Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
on the right-hand wall are immensely complex and still widely used to determine events from
temple festivals to when to start building a new house.
Music and dance
is tackled in the
Gedung Tabanan
, a replica of a Tabanan regency palace.
Exhibits include masks, shadow puppets and costumes, including Barong costumes like the
shaggy
Barong Ket
, a cross between a lion, a pantomime horse and a Chinese dragon that
symbolizes the forces of good.
Pura Agung Jagatnata
Jl Mayor Visnu • Daily dawn-dusk • Entry by donation includes sarong and sash
Just over the north wall of the Bali Museum, the modern state temple of
Pura Agung Jagat-
nata
is set in a garden of pomegranate, hibiscus and frangipani trees. Founded in 1953, it is
dedicated to the supreme god, Sanghyang Widi Wasa, who is here worshipped in his role as
“Lord of the World”, or Jagatnata.
Carvings
of lotus flowers and frogs adorn the tiny stone bridge that spans the moat around
the temple's central gallery (access at festival times only) and scenes from the Hindu epics
the Ramayana and Mahabharata decorate the gallery's outer wall. The temple's focal point is
the looming five-tiered
padmasana
tower in the inner courtyard, balanced on a huge cosmic
turtle. Built from blocks of white coral, the tower is carved with demons' heads and the bot-
tom level displays the face and hands of Bhoma, the son of the earth, whose job is to repel
evil spirits from the temple. The lotus throne at its summit is left empty for Sanghyang Widi
Wasa to fill when descending to earth at festival times - the god is represented in a gold re-
lief embossed on the back. In the southeast corner of the outer compound stands the
kulkul
tower, its split wooden bell still used to summon locals to festivals, meetings and temple-
cleaning duties.
Twice a month, on the full moon and new (or dark) moon,
festivals
are held here and
way-
ang kulit
shows are sometimes performed, from around 9pm to 11pm; ask at the nearby tour-
ist office for details.
Taman Werdi Budaya Arts Centre
Jl Nusa Indah • Mon-Thurs 8am-3pm, Fri-Sun 8am-1pm • Reached via a 15min walk from the Kereneng bemo
terminal, or direct on a Sanur-bound bemo
Marooned in the suburbs of east Denpasar, the
Taman Werdi Budaya Arts Centre
was de-
signed in 1973 by one of Indonesia's most renowned architects, Ida Bagus Tugur. It consists
of a number of performance spaces and is the location of the spectacular annual
Arts Festiv-
al
(usually between mid-June and mid-July;
baliartsfestival.com
), with a spectacular array
of special exhibitions, competitions and shows.
That aside, the reason to visit is a small
museum
(same hours; free) on the history of
Balinese arts - a good taster if you don't have time for the Neka Art Museum in Ubud. On
show is an overview of Balinese
painting
, including the classical
wayang
style plus works
