THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 243

and being boiled in a vat. The entry fee is quite high so you may simply want to admire the
external carvings, which are also impressive.

RANGDA, QUEEN OF THE WITCHES
Sporting a mane of unkempt hair, tusk-like teeth, a tongue that hangs to her knees and
enormous, pendulous breasts, Rangda , Queen of the Witches, is a terrifying spectacle
wherever you encounter her. And she is everywhere: on stage in religious dance-dramas,
as a larger-than-life statue at temples, in paintings and on textiles. To the Balinese, she rep-
resents evil, death and destruction.
It's possible that Rangda is based on a real woman, Mahendratta , a Javanese princess
who married the Balinese prince Udayana and bore him a son, Erlangga, in 991 AD. Ac-
cording to legend, Udayana later banished Mahendratta for practising witchcraft. When
Udayana died, Mahendratta, now a rangda (widow), used her powers to call a plague upon
her son's kingdom. Erlangga duly dispatched a troop of soldiers to kill her, but they failed,
despite stabbing her in the heart. In desperation, Erlangga asked for assistance from the
holy man Empu Bharadah, who used Rangda's book of magic to both restore her victims
to life and to destroy the witch by turning her own magic on herself. Both Mahendratta and
Empu Bharadah are thought to be associated with Bali's Mother Temple, Besakih .
The Rangda story is widely enacted across Bali, most commonly during the Barong and
Calonarang dramas . She always speaks in the ancient Kawi language, spiced with plenty
of grunts and cackles. Even in performances the figure of Rangda is believed to have re-
markable powers, and prayers precede each show to protect the actors from the evil forces
they are invoking.

Taman Nusa Cultural Park
Jl Taman Bali, Banjarangka • Daily 8.30am-5pm • $25 ($50 on completion), lunch $10-15 extra • 0361
952952, taman-nusa.com • Located along a minor road leading to Bangli, Taman Nusa is signposted off the
Gianyar-Semarapura road, and 12km west of Goa Lawah temple along the coastal road.
East Bali's newest attraction, Taman Nusa Cultural Park , is an impressive open-air mu-
seum with more than sixty traditional houses from across Indonesia overlooking a pictur-
esque gorge. Most buildings are reconstructions, but a handful of them are originals, such
as the Muslim-influenced Minangkabau house or the Nias house with its earthquake-proof
beams. Tours by enthusiastic guides are included in the price, and there are a few music and
dance shows, plus a museum displaying crafts.
Bali Safari and Marine Park
1.5km east of Pura Masceti, 7km southeast of Gianyar and 15km east of Sanur, just off the coastal highway,
Jl Bypass Prof Dr Ida Bagus Mantra • Daily 9am-5pm • From $49 including shuttle bus from Kuta/Sanur •
0361 751300,

balisafarimarinepark.com