East Bali - Bali and Lombok - page 91

HISTORY
Bangli dates from the early 13th century. In
the Majapahit era it broke away from Gelgel
to become a separate kingdom, even though
it was landlocked, poor and involved in long-
running conflicts with neighbouring states.
In 1849 Bangli made a treaty with the
Dutch. The treaty gave Bangli control over
the defeated north coast kingdom of Buleleng,
but Buleleng then rebelled and the Dutch im-
posed direct rule there. In 1909 the rajah (lord
or prince) of Bangli chose to become a Dutch
protectorate rather than face suicidal puputan
(a warrior's fight to the death) or complete
conquest by the neighbouring kingdoms or
the colonial power.

banana). Also worth sampling for babi guling
and other local treats are the food stalls in the
food market (

EAST BALI

0 5 km

0 3 miles

To Tejakula (28km);

11am-2pm) and the main market

h

Yeh Sanih (42km);

Singaraja (58km)

6-9pm) . All of these places line both sides of
the main section of Jl Ngurah Rai.

(

h

Danau

Batur

B A L I

Shopping
A must for any fashionista or lover of hand
woven fabrics. There are a few textile factories
at the western end of town on the main Ubud
road, including Tenun Ikat Setia Cili (

S E A

Penelokan Liberty

Tulamben

Gunung Abang

(2152m)

Kubu

Region

943409; Jl

%

Gunung Agung

9am-5pm) and the adjacent Cap Bakti
(Jl Astina Utara) , as well as Cap Togog (

Astina Utara;

h

Jemeluk

(3142m)

Amed

943046; Jl

%

Culik

Dalah

Bunutan

8am-5pm) . These places have
showrooms where you can buy material by
the metre, or have it tailored. You can at times
see weavers at work and see how the thread is
dyed before weaving to produce the vibrantly
patterned weft ikat , which is called endek on
Bali. Prices are 50,000Rp to 75,000Rp per
metre for cotton fabric, depending on how
fine the weaving is - costs will rise if it con-
tains silk. Handmade batik is also for sale
here.

Astina Utara 11;

Pura

h Besakih

Lebih

Pura Pasar

Lipah

Bangli

Agung Tanah Aron

Besakih

Gunung

Pidpid Ngis Aas

Lempuyang

Abang Kemuda

(1058m)
(1175m)

Desi

Pura

Gunung Seraya

Ababi Lempuyang

Information
The compact and well-organised centre has a
Bank BRI with international ATM, and there
is a nearby hospital. There's also a police sta-
tion and post office. The market is worth a
stroll.

Tirta

Menanga Sebudi Bukit

Gangga Basangalas

Kusambi

Krotok

Tauka

Muncan Seraya

To Tampaksiring Budakeling

Jungutan

Peladung

(2km)

Rendang

Duda

Selat Amlapura

Bebandem

Abian

Sibetan

Demulih Soan

Putung

Bangli

Iseh

Subagan
Asak

Bungaya

Tenganan Ujung

Bukit Jambul

Sidemen

Tabola Manggis Jasri

Sights & Activities
PURA KEHEN
The state temple of the Bangli kingdom, Pura
Kehen (admission 4100Rp;

Perasi

Sengkidu

Pura

Getting There & Away
There are regular bemo between Batubu-
lan terminal near Denpasar and Gianyar's
main terminal (8000Rp), which is behind the
main market. Bemo from Gianyar's main
terminal also serve Semarapura (8000Rp) and
Amlapura (16,000Rp). Bemo to and from
Ubud (8000Rp) use the bemo stop across the
road from the main market.
SIDAN
When driving east from Gianyar you come to
the turn-off to Bangli about 2km out of Pete-
luan. Follow this road for about 1km until you
reach a sharp bend, where you'll find Sidan's
Pura Dalem . This good example of a temple of
the dead has very fine carvings. In particular,
note the sculptures of Durga with children
by the gate and the separate enclosure in one
corner of the temple - this is dedicated to
Merajapati, the guardian spirit of the dead.
BANGLI
% 0366
Halfway up the slope to Penelokan, Bangli,
once the capital of a kingdom, is said to have
the best climate on Bali.

Gamang

Pass

Buitan

Pasir

Pura Mendira

Gili Biaha

Putih

Dalem Candidasa

9am-5pm) is one of the
finest temples in eastern Bali - it's a miniature
version of Pura Besakih (p216). It is terraced
up the hillside, with a flight of steps leading to
the beautifully decorated entrance. The first
courtyard has a huge banyan tree with a kulkul
(hollow tree-trunk warning drum) entwined
in its branches. The Chinese porcelain plates
were set into the walls as decoration, but most
of the originals have been damaged or lost.
The inner courtyard has an 11-roof meru
(multi-roofed shrine), and there are other
shrines with thrones for the Hindu trinity -
Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. The carvings are
particularly intricate.
There's a counter opposite the temple en-
trance where you pay your admission. Sarong
and/or sash rental costs 2000Rp (see Avoiding
Offence, p42).

h

Teluk Amuk Gili Mimpang

Semarapura

Tihingan

(Klungkung)

Sidan Padangbai Gili Tepekong

Gianyar

Pura Goa

Peteluan Dawan

Bingin

Lawah

Banda

Kamasan

To Ubud

Tulikup

Gelgel

(10km);
Denpasar

Kusamba

To Lombok

(70km)

(28km) Siyut

Pura Batu Kolok

Lebih

Pura Klotek Beach

Selat
Lombok

Tegal Pantai

Pura

Basar Beach

Segara

Beach

Pura

Masceti

Saba Beach

To Nusa

Penida (17km)

fabrics, and a compact centre with some good
food.

ally allowed inside, if you report to the guard
inside, you may be given a quick look around,
or you can see some of it through the gates.

Sights
I t dates from 1771, but Puri Gianyar (Jl Ngu-
rah Rai) was destroyed in a conflict with the
neighbouring kingdom of Klungkung in the
mid-1880s and rebuilt. Under threat from its
aggressive neighbours, the Gianyar kingdom
requested Dutch protection. A 1900 agree-
ment let the ruling family retain its status and
its palace, though it lost all political power.
The puri (palace) was damaged in the 1917
earthquake, but restored soon after and ap-

Eating
People come to Gianyar to sample the market
food, like babi guling (spit-roast pig stuffed
with chilli, turmeric, garlic and ginger -
delicious) for which the town is noted. The de-
scriptively named Gianyar Babi Guleng (meals 5000-
8000Rp;

PURA DALEM PENUNGGEKAN
The exterior wall of this fascinating 'temple
of the dead' features vivid relief carvings of
wrong-doers getting their just desserts in

7am-4pm) is favoured by locals among
many competitors. (There are lots of cops
and bemo (small minibus) drivers here - they

h