Mas Village

According to the Balinese chronicles, Danghyang Nirartha (Padanda
Sakti Bahu Rauh) came to Bali from Java at the end of the 15th century
and made his home in this village. This priest, from whom almost all of
Bali's Brahmanas claim descent, gave Balinese Hinduism the form it now
presents, including its highly complex offerings and spectacular cremation
rituals. He became court priest of the Gelgel ruler.





Dozens of temples in Bali are associated with his name, for he made long
trips on foot through the island. Most of the villagers of Mas (which
means "gold") are Brahmanas who honor their ancestor in the Pura Taman
Pule built upon the site of Nirartha is residence.




In the olden days, the fine arts of woodcarving
and painting were reserved almost exclusively for royal and religious
purposes. Nowadays they are also produced for enjoyment and commerce.'
Men of every caste are artisans, and in Mas live some of the most talented.
The best known is lda Bagus Nyana, who in 1 974 received a high national
reward in recognition of his art. For many years he has not sold his beautiful
and original carvings, which may be seen at his home. His son, lda Bagus
Tilem, is one of several accomplished sculptors working at Mas.





Some carvers specialize in masks for the Topeng and other dances. Do not
be surprised when you visit an art shop to find a corps of woodcarvers
making statues-the Balinese do everything in groups, and many of the young
carvers work under the direction of a master. A carver selects his seasoned
block of timber-often, an ebony from Sulawesi then shapes the rough form
with an axe. With a mallet and dozens of small chisels, the carving is
worked into its finished form and finally smoothened. The polish is nothing
more than shoe shine. Again, the sculptors begin young. The most expensive
carving is often done by boys of twelve years.

Mas Village

According to the Balinese chronicles, Danghyang Nirartha (Padanda
Sakti Bahu Rauh) came to Bali from Java at the end of the 15th century
and made his home in this village. This priest, from whom almost all of
Bali's Brahmanas claim descent, gave Balinese Hinduism the form it now
presents, including its highly complex offerings and spectacular cremation
rituals. He became court priest of the Gelgel ruler.





Dozens of temples in Bali are associated with his name, for he made long
trips on foot through the island. Most of the villagers of Mas (which
means "gold") are Brahmanas who honor their ancestor in the Pura Taman
Pule built upon the site of Nirartha is residence.




In the olden days, the fine arts of woodcarving
and painting were reserved almost exclusively for royal and religious
purposes. Nowadays they are also produced for enjoyment and commerce.'
Men of every caste are artisans, and in Mas live some of the most talented.
The best known is lda Bagus Nyana, who in 1 974 received a high national
reward in recognition of his art. For many years he has not sold his beautiful
and original carvings, which may be seen at his home. His son, lda Bagus
Tilem, is one of several accomplished sculptors working at Mas.





Some carvers specialize in masks for the Topeng and other dances. Do not
be surprised when you visit an art shop to find a corps of woodcarvers
making statues-the Balinese do everything in groups, and many of the young
carvers work under the direction of a master. A carver selects his seasoned
block of timber-often, an ebony from Sulawesi then shapes the rough form
with an axe. With a mallet and dozens of small chisels, the carving is
worked into its finished form and finally smoothened. The polish is nothing
more than shoe shine. Again, the sculptors begin young. The most expensive
carving is often done by boys of twelve years.

Kertha Gosa (Court Hall-Floating Pavilion)

Klungkung was the oldest kingdom on the island and its "Raja"
the most exalted. Kertha Gosa (The Court Hall) and Taman Gili (The Floating
Pavilion) were formerly parts of Semarapura Palace of Klungkung Kingdom,
built in the 18th century. A main gate or the royal palace well known
as "Pemedal Agung" is hitherto standing intactly at the Western part of
the Court Hall and the Floating Pavilion. For its ceiling painted in the
traditional wayang style portraying punishment in hell and the rewards
in heaven and other aspects of moralities. The floating pavilion, garden
and lotus ponds in this walled- in complex, located on the main intersection
of town are a reminder of the former glory of this kingdom.





Taman Gili, Royal Courts of Justice Pavilions, with their surrounding
lotus ponds, are a graceful reminder of the former glory of this kingdom.
These pavilions, built in the 18th century, are located at the main road
intersection side of the town of Klungkung (40 km. from Denpasar). They
are especially known for their ceiling murals, painted in the traditional
"Wayang" style, depicting the punishments in hell for miscreants, and
higher up, the rewards in heaven for those that lead a good and honest
life. The courts were presided over by three pedandas (high priest), and
continued to fulfill their function through Dutch colonial times. The
Kerta was the island's highest court of justice. The old buildings were
renovated and restored in 1960. Behind the Kerta Gosa stands a tall gateway.
This gateway is all that remains of what was once the first and most elaborate
palace in Bali, which was destroyed by the Dutch artillery when they bombarded
the town of Klungkung and Gelgel into submission in 1908. As had happened
in other kingdoms in Bali, the Dewa Agung led a great "Puputan", or ceremonial
fight to death, and so ended 600 years of rule in Bali by the lineal descendents
of the emperors of Majapahit. After this conquest, the Dutch had gained
control of all of Bali.

Kerta Gosa


The town of Klungkung centers around the Puri Smarapura or 'Palace of
the God of Love" former home of Bali's most illustrious line of kings.
Unfortunately, all that remains now are the great gate and garden, and
two pavilions with magnificently painted ceilings. These are the Kerta
Gosa Hall of Justice overlooking the town's main intersection, and the
larger Bale Kambang or Floating Pavilion just behind it.


The rest of this splendid complex was razed to the ground in 1908, during
the royal mass suicide or puputan ('ending") against the Dutch invaders.
This event removed the last obstacle to Dutch domination of the island.
A monument commemorating the puputan now stands across the road.


The Kerta Gosa was a place for the administration of traditional justice
in precolonial times by a council consisting of the great king and his
priests. The Paintings on the ceiling tell of the punishments awaiting
evil-doers in hell, and of the delights of the gods in heaven. Different
levels and stations in heaven and hell are described through the story
of the hero Bima, who journeys to the underworld to save the souls of
his parents. These scenes were used to alternately threaten and cajole
anyone who appeared before the court.





Like the Sistine Chapel, the Kerta Gnsa presents a whole complex of ideas
on the workings of fate and the role of the divine in human affairs. The
ceilings themselves have been repainted three times in recent memory.
The last complete refurbishment occurred in 1960 under the famous artist
Pan Seken, although in 1984, weather damage caused a number of panels
to be repaired.

Jatiluwih Rice Field

Approximately
20 km. from Tabanan, the road climbs up high into the hills to a small
village named Jatiluwih at a height of 850 meters above the sea level.
The view here is one of the finest imaginable - Bali's terraced paddie
fields stretching in endless contours over hills and valleys as far as
the eyes can see.


The village of Krambitan, southwest of Tabanan, was once an extension
of the ruling Raja's court, and is still a cultural stronghold, with music
groups maintaining ancient customs of music and dancing using bamboo instruments.






There is a tiny road leading from Wongaya Gede across steep rice terraces
to the village of Jatiluwih.The view of rice terraces is beautifully more
than the one at Tegalalang in Ubud area. On the road south back to Tabanan,
stop in to see the Pura Puseh in Penebel, which possesses an ancient lingga
(phallus, symbol of Siwa) with a yoni pedestal in a pavilion west of the
entrance tn the inner court. These are quite common in Java, but rare
in Bali.

Goa Lawah (Bat Cave)

As the
name indicates the meaning the bat cave Goa Lawah is the home of thousands
of bats, hanging on the upper surface of the cave during the days and
leaving their abode during the nights. Nobody knows precisely when the
cave was found except, maybe, the ancestors of the bats. The cave is considered
as holy, so the locals built a temple on its front yard. If hearsay is
to be believed there is a hole extending back to the base of mount Agung
but who wants to prove that?




Instead of proving that hearsay
it is rather enjoyable if one walks for a minute across the road to the
beach where the people make their salt. Since hundreds of years ago the
way they produce the salt, from the process of drying the wet beach-sand
to the boiling of the salty water, has never changed. They still use the
same type of huts and tools and system. Perhaps because salt itself keeps
its salty taste forever.

Goa Gajah cave

A
short distance from Bedulu stands the mysterious Goa Gajah or Elephant
Cave. A fantastically carved entrance depicts entangling leaves, rocks,
animals, ocean waves and demonic human shapes running from the gaping
mouth which forms the entrance to the cave.





The monstrous Kala head that looms above the entrance seems to part the
rock with her hands. Similarly decorated hermit cells are also found in
Java. The large earrings indicate that the figure is that of a woman.
The T-shaped interior of the rock-hewn cave contained niches which probably
served as compartments for ascetics.





Recent excavations carried out in 1954 unearthed bathing places in front
of the cave with six female figures, representing. nymphs or goddesses
holding water spouts. An energetic clamber down rocks and rice terraces
fifty meters behind the cave leads to the fragments of a fallen cliff
face with the enshrining two ancient Buddha statues.




An old Javanese chronicle written in 1365, some twenty years
after the Majapahit conquest of Bali, says that one of the two Buddhist
bishops in Bali at that time had his hermitage at Gwa Gajah, the "elephant
river", which probably alludes to the Petanu River which flows nearby
in its deep gorge.





However, Goa Gajah dates back certainly to the 1 1 th century. Whether
it was originally a Buddhist or Hindu hermitage cannot be answered with
certainty, for there are both Hindu and Buddhist sculptures
inside or outside the cave. Perhaps monks of both religions had hermitages
close to one another. In pre-Majapahit Java and Bali, the two religions,
both influenced by Tantric beliefs and practices, had begun to amalgamate
into what is called the Siwa- Buddha cult. Buddhist practices and doctrines
survive to this day amongst a small segment of the Brahmana broken bas-reliefs
of stupas and a tiny cavern priests who are mostly found in East Bali.

Gitgit Waterfall

For tourist who
wants to enjoy agro tourism, you can continue your journey North of Bali,
exactly in Gigit Village about 10 kilometres south of Singaraja. In this
village you can enjoy vast coffee and clove gardens. Walking and enjoying
coffee garden is a right choice if you visit Gitgit Village. The area
located more or less 500 metres above sea level is a strategic place for
tropical plants to grow well. 350 metres walk from the main street tracing
the coffee and clove garden, you will find a waterfall about more or less
50 metres height as the highest waterfall in Bali.





If you have private transport, a visit to Gitgit is a must. Ten km south
of Singaraja, this is the site of Bali's most dramatic waterfall. The
road to Gitgit climbs steeply, offering fine views along the way. The
waterfall, located about 500 m from the main road, is surrounded by lush
vegetation. A fine, cooling mist hangs in the air, providing a refreshing
welcome after the walk down. Dip your feet in the rushing river below.
A rest area suitable for picnics has been built near the base of the falls.