Gianyar

The Regency of Gianyar covers nearly 36,500 hectares, a narrow strip of land with the southern border just a few kilometers from the outskirts of Denpasar, and the northern-most point high on the slopes that lead to the caldera of Mount Batur. Gianyar City, the centre of regional administration, is the capital of a former kingdom, which covered an equivalent area of land a thousand, or more years ago.

Nearly half of the regency is covered in lush sawah rice fields, fed by the springs that filter down from the base of the dormant volcano, filling the streams that run through gorges and meander through valleys and fields, distributing life-giving water to a magnificent series of paddi terraces throughout the territory before into the sea along the 30 kilometer stretch of sandy coastline. The River Ayung form a natural border along the western side of the territory with the Regency of Badung in the west. The eastern border with Bangli and Klungkung Regencies is a line drawn by the Pekrisan River to the north and the Melangit River to the south.

Seat of Historic Dynasties

Steeped in history and culture, the Regency of Gianyar is full of archeological relics of the past. Folk tales have grown up around the discovery of a solid bronze drum resembling those of the Vietnamese Dong Son bronze age around B.C., supposed to have been a bright moon which fell to the ground, fondly called the “Moon of Pejeng” by all Balinese. Other bronze-age statues, rock inscriptions and folk tales testify to a highly developed culture in the past.

Further legends are told about the Javanese priest, Rsi Markendeya, who came as an emissary of Hinduism from the great Kingdoms of Java to Bali during the 8^th Century, and initiated the building of the Gunung Lebah temple in Ubud, Pura Gunung Raung in Taro, and Pura Besakih on the slopes of Mt. Agung.

During the 9^th Century the Warmadewa Dynasty was in power in Bali, a dynasty of twins, brother married to sister, who ruled in the manner of God-Kings from the Singha Mandawa Kingdom on the banks of the Pakrisan River. This was a golden age of development for Bali, with the coming of Hinduism, a flowering of religion, architecture and art.

Udayana, fourth generation ruler of the Warmadewa Dynasty, ruled over Bali in 1011, at a time when the Kingdoms of East Java were at their peak. He married Mahendratta, East Javanese princess, forging an indelible link with Java. This queen buried on the hill of Bukit Dharma in the village of Kutri just 5 kilometers from Denpasar. This queen was supposed to have been the manifestation of Durga, the Goddess of death, and at Durga Kutri, her burial place, can be seen a stone statue of Durga on the back of the bull, Nandini. She is identified as the witch in the Calon Arang story, the evil Rangda of Balinese mythology.

The royal tombs of Udayana on the banks of the Pekrisan River, became the Buddhist hermitage of Gunung Kawi, and the rock faces of the George are a massive feat of stone carving. The entire valley is dotted with tombs, residences and meditation caves, scattered amongst breath-taking rice terraces that pave the hillsides’ steep descent.

Anak Wungsu, the younger son of Udayana, inherited the Kingdom in Bali, and his older brother Airlangga went on to rule East Java as inheritor from his mother’s side.

The next three generations saw the rise and fall of many Kingdoms in Java, but Bali was little affected till the Majapahit Dynasty began to develop in power and conquer far flung parts of the archipelago which for the first time became united under a common ruler, including Bali.

Prior to the interference of Majapahit, Bali was ruled by Raja Sri Aji Asura Bumi Banten and his minister Kebo Iwa, from their palaces in the village of Bedahulu. The Raja was a tyrant, and folk tales depict him as an ugly man with a pig’s head. Kebo Iwa was supposed to have possessed supernatural power with which he built several temples all by himself, taking only a couple of nights to complete the feat. Folk tales portray him as a giant with long fingernails with which he could carve a rock face.

The Majapahit Empire appointed Sri Kresna Kepakisan to rule over Bali. He built a palace at Samprangan, near Gianyar, which duly passed on, to his son, a most ineffective fellow. The younger brother, Ketut Ngelisir, left the region and established a separate palace in Gelgel, near Klungkung, from whence he was able to usurp his brother’s failing powers and rule Bali independently.

The history of the city and rajadom of Gianyar, as with most history in Bali, is based upon legend and the genealogical “babad” stories recorded in the Balinese lontar manuscripts. The name Gianyar is thought to have derived from the words Griya meaning “priest’s house” and Anyar meaning “new”, possibly referring to the site upon which the original palace of Gianyar was built. The Raja of Gianyar was known as Dewa Manggis, and his Kingdom emerged as a distinct power in the 18^th Century, prior to which his realm belonged to neighbouring kingdoms. By the beginning of the 19^th Century the Dewa Agung of Klungkung had lost most of his power through warring with neighbouring Karangasem and Lombok.

The subsidence of the powers of Klungkung afforded an opportunity to the ambitious local Panggawa of the village of Gianyar, who by means of deceit, poisonings and war was able to overpower his neighbouring lords and gain control over a large area. This was the first Dewa Manggis. He was unpopular, and considered an upstart by the other Rajas. His ambitions led to a period of confused warring between the other southern rajadoms, which gave the Dutch, who had for some time been trying to gain control, increasing opportunity to become involved. The warring reached a peak in the 1890’s when Dewa Manggis VII, deeply in trouble, decided to submit to the ruling Dewa Agung. He was imprisoned, and the Kingdom of Gianyar was shared out between Klungkung and Mengwi.

It was not long, however, before Tabanan and Badung conquered Mengwi and redivided the defeated kingdom amongst themselves. Two sons of Dewa Manggis VII managed to escape from Klungkung in 1889 and enlisted the help of Cokorda Sukawati of Ubud to reestablish their Kingdom of Gianyar.

Fearing further opposition, the new Dewa Manggis allied himself with the Dutch, and in 1900 Gianyar was accepted as a Dutch Protectorate. Under this arrangement Gianyar prospered, as the Dutch continued their efforts to subdue the rest of southern Bali. The palace of Puri Gianyar became an elite centre of social life, with the effect that the arts of the area received more attention and royal patronage than ever before, and a great blossoming of artistic activities took place within the region. During this time western artists Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet came to live in the area and also greatly influenced the development of the arts. 

The Javanese occupation in Bali in 1942 brought a temporary halt to this. Close on the heels of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, Soekarno and Hatta proclaimed the Independence of the republic of Indonesia. The Dutch powers tried to return to enlist the help of their old allies in Gianyar, but to little avail.

Archeological Treasures

The Regency of Gianyar is full of archeological reminders of its spectacular history. Goa Gajah, the “Elephant cave” is one of the most visited historic sites of Bali. Rediscovered in 1923, this T-shaped cave houses three lingga stones symbolic of Siva, and is thought to have been for meditation. The cliff face out of which it has been hewn is carved into a representation of the guardian Bhoma, the mouth of which is the entrance to the inner passage. In 1954 adjacent baths were discovered and excavated, disclosing a row of beautifully sculpted female figures, each pouring water from an urn.

The stone relief’s of Yeh Pulu, another ancient work of art of mysterious origins, can be found between Goa Gajah and Bedulu.

These are thought to date back to a 14^th Century monastery. Yeh Pulu is now a small temple, entirely walled on one side by a carved stone frieze 25 meters in length representing an episode from the story of Krishna.

The Gedong Arca Museum, an archeological museum with a collection of Stone Age heads, bone ornaments, weapons, earthenware and ceramic pots, bronze artifacts, stone sarcophagi and fossils, is situated just north of Bedulu on the Tampaksiring road. A branch of the Department of Archeology here can supply information on current archeological activities in Bali.

The famous pre-Hindu bronze kettledrum is housed at Pura Penataran Sasih, which was once the state temple of Pejeng. This relic is the lone survivor of its type from the Bronze Age, dated around 300 B.C., and is thought to be the largest drum in the world to be cast in a single piece. The drum is of a rare type, shaped like an hourglass and several meters in length, with stylized faces and ornaments carved on its surface.

Important relics of the past are found in there other nearby temples. In Pura Kebo Edan  (the temple of the crazy buffalo) there are a number of ancient stone statues, the most spectacular of the warrior Bima wearing a mask, with snakes coiling around his legs, a rare relic of the Bhairawa Tantric Buddhist sect which existed in Bali prior to the 11^th Century. The Pura Pusering Jagat  (the temple of the Navel of the World) houses a carved stone vessel that tells the story of the churning of the ocean by the gods and demons searching for the elixir of life. Another ancient monastery known as Goa Garba can be found in the ricefields just two kilometers east of Pejeng.

The village of Bedulu, named after the ancient tyrant who had the head of a pig, has an ancient temple complex, Pura Samuan Tiga that was built in the 11^th Century.

A steep descent via hundreds descent via hundreds of steps into the George of the Pakrisan river leads to the royal tombs and hermitage of Gunung Kawi, carved out of the rock face around the (same period).

A little further up the valley, just past the village of Tampaksiring, the road winds down to the head of the valley whence gushes the holy springs of Tirta Empul. The legend of this spring is centered around the evil Maya Danawa, a demon king who refused to allow his people to worship God because he believed he was the most Supreme Being of all. A mission from the gods was sent to put matters right, but Maya Denawa poisoned the drinking water of the heavenly troops. In order to save them the God Indra shot a magic arrow into the ground from which appeared a healing spring, the Tirta Empul. A temple surrounds the holy springs, with a large shrine to the God Indra, and there are bathing pools which are supposed to have strong curative powers. On the hill behind this temple is a presidential guesthouse built by the late President Soekarno.

A Legacy of Creativity

The path through the region of Gianyar runs a regular gamut of art studios, art shops and cottage industries. Most village have their own specialty, as creative pursuits are generally community activities that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Batubulan

This village is the first on the route from Denpasar, and its name “moon stone” is indicative of the predominant craft in the village, that of stone carving. The art of Batubulan can be seen all over the island in temples, shrines, at bridges, houses, and even in hotels, in soft stone sculptures and carvings, images of gods and demons, warrior-guards and even animals. The main road through the village itself is lined with workshops and stone creatures of all sizes and shapes peep from the sidelines. The famous Barong and Kris Dance is also performed here there are several different groups performing daily, each at a different temple pavilion or banjar, from 9.0 to 10.0 a.m.

Celuk

The silver and goldsmiths of Celuk, long famed for their delicate work, are in the mid of a great bustle of production, as orders for export of contemporary jewellery have more than quadrupled in the past few years. The skills of the Celuk artisans are such that they can move effortlessly from their traditional art of highly decorative filigree ornamentation to the streamlined geometrical shapes of today, creating contemporary pieces that are popular the world over. The cottage industry has spread through the entire village, far beyond the rows of ornate art shop buildings that front the main road, to the family compounds, where children work beside their elders, learning the skills of the art from a very young age.

Sukawati

The sprawling village of Sukawati is famous for its” dalangs “ the shadow Puppet masters of the Wayang Kulit shadow theatre. There is a large art market here, the Sukawati Pasar Seni, where all kinds of handicrafts can be purchased at reasonably cheap prices. A wide range of souvenirs of Bali are available both in finished and semi- finished state, and a lot of art dealers purchase their stocks wholesale here.   

Batuan

Known for is dancing, and the originality of its painters and wood-panel carvers. Batuan has long been a famous centre of the arts. There are active Topeng, Legong and gambuh  

Dance troupes here, and many young foreigners come to Bali to study dance in this village. The carved wooden friezes are replicas of the detail found in stone temple walls, depicting scenes from the ancient Mahabharata and Ramayana epics in exquisite detail. Several of Batuan ‘s best painters exhibit their work in Ubud’s Puri Lukisan and some have exhibited overseas. Few artists in Bali are so well traveled as Batuan’s Made Budi,  

Who sees the world in is own inimitable expressly Balinese manner. He is a wizard at depicting the contrasts of modern Bali in humorous detail on the canvas: antiquity side by side with contemporary, visitor and local, prayer and profanity.

Mas

Just a few kilometers past Batuan the road turns eastwards to Gianyar, or northwards to the village of Mas, Peliatan and Ubud. Mas, the home of some of Bali’s most famous woodcarvers, is a village well worth visiting. The studio of Ida Bagus Tilem, master woodcarver, is a showroom of antique and modern woodcarving, and he has a permanent exhibition of his own priceless sculptures that are timeless works of art. Visit the homes of Ida Bagus Gelodog and Ida Bagus Anom, two of the most famous mask-carvers in Bali. There are many home studios in the village, where one can watch artisans at work, bringing the specially chosen pieces of wood to life with skillful strokes of the chisel.

Teges

At Teges the road branches again, to Ubud on the left, or Goa Gajah to the right. This village has two communities, Teges Kanginan, famous for its musicians and dancers, and Teges Kawan, a community of sculptors. The Teges Kanginan community have a large Semar Pegulingan Orchestra, a Kebyar Orchestra, a children’s gamelan and an Angklung bamboo ensemble, and their dancers are the primadonnas of the Balinese stage. The original Kecak dance was choreographed in this village. The wood carvers of Teges Kawan specialize in contemporary ornamental and functional carvings. They create replicas of trees, plants, flowers, ducks, fish and fruits that make interesting pieces for interiors. Each carving is painted in lifelike colors, so realistic they will confuse the casual observes.

Pengosekan

Just off the main road through Peliatan, this small village became famous when Queen Elizabeth visited in 1974. Pengosekan has an active Community of Artists, with a studio near the main road, who work together under the guidance of Dewa Nyoman Batuan, who is himself an accomplished artist. The Pengosekan artists create attractive compositions and scenes from nature in pastel shades that delight the eye. They also have a group who carves furniture, trays, cupboards and other household utensils in shallow relief, to which the artists apply, a delicate rendering of colour. Within the village are many smaller home studios.

Nyuh Kuning

Past Pengosekan the road meanders through the rice fields to the sacred Monkey Forest just south of Ubud, where there is a secluded bathing place in a deep ravine bridged by the roots of a huge Banyan tree. Above the Monkey Forest is a forboding temple with striking sculptures of the evil witch Rangda, devourer of children, guarding the inner temple. The village of Nyuh Kuning is close by, yet another community of farmers who sculpt and paint in their spare time, creating statues of birds, frogs, fish and insects, and detailed canvas renderings of nature’s wonders.

Peliatan

Famed for its fine gamelan players and legong dancers, Peliatan is the home of Bali’s first dance troupe to perform abroad. In the early 1950’s the original group, led by the late Anak Agung Mandera, (see page 170), visited Paris, London, New York and Hollywood, where they starred in the Paramount production “Road to Bali” along with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. The younger generations are still active and apart from weekly performances in the village they also perform frequently at the International hotels.

Ubud

The peaceful village of Ubud takes it’s name from the Balinese word “Ubad” which means “medicine”, as the original pilgrims who founded the village found the nearby forest to be full of medicinal herbs. In the last fifty years this village has developed into a tourist resort, (see page 169-170). At the centre of the village is a crossroad, with the Royal Puri Ubud on one corner and the community hall and theatre opposite. Across the road from the palace is a new shopping centre and market. The Ubud market comes alive every three days when villagers come from near and far to sell their produce. About one hundred meters to the west of Ubud’s market is the tourist information centre run by the Bina Wisata Foundation, volunteer youths from the village who speak good English and give free information about events and places of interest within the surrounding area, as well as assisting hotel and performance reservations. The Puri Lukisan Museum of Ubud, another 100 meters down the road, houses a permanent exhibition of the finest work of many artists, ranging from the traditional Wayang style to work from the early thirties and a selection of the finest work of local artists. There is another outstanding collection of art to be found at the Neka Museum, several kilometers further north, which has an adjacent showroom with many choice exhibits that are for sale. 

Campuhan

The meeting of two rivers, deep in the valley forms a narrow platform where the ancient temple Pura Gunung Lebah was built by the Hindu priest Rsi Markandeya, in the 8^th Century.

Penestanan

Just over the hill to the west of Campuhan, a scenic hike of one kilometer through the rice fields, is the village of Penestanan with its school of “naïve painting” in bright colours, a style fostered by the influence of Arie Smit, a Dutch artist who has lived most of his life in Bali. Known as the “Young Artist” style, this art is highly decorative and simplistic.

Pujung and Sebatu

The villages the Pujung and Sebatu, just a few kilometers past the turnoff into the village of Ubud, are both communities of wood-carvers. After the morning’s work in the rice fields the farmers busy themselves creating expressive carvings and huge garuda statues that are delicately painted in bright colours. There are springs at the temple of Gunung Kawi and this is popular-bathing place.

Taro

Coffee plantations over the land around Taro. And the classics Balinese architecture of the compounds are reminiscent of the Bali of the past.

Sayan

For stunning views the village of Sayan is unsurpassed. The village backs onto ravine that drops far down into a deep valley carved by the Ayung River. Over the past twenty years a number of foreigners have built holiday homes along the ridge, looking out over the spectacular view to the mountains of west Bali in the distance.

Payangan

The village of Payangan, just twelve kilometers past Ubud, is famous for its lychees, durian and pineapples. Just north of Payangan is a village called Tihingan, with beautiful bamboo groves. This is a particularly beautiful part of Bali for countryside walks. 

Kedewatan

Behind the village of Kedewatan the ridge looks over the curving valley of the Ayung River, and here are cottages and swimming pools, and even a small restaurant, perched of the ridgetop taking advantage of the splendid view.

Blahbatuh

At the corner of the main crossroad in Blahbatuh is the local puri, which has a great collection of orchids and is open to visitors. The only gong-maker in the regency of Gianyar is at nearby Banjar Babakan. Gamelan instruments of all kinds are made here.  

Belega And Bona

The road to the east of Blahbatuh passes through Belega and Bona on a back route to Gianyar. Belega and Bona both have many bamboo furniture workshops, and great deal of their work is for export. In Bona women and children of all ages make delicate basketry cleverly women and dyed in bright colours.   

Tampak Siring

The road to tampak siring passes the archeological monuments of Goa Gajah, Yeh Puluh and Pejeng mentioned of the previous pages .In the villages near Gunung kawi and Tirta Empul can be found bone and ivory carving of exquisitely fine detail. Coconut shells are also carved into pretty lampshades, and hand-painted wooden jewellery is a prospering handicraft, produced to order for export. Many of the women spend their idle hours, whilst minding their souvenir shops and kiosks, at crochet, making fine tablecloths, bed covers and apparel.        

Gianyar

The place of Gianyar, surrounded by towering brick walls, looks out over the Town Square, dominating the landscape with its grand architecture. Gianyar is bustling market town, famous for its Babi Guling, roast-suckling pig, which is sold at stalls in a small enclave at the centre of the Town. Bukit Jati swimming pool is just three kilometers to the east. On the western borders of the town can be found numerous weaving and tye-dying factories, which are interesting to visit. Simple techniques are used to produce the exquisite Balinese sarongs and hand-woven or hand-dyed cloth can be purchased by the metre. Gianyar is criss-crossed with a maze of tiny roads and villages and the industrious creativity of the people is amazing. Handicrafts are cleverly adapted to meet the demand for souvenirs and exports by the skillful artisans of the area, new ideas appearing every day in response to popular demand.