Bali's giant statue project begins
Bali's giant statue project begins
By Pandaya
DENPASAR (JP): The construction of a 140-meter tall monument
worth Rp 200 billion (US$83 million) has begun on the holiday
island of Bali, a bold move expected to boost tourism in the
coming century.
The Garuda Wisnu Kencana monument, being built on a 174-
hectare plot on top of Ungasan Lime hill, 12 kilometers south of
here, has been dubbed the future "landmark of Indonesian
tourism".
Its architect, Nyoman Nuarta, promised the monument would be
this century's greatest that would be on a par with world wonders
like Temple Borobudur, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Statue
of Liberty.
"It will be a blend of art, technology and business," he said
when introducing the gigantic project to a pack of journalists on
the luxurious Quicksilver cruiser on Genoa Bay on Saturday.
When the idea was made public in the early 1990s, the project
met strong opposition from the Balinese. Local intellectuals and
entrepreneurs voiced concern over the impact it would have on
local culture and small-scale craftsmen.
Amazed by the huge cost, critics said the monument was a
misplaced priority in the government's development program.
After the debate died down, the government and Nuarta went
ahead with the plan.
Although actual construction began some time ago, the
groundbreaking ceremony was only held yesterday at the project
site where hundreds of workers race against time to complete the
project by the year 2000.
Nuarta, well-known for his giant statues, has almost completed
the 12-meter tall God Wisnu's head in his studio in Bandung. The
statue will be shipped in segments to Bali.
Present at the ceremony were Bali Governor Ida Bagus Oka,
Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave,
Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana and top local
officials.
The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue depicts Wisnu, a Hindu god
that safeguards the world, riding an eagle. It symbolizes
people's support of development that aims at improving the
nation's welfare.
The monument will be visible to visitors arriving at Ngurah
Rai Airport and Genoa Port, Bali's gateways.
As soon as the statue is completed, recreational and business
facilities will be built in the immediate vicinity, and nearby
will be lagoons, a shopping center and banks.
Project officials estimate the project will break even in
2007.
Joop Ave said the monument was a breakthrough in that so far
tourism development focused on building hotels and infrastructure
but not on creating tourist attractions.
"The monument is expected to become one of Bali's main
attractions for at least one century," he said.
As to funding, no project official would go into detail.
Nuarta said that "most" of the money came from PT Garuda
Adhimatra which he controls. The rest is provided by state-owned
Bali Tourism Development Center and donors.