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.