Balinese architectural legacy under threat

Balinese architectural legacy under threat

By I Wayan Juniarta

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): The Taman Ujung water garden was once a
favorite resting place for the Karangasem royal family in East
Bali.

Located eight kilometers south of Amlapura, Taman Ujung is now
in a dilapidated condition. The once tranquil and well-designed
garden is now made up of badly damaged buildings and has been
overrun by wild plants.

Its current condition is partly due to series of natural
disasters, like the eruption of Gunung Agung volcano and
subsequent earthquakes several years ago. Lack of funds and the
government's land reform policy have worsened its condition.

To restore this historical site, a number of experts are now
planning to carry out an integrated conservation program of the
Taman Ujung water garden.

Ida Bagus Pangdjaja, head of the Bali Cultural Office,
mentioned the planned program will be implemented soon after the
approval of all related parties.

During the recent international symposium on cultural heritage
conservation, the Bali cultural heritage conservation project
team listed Taman Ujung as one of its pilot projects.

"Taman Ujung is a part of Bali's significant cultural
heritage," Pangdjaja commented.

I Gusti Made Rena, an expert on Balinese architecture,
explained that Taman Ujung was built in 1919 by the last king of
Karangasem Anak Agung Bagung Djelantik, who was a self-taught
architect.

"The garden was a beautiful combination of Balinese and
European architectural elements. Such a mixed combination created
a harmonious balance between the man-made creations and its
natural surroundings," he said.

The garden is comprised of five water ponds of various sizes
and shapes, a waterfall and fountain, three gateways and nine
buildings, said architect Endah Meigawati.

Some of the more important buildings are Balai Bundar, the
round building, and Balai Manikan which functioned as a
meditation shelter for the king and his family.

Other buildings include Balai Lunjuk, an administrative
building where the king worked on the construction of the water
garden and administered the traditional subak (irrigation system)
for the surrounding rice fields. Balai Warak was intended as a
place of worship where all religious activities took place.

"The eruption of Mount Agung in 1963 and the following
earthquake destroyed the beauty of this architectural work,"
Meigawati said.

Previously, due to the land reform policy imposed by Dutch
colonialists, the 400 hectare garden was reduced to a mere 8
hectares. The Dutch forced the king of Karangasem to give up most
of his water garden property and was only allowed to retain a
small part of the land.

The seized land was then sold to outsiders, Meigawati
clarified.

"The land ownership has become a serious problem if we want to
undertake the conservation project at Taman Ujung," explained
Pangjaya.

But Meigawati is convinced that the community living in the
nearby area have shown their strong support for the plan. The
Karangasem royals have given their nod to the project as they
have inadequate funds to conserve the family property themselves.

According to Meigawati, the restoration project will cost
around Rp 14 billion. The project will consist of reconstructing
several buildings, restoring the garden, renovating the water
ponds and their water supply systems, as well as the construction
of a parking lot and other necessary facilities.

The project will probably be financed by soft loans from the
World Bank, the Bali provincial government and other parties.

The team will also establish an agency responsible for
managing and controlling the water garden soon after the
restoration project is complete.

There are still many obstacles to realizing this planned
restoration of one of Bali's precious architectural heritages,
but Pangdjaja and his fellow experts may probably be given the
green light.