93-meter Statue of
Liberty in the U.S.

With wings of the Garuda spanning 65 meters from tip to tip,
the monument will be visible to visitors arriving at Ngurah Rai
Airport and Genoa Port, Bali's gateways.

The creation marks the fulfillment of a dream to build a
cultural complex that functions as a point of encounter between
traditional, modern and contemporary arts -- and between
Balinese, Indonesian and international cultures.

The statue features God Wisnu, the guardian of balance and
order in the Hindu symbolism, astride the mythical bird Garuda.
The theme is easily found in Balinese and old Javanese
iconography.

Covering 70 of a 200 hectare plot of discarded limestone
quarry reserved for the project, the statue is meant to carry
religious, technological and ideological symbolism.

"It is a blend of art, technology and business," Nyoman said.

Nuarta, who was born in the Tabanan district of Bali on Nov.
14, 1951, and graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology
in 1977, is nicknamed "megalomania" sculptor.

His most recent work, a 30.6-meter-high figurative statue,
Jalesveva Jayamahe, for the Navy, was dedicated early this year
at the port of Surabaya.

The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is being constructed in
Nuarta's studio in Bandung by 350 workers. The pieces will be
shipped individually and put together at the project site.

The 75-meter-high pedestal that supports the statue will
contain recreational facilities including restaurants, a museum
of sculpture, museum of Garuda Wisnu Kencana and Bali Past-to-
Present venue featuring Balinese arts and culture.

When the statue is completed, hopefully by the end of 2000,
the second phase will begin. Planned facilities include a 10,000-
seat Gaoura Theater of modern cultural shows, 500-seat Calonarang
Theater of high-tech traditional opera, a memorial theater
replaying the 1963 eruption of Mount Agung; a Kecak dance
theater, restaurants, boutiques and other recreational
facilities.

Offices and other facilities on a six-hectare plot will be
available for lease.

Nyoman said the Garuda Wisnu Kencana complex, managed by PT
Garuda Adimatra and Garuda Wisnu Kencana Foundation, was designed
to accommodate 15,000 visitors.

As a first-class tourist attraction in the heart of southern
Bali's tourism eden, an area which boasts 30,000 hotel rooms, the
project is expected to break even by 2007.

Currently, 2.2 million foreign holidaymakers and two million
locals visit Bali every year. Official statistics reveal that
domestic and international arrivals in Bali have grown by about
nine percent over the past five years.

Located in a hilly thinly-populated village about 30 minutes
drive from Denpasar's Ngurah Rai Airport, Ungasan is close to
major tourist resorts like Nusa Dua, Kuta and Sanur.

Nyoman said he would set aside part of the income for cultural
development and scholarships for bright children from poor
families.

"It's a pity that only an insignificant part of the annual Rp
7 trillion income from tourism is used to fund cultural
projects," he said.