Get in touch with Bali's cultural heritage

Get in touch with Bali's cultural heritage

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

Bali is a land rich in culture and archaeological remains,
which provides a clue to the island's ancient civilization.

One of the most comprehensive and important archaeological
sites worth visiting is Pakerisan and Petanu riverbank areas in
Gianyar, 40 kilometers northeast of Nusa Dua.

The area is now being promoted by the Indonesian government to
be included as a World Heritage Site designated by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO).

The riverbanks are full of evidence of prehistoric monuments
-- holy temples, old caves, reliefs, tombs and other important
archaeological remains -- revealing hidden clues of ancient
Balinese kingdoms and the dissemination of Hinduism and Buddhism
in Bali.

A short walk from Pakerisan river is one of the oldest caves
called Goa Gajah, or the elephant cave, which has an amazing
stone carving portraying an image of an elephant head.

First found in the l920s by a Western visitor, the cave was
excavated in l954. The cave's entrance is decorated by sumptuous
figures of elephant faces. Inside, there is a centuries-old
statue of Ganesha, son of Hindu's god of Shiva.

A few hundred meters east of Goa Gajah, there is the ancient
village of Bedulu, named after Beda-Hulu, the mythical pig-headed
king, which was once the center of Balinese power.

Another important temple is Pura Samuan Tiga, located east of
Bedulu's crossroads, a large and splendidly located temple of
great importance to the whole island.

Pejeng is another old center of Bali's great kingdom, which
either evolved or overlapped with the Bedulu dynasty. Pejeng
boasts at least forty sites of ancient housing relics, making it
one of Indonesia's richest archaeological zones.

One of the most amazing relics is a bronze drum called Moon of
Pejeng -- the largest known relic from Southeast Asia's Bronze
Age period. The drum is believed to be the wheel of the chariot
of the moon goddess. The drum is being kept at Pura Penataran
Asih temple.

Next to Pejeng is Gedong Arca archaeological museum, which
houses a myriad of items.

The collections range from simple Paleolithic stone tools and
blades through to the pre-Hindu Bronze Age to the golden era of
Balinese Hindu-Buddhism and beyond. Of special interest are the
large Bronze Age sarcophagi that have been excavated from many
locations on the island.

There are several other major temples including Pura Kebo
Edan, Pura Arjuna Metapa and Pura Pusering Jagat.

Gunung Kawi in Tampak Siring, north of Pejeng, is another
significant site, which was known as the Valley of the Kings.

Tucked into deep, 23-foot high niches in the cliffs are candi,
temple facades with false doors leading to the "other world". The
temple is full of tombs containing the Balinese ruling dynasty
from the year 1050 to about 1080. As kings and queens were
cremated and their ashes cast into the sea, this candi contains
no human remains and are not actual tombs but symbols of the
deified royals.

In addition to archaeological sites, Bali is also well known
for its rich variety of architectural styles.

Puri Agung Palace in Gianyar, one of Bali's oldest kingdoms,
is the most complete traditional palace in Bali. Although it is
not open to the public, some of its splendid inner gates and
pavilion, its first courtyard are clearly visible from the
street.

Water Palace in Klungkung, East Bali, home of Bali's most
powerful kingdom, is another significant building in Bali.

One of a minuscule fraction of Bali's palaces to survive the
Dutch assault in l908 was Taman Gili water palace and garden. In
it stands two of the island's most extraordinary architectural
experiments -- the Bale Kambang or floating pavilion and the
Kertagosa, also known as the Hall of Justice.

The Bale Kambang, an imposing rectangular pavilion appears to
float above its lily filled moat, was the headquarters for the
royal guards.

The water gardens and water palaces of the Balinese rajas were
most probably inspired by the formal palaces and temple water
gardens in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Thailand.

The Balinese added a floating pavilion, or bale kambang, in
the center of a large walled pond. Many water palace complexes
are thought to represent the holy Mount Meru of Hindu cosmology.
Floating on a sea of amerta, the elixir of life. The pavilion has
whimsical column bases and guardian statues and is painted in
bright colors.

Panels painted in the traditional Klungkung style of wayang
paintings cover the ceiling of the bale kambang.

Both painted ceilings in Kertagosa tell the Hindu epic, the
Mahabharata. The paintings follow Bima's journeys through the
various stages of heaven in search of the elixir of mortality
that will revive his parents.

The entire epic is, in fact, a heroic journey of self-
discovery. Before the arrival of the Dutch, the raja (king) would
go to the Kerta Gosa to consult with his priestly advisers.

Heading east to Karang Asem regency there is the mother temple
of Besakih, East Bali, which is a vast complex of temples
sprawling across the mountainside.

Situated about 1,000 meters up on the slopes of Bali's highest
and holiest volcano, Mount Agung, the 22 temples comprise of
hundreds of delicately towering meru, the multi-tiered roofs of
black palm-fiber thatching pointing skyward. Their structural
core is an unobstructed square tunnel down which deities,
ancestors and spirits can descend.

The site of Besakih is remarkably similar to the stepped
pyramids of the megalithic era, Indonesia's earliest
civilization. In several of the shrines are stones that appear to
date back to prehistoric times.

I-BOX:

Info

* Traveling to Pakerisan and Petanu rivers is usually included in
tourist packages to Ubud and its surrounding areas. Along the way
to Ubud, you will also find dozens of museums, art shops. A trip
to Ubud takes between 60 and 90 minutes from Nusa Dua.
* A trip to Besakih may take around three hours. If you want to
visit the temple, it is better if you arrive early in the morning
to avoid the crowds and the heat of the sun.
* Entering Balinese Hindu temples, visitors are required to dress
appropriately. Donations to the temple are required but not
obligatory.
* Menstruating women are not allowed to enter temples and other
holy sites in Bali.