Memory of Sutan Takdir Alisyahbana fades away

Wayan Sunarta, Contributor, Kintamani, Bali

A portrait of an old man wearing an udeng (Balinese head scarf) is hung on the wall of a small cottage restaurant in Toyabungkah village near the Kintamani resort area in Bangli, some 65 kilometers north of Denpasar.

Most Indonesians would have known the man in the picture. He was one of the country's most prominent literary figures -- Sutan Takdir Alisyahbana, popularly known as STA, who died in 1994 leaving the local literary world with so many legacies.

One of his legacies is Balai Seni Toyabungkah, which was set up in 1974 aiming at providing a center for arts and literary and intellectual activities for both local and foreign artists and scholars.

Located on the slopes of Mount Batur and surrounded by Lake Batur, Toyabungkah was then inaccessible and could only be reached by horses or small boats. Therefore, only a few knew the beauty and tranquility of the village.

Historically, Toyabungkah and its surrounding villages were the center of the indigenous Bali Aga community now occupying the nearby Trunyan village.

In this place, Takdir had fulfilled his dream by establishing Balai Seni Toyabungkah, a perfect place to hone artistic and intellectual creativity.

Takdir frequently invited numerous artists and scholars to visit Toyabungkah which later became a well known "headquarters" for arts and culture.

In the early l930s, Takdir was renowned as one of the founders of Poedjangga Baroe literary magazine, which was significant in the development of modern Indonesian literature. He was a prolific writer, philosopher and prominent linguist.

Takdir was most remembered for his strong calls for Indonesians to look to Western values, not only their lifestyles but also their working ethos and passion to learn.

Built on a five-hectare plot of land, Balai Seni Toyabungkah is equipped with a well-stocked library, nine bungalows where STA received his guests, a dance workshop, a spacious living room and his private room.

All these facilities were built on a one-hectare plot of land, while the remaining four hectares were developed as fruit and vegetable gardens.

One of the five-hectare plot of land was rented from Desa Adat (Customary Village) of Toyabungkah.

While Takdir was still alive, Toyabungkah was enlivened by a myriad of artistic endeavors. Children from the neighborhood and adjacent villages flocked to dance workshop to acquire dancing skills from one legong dance master, Ni Ketut Reneng. The other kids obtained painting lessons. Various discussions and informal talks warmed the cool Toyabungkah village.

Local residents benefited from the deluge of visitors to Balai Seni, which grew as an attraction for both scholars and tourists.

"Everybody here knows Pak Takdir," remembered Beti Nurmala, one of Balai Seni's five staff members.

"When he was here, he often walked around the village and chatted with the villagers here," she added.

For Sutan Takdir Alisyahbana, Toyabungkah was his second home. His private villa was built facing Lake Batur and Mount Abang. The villa also stored Takdir's valuable literary collections, which are now thickened by dust.

"After reading or writing in his private room, Pak Takdir visited his garden to grow flower plants and vegetables or just to take care of his favorite Amarilys buds," recalled Beti who has been taking care of the place since l991.

But in the last few years, especially after the death of Sutan Takdir in l994, Balai Seni Toyabungkah has lost its charm. At present, most buildings are in a dilapidated condition.

"The weather here is humid and most plants grows so fast that they all now cover part of the mossy buildings," Beti complained.

With only five staff, it is indeed difficult to take care of the five-hectare property. "Not to mention the library's priceless collection," she added.

Many buildings including the dance workshop have been filled with spider webs and rats.

What is dismaying, she said, is that the local Bangli administration has never paid any attention to the existence of Balai Seni Toyabungkah. "They even charged us with higher taxes," she pointed out.

The glory of Balai Seni Toyabungkah has faded away. Nobody seems to care and wants to revitalize all cultural and intellectual activities promoted by the late Sutan Takdir Alisyahbana.

The ruined Balai Seni Toyabungkah is now hidden among the lush pine forests and will only become a closed page of the Indonesian literary book.