Tirtagangga Karangasem

In the east of Bali area, was indeed save a million beauty that seemed endless for the dig and then sold as a tourist attraction.The beauty of water palace at Tirta Gangga example, It  has completed the postcard on Bali since the 70s. 80's many inns are popping up around the park which covers 5 acres. Visitors, especially among foreign tourists feel the park was like falling from the sky or they describe it as a piece of beauty that is directly descended from heaven. And do not just tourists who admire Tirta Gangga, every weekend never deserted parking lot of the visit, foreign and domestic tourists also residents of surrounding areas. They perform a ceremony called "melukat" from various ponds in the garden. Karangasem King who came to power about 3 centuries ago to build this park is said without a draft. Just set a few places, dig it of course with the commander, then in 35 years complete with water park with protruding from the source which is then accommodated in the crystal clear pool.

Since its original style garden park of the past in the Netherlands showed that charisma is not playing. The magic still felt to this day, no one dared to wash their feet and wash my face in place of the kings of ancient times often bathe. There are dozens of goldfish for the thighs of adults milling about in the pool, said it was a direct fish stocked by the king of Karangasem in his time.People only dare to bathe in the pool even further in the downstream direction which is reserved for the commoners. Other awesomeness under a beautiful pond fountain stream terraces until now believed that there are inhabiting it, because when in the wake of the king gave him a kind of spell spell called pasupatining urip kalantas.
Even when Mount Agung erupted 63 years, this park is not the least damage when located right at the eastern foot of the mountain," said Ketut Tantri, 65 years, residents around Tirta Gangga. To reach this area we have to drive along 80 km east of Denpasar. Located at the foot of the mountain Lempuyang foggy all day. Until Tirta Gangga throughout the day, especially so early dawn mist overlooks tipi's which welled from all directions. Tourists and local visitors usually melukat custom shower all day even until midnight. The atmosphere became preoccupied because every moment that echoes the preoccupation stakeholders mentra and rang the bell will sound to the corner of the park. The foreign visitors who visit are usually those who are already bored with the atmosphere of Kuta and Sanur are modern, they need to come to just enjoy the beauty of the eastern part of Bali that remains. Some budget hotel can be obtained at a price only Rp. 150.000/night (about $ US 18) and the location immediately adjacent the wall of the famous park. The owner admitted, guests visit never to make room in its place until full.

Visit the beautiful place it is declining because the trend among tourists these days is,  Amed area which is only 6 km from Tirta Gangga. The beach is not too far frome here with beautiful scenery. Not only the beach, underwater life also very beautiful and you must do snorkeling or diving in Amed. Besides the natural atmosphere is attached to the area also joined in support, there are many tall trees such as durian and manggirthe left even though he was already more than a half century are still productive even bear fruit until now.

Bajra Sandhi Monument Bali

Bajra Sandhi Monument is a Balinese Struggle Monument to pay homage to the heroes and the preservation of life is a symbol of seedbed Balinese people's struggle from generation to generation and from age to age. Location of the monument is located in front of the Office of the Governor of Bali Province are also on the front of the Parliament Building Niti Mandala Renon Bali Province in the field exactly Puputan Renon. 

Bajra Sandhi Monument in Denpasar bali

Building the monument on Main Mandala arranged into 3 floors:

1. Main Utamaning third floor of the Mandala is positioned at the top serves as a space tranquility, quiet, quiet place to enjoy the atmosphere of the distance around the monument. The visitors can see panoramic Denpasar from this place. When the weather is sunny so the scenery Denpasar clearly visible. To reach this place must go through a fairly high melingkat stairs. 

2. Main Madyaning Mandala is a second floor serves as a diorama which amounts to 33 units. Floor 2 (two) as a miniature display of Balinese people's struggle from time to time. Dioramanya similar to those in the Monas, Jakarta. But it is here only shows the struggle of the people of Bali. Start the royal era, the influx of Hindu Majapahit, colonialism, wars of independence, until today. 

3. Main Nistaning Mandala Monument Building is ground floor, which contained information space, keperpustakaan rooms, exhibition halls, meeting rooms, administration rooms, buildings and toilets. In the midst of the room there is a lake that is named as Puser Tasik, eight poles and also the great staircase rose-shaped tread virgin.

Domain Hosting Internet..

Bali Museum, Denpasar

Denpasar has several museums, including the Bali Museum. Bali Museum is located at Jl Letkol Wisnu, Denpasar. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. except Monday. Having some areas and the building is very typical bali.

Kori Agung at Bali Museum

Former Dutch colonial era bomb in Bali Museum

The court in Bali Museum in view of the bale stage

There are gedung (pavilions) on the site represnting the different regencies in Bali. These are built in the style of that particular regency. Among the highlights at the Bali Museum are:

•A carved stone main entrance.

•A ceremonial kori agung (stone capped gate) which is made from bricks (no cement) and volcanic stone reliefs.

•The elegant carved, gilded, palace doors, are from the 19th century. Stone sculptures from the 16th and 19th Centuries, line the veranda of the main pavilion. Ritual masks, musical instruments and puppets from the 19th century are on display. in the pavillion at the far left side of the museum.

•Bronze cannons from the 17th century, that were originally made for a prince, complete with a dragon’s head.

•The bale structure inside the left side of museum is decorated with stone motifs.

•The pavillion to the right side of the museum contains a collection of prasati (bronze age plaques) that sing the praises of a 10th century king.

•When you enter through the main entrance you will see to your left a multi-towered kulkul (bell tower with slit log drum).

•In the center pavillion are textiles made in the Bali Aga villages, including the geringsing, double ikat from Tenganan.

Bali Museum Collection

Bali Keris Collection at Museum of Bali

Aneka Topeng Bali Museum Collection

Balinese Gamelan Privileges

Balinese gamelan has elements that no privilege on other kinds of music in various countries around the world. That way, the Balinese gamelan able to attract the attention of people overseas to memelajarinya.

"The specialty is concerned systems 'developers isep' (tunings) and 'kotekan' (variation)," said Manika Santi Studios Chairman Denpasar I Wayan Sinti MA Balinese gamelan teaching experience in a number of arts colleges in the United States in Denpasar Thursday.

I

a say, thanks to the special elements of Balinese gamelan percussion and dance makes Bali rapid development in several countries around the world.

It is indirectly a positive impact on imaging Indonesia, especially Bali internationally. "Studios that teach the art of percussion and dance performance developed in Japan, the United States, Canada and some other countries," said Wayan Sinti who won the trust as a lecturer at the University Balinese Gamelan Taronto Canada.

Similarly, most of the 58 foreign students were studying percussion and dance performance at the Faculty of Performing Arts Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) Denpasar, constantly strengthen its ability to more local artists.

"Dozens of foreign students were at least twice a week to learn percussion and dance performance on campus," said I Wayan Sinti. With two sets of gamelan and Manika Santi Siwanada can teach foreign students to memainkam various types of Balinese gamelan instruments.

Both devices of his own gamelan, each with eleven types of instruments capable of multiple functions to melakoni least 30 types of gamelan in Bali.

With both types of gamelan is designed to facilitate foreign students studying various types of Balinese gamelan, said Wayan Sinti, a graduate alumnus of San Diego State University, California, United States.

Bali Art (Culture)

Everybody in Bali seems to be an artist. Coolies and, princes, priests and peasants, men and women alike, can dance, play musical instruments, paint, or carve in wood and stone. It was often surprising to discover that an otherwise poor and dilapidated village harbored an elaborate temple, a great orchestra, or a group’ of actors of repute.

One of the most famous orchestras in Bali is to be found in the, remote mountain village of Selat, and the finest dancers of legong were in Saba, an unimportant little village bidden. among the rice fields.

Villages such as Mas, Baiuan, Gelgel, are made up of families of painters, sculptors, and actors, and Sanur produces, besides priests and witcb-doctors, fine story-tellers and dancers.

Goa Gajah Cave Ubud, Bali

Gajah Cave (Goa Gajah) locate in Gianyar Bali, literally means ‘Elephant Cave”. Although named by ‘elephant’ it doesn’t mean there is any real elephant live or ever live here. The name Goa Gajah derived from ‘Lawa Gajah’, which is mentioned in the manuscripts that found in this site. This temple complex was built for the first time around 11 century based on epigraph found in this site.

A seven-meters deep cave with a shape of T-letter is the major attraction of this Bedulu village’s local temple. The cave it self is carved in a solid stone hill of the river valley. The main figure of the carving at the cave entrance is ‘boma’, a barong face, accompanied with big clapping fingers on its side. Leaf, flower, and some horror figures can be noticed if we give more attention look to the rest of the carving. Some holes that are considered to be used as meditation or sleeping quarters can be found in the wall of the cave. Nowadays, those holes are used to place offerings whenever there is ceremonies taking place. On the left end side of the cave is Ganesha statue, believe it as ‘the God of knowledge’. Meanwhile on the right end side can be found three ‘linggas’, that each of them dedicated to the three common God manifestations in Bali, Brahma, Wisnu, and Siwa. There are other three stone carvings in the centre wall, one of them figuring head and face.

Three other statues of Ganesha, demons and Men Brayut, a legendary lady with her beloved children, are placed on a high building located on the left side of cave entrance. It is considered that these statues are 1000 years old. In the middle of the complex, in front of the cave, there is bathing place that is not any longer used by the local people. The angle figures within the bathing complex are about similar to common figures found in India. On the south part of the complex, there are along flight of step leads down the lower part of the valley. After crossing a bridge above a small creek and follow another flight of steps up to eastern side of the valley, a headless sitting Buddha statue can be seen. This is the evident of a close relationship between the two religions.

Balinese Ceremony and Ritual

It is said there is never a day in Bali without a ceremony of some kind and if you include all the life cycle rites (baby ceremonies, puberty rites, weddings, cremations,Temple festivals), then this adage is probably true. There are definitely certain times that are “ceremony-heavy” such as the full moons in April and October and the high holy days of Galungan (see below for more info). Balinese religion (called Agama Hindu Dharma) consist of three primary elements: Hinduism based on what is practiced in India but differing substantially from those traditions, animism (where every living thing has a soul) and ancestor worship (the Balinese deify their ancestors after a proscribed process of cleansing has been done).

Temple festivals are held on the anniversary of when the temple in question was consecrated. This could be an annual event, held on a new or full moon or more likely every 210 days, based on the wuku system, a complex calculation of overlapping days of confluence, some being more “powerful” than others (think of Friday the 13th).

An Odalan or temple ceremony usually lasts for three days, but larger ones (which occur every 5, 10, 30 or 100 years) can last for 11 days or longer. The gist of what is happening here is that the Balinese are honoring the deities that rule over the temple by giving them a myriad of offerings, performances of vocal music, dance and gamelan music. They invite them down from their abode on Mount Agung to partake in the activities.

The temple is dressed up in colorful golden clothes, the images of the deities are taken to the local holy spring to be bathed and dressed in their best, shrines are cleaned, performances are rehearsed, committees are formed and then the big day arrives. Usually people take their offerings to the temple in the late afternoon, after the heat of the day has gone, and everyone's work and school obligations are over.

The offerings, consisting of fruits, rice cakes and flowers, are brought in on women's heads and placed at strategic points around the temple. These are blessed with holy water by the temple Pemangku or priest. The pilgrims then pray, are blessed with and drink holy water and then take the offerings home to share with their families. The gods have taken the sari or essence of the offerings, leaving the “leftovers” for the humans to consume. In the evenings, there could be spectacular performances of music and dance by local groups.

Since every village has at least three major temples (and often many more than that), there is always some kind of community religious activity going on. Aside from the village temple festivals, every household compound's family temple (mrajan/sanggah) also has its ceremony every 210 days.

Aside from the Odalan, there are a dozen or so life and death cycle rites that are performed throughout a child's life:

1. Gedong-gedongan : this is done in the 8th month (Gregorian calendar/7th month Balinese calendar) of pregnancy to ask blessings for an easy birth. The pregnant woman and her husband wade into the river, where eels and small fish are placed face down on her protruding belly to show the baby the right way out!
2. Birth: Only the husband and the midwife/doctor are allowed to hold the placenta or after birth. This is washed and then buried on the right (if the baby is a boy) side of the northern pavilion or left (if a girl). With it are buried a comb, a dance fan, a pen, a book—whatever the family wishes the child will grow up to enjoy.The parents are not allowed to go into the kitchen for three days.
3. Three Days after birth: the parents undergo a simple cleansing ritual so they can go into the kitchen
4. Rorasin: 12 days after the birth the umbilical cord has usually fallen off. This is placed in a special shrine dedicated to Kumara, the Guardian of Babies.
5. 42-day ceremony: Once a baby has reached this age, a rather large ritual is performed for her/him. This is to ensure that her/his development will continue unhindered. One of the things done at this time is that a baby chick and baby duck are brought in to peck off/dust off cooked rice that is on the baby's third eye. This is to show the child how to use her hands and feet as well as her mouth to gather food, as the animals do. She is placed under a cockfighting basket where she grabs items that have previously been placed into a clay pot. It is said that whatever she grabs is her vocation.
6. Three month ceremony: This is also quite a grand ceremony that all the relatives and neighbors are invited to. This marks the first time a child touches the ground for the first time (he is carried everywhere previously). In some villages, this is when the child is “replaced” by a dressed up eggplant or cucumber. The priest sings the praises of the the eggplant so that spirits of chaos that might be lurking around will follow the eggplant when it's thrown out the front door, while the real baby stays protected.
7. Odalan or six months (210 days) ceremony. This is the baby's birthday and will be celebrated ritually every 6 months. But no birthday cakes here!
8. Three odalans is traditionally when the child has her or his hair cut off and head shaved to represent purity.
9. Menek kelih or puberty. Not all castes perform this ceremony. It happens when the girl gets her period and the boy's voice cracks. They are paraded around the village announcing to all that they are now adults (and in the olden days, ready to marry)
10. Tooth filing: In their late teens, Balinese get the top middle teeth filed; this symbolizes the filing away of greed, anger, lust, drunkenness, envy and confusion.
11. Wedding: the ultimate fusion of male and female
12. Death: within death, there are a number of rites. The first is the ritual cleansing of the corpse by the family and the banjar (neighborhood), then comes the burial or the cremation (if the family can afford to cremate right away, they will choose that option) and then the post-crematory purification rites where the soul becomes a deity that shall be worshipped in the family temple. (WWW.BALISPIRIT.COM)

Nyepi….Happy New Year in Bali

The new year in Bali is celebrated with 24 hours of total silence. It is like a miracle on this hustling, bustling Island. But it actually happens. The Balinese day does not start at midnight as in the west. It starts at sunrise and ends 24 hours later, again at sunrise. So at 6 a.m. on Nyepi morning, wherever you are is where you stay for the next 24 hour period. The streets are totally empty, all businesses are closed, and a great silence envelops the island. Hotel guests must stay on their hotel grounds and may not venture out. The ‘pecalang‘, (I have always referred to them as the ‘temple police’ because one of their main jobs is to direct traffic during temple ceremonies, cremations and other busy religious activities) are the only people on the roads and their job during the day is to insure that no one else is out.

As impossible as it sounds, the airport is closed! Only medical evacuations are allowed or, heaven forbid, an emergency landing. Scheduled incoming or outgoing flights are 100% cancelled.

During this quiet day, the truly devout fast and meditate. Lighting fires is not allowed which means that traditional kitchens in compound that normally burn firewood to cook cannot be used. Expats with sensor lights at their homes place tape over the sensors in preparation for the night.

Because Bali wants to take good care of its visiting foreign guests staying with us in hotels, special dispensation is given to hotel staff. They must arrive at their place of work before 6:00 a.m. and also stay on the grounds for 24 hours, but staff is allowed to provide service to guests including making sure they are well fed! Guests may continue to use all of the hotel facilities….after all, just the lack of electricity that night will be enough of a cultural shock for visitors. But everyone is asked to chat quietly and to observe this quiet day with respect.

As evening falls, darkness takes on a whole new meaning! With no electricity ANYWHERE, many visitors are surprised at how deep a darkness can be experienced. Accompanied by total silence (except for the occasional barking of dogs…they never get the message) it is awesome. Hotel guests sip a last cup of coffee or tea and watch the oncoming night. In compounds, families lull their children to sleep and then soon join them for a night of much needed rest. The temple police patrol the streets, rebuking the occasional person who dares to have lights and making sure the villages and streets are dark, empty…and safe.

And then it is morning again! At 6:00 a.m. the island returns to its usual activity, the lights go on, the kitchen fires are lit, workers head for their jobs. But the calmness of the previous 24 hours still is felt. We speak more quietly, we are calm and we are happy to know that Nyepi will come again in a year.

In contrast, the day before Nyepi is one of extraordinary activity! And it is far noisier than any normal day. Villages have been preparing huge papier mache demons, ranging from scary to terrifying in appearance. Firecrackers are heard in the distance. And the Balinese are visiting their family and village temples for prayer. For me, I started the day with prayers at my house temple, then to the crossroads of Ubud for prayer with the entire village of Ubud, next to Pura Desa in Ubud, on to the family temple at Saraswati, then to Pura Desa at Peliatan. Hurrying back to my house to shower and change it was then prayer at my village Pura Desa Temple, a procession to Pura Dalem with all of the villages deities, including the mystical and powerful Barong and then on to the banjar for a last blessing. The entire village participated and at the close of this last ceremony we all returned to our homes for one last ritual. Making huge noises by banging on pots and pans, using a hollow switch to beat the ground, hitting the bamboo kul-kul, we circled the property yelling at the top of our lungs. A lighted torch led the way and finally everyone ended up at the driveway where the torch was allowed to burn out accompanied by the hollow switch and many offerings that had been placed there earlier. Our house was ready for Nyepi.

In Ubud, a huge parade of Ogoh Ogoh, those scary papeir mache demons, started about an hour before nightfall. Each village had done their best to make their Ogoh Ogoh the scariest of all. And each was a spectacular piece of hand made creativity, splendid in size, spectacular in color and totally demonic in appearance. Each of the Ogoh Ogoh needed many strong men to carry it into the village and then to the Ubud crossroads where the Ogoh Ogoh were made to dip and sway and go about in circles. Because one of the demons was so huge, the power lines had to be raised, resulting in a brief electrical outage for the entire area! It was a precursor to the darkness that would be experienced during the Nyepi 24 hour period. At the close of the parade, the Ogah Ogah were taken to a central and safe location and set afire. All those weeks of work, up in flames! And then everyone scurried home.

So why all the noise and activity preceding Nyepi? A central tenet of the Balinese Hindu religion is that of balance. Good is balanced with not-so-good. All cannot be good without some bad as counterbalance. After all, without some bad, everything would be perfect! Impossible! Consequently, just as there are good and helpful deities, there are also many not-so-good spirits lurking about and wanting to make mischief. So at our homes we make all that noise and burn torches to frighten the bad spirits away. The Ogoh Ogoh are intended to do the same…and they are indeed frightful! And finally, Nyepi is quiet and dark so that bad spirits passing through Bali at this time of year and looking for places to make trouble, will believe the Island is deserted and simply move on.

To maintain the balance, the Balinese revere the deities who protect them and the Island and respectfully acknowledge the existence of the bad spirits, albeit by trying to frighten them away…and then we all quietly settle down for 24 hours until they have moved on.

And Nyepi provides that special quiet time when each of us can introspectively examine ourselves, ask forgiveness for past bad behavior, think about how to be a better person in the coming year, and ask for guidance to find the ‘right way’.

Ubud

Ubud is located 35 km northeast of Bali's International Airport. It is attractive to tourists for a variety of reasons. On a relatively small island with a horde of attractions, Ubud is centrally located, and even the closest beach is only 15 minutes away.

Beautiful rice terraces in ubud area

The Ubud area is around two- to three hundred meters above sea level and surrounded by rice fields, which makes it noticeably cooler than then other tourist destinations in Bali. Neighbouring villages are well known for unique bamboo crafts and furniture, wood- and stone carving and many other crafts.

Ubud is famous for it's regularly nightly traditional dance performances, which are part of the traditional culture and are arranged for tourists on a regular schedule. Hindu-Balinese ceremonies take place on a nearly daily basis, especially in the European summer, which is the driest and coolest season here.

Monkey Forrest, Ubud

Ubud is popular in part today because it is the best place in Bali to break out of the tourist mode and get off the beaten path, although far from undiscovered. Hotels are plentiful; home stays and Indonesian guesthouses (losmen) are easily available to the foreign tourist. Many tourists simply base their entire stay in the city and travel to other destinations from Ubud.

Accommodations in Ubud are also somewhat more reasonably priced than in the beach towns of Bali. But atmosphere is perhaps the major attractions. One visitor summed it up this way: Kuta is madness, Sanur is sterile, and Nusa Dua is culturally isolated; Ubud is the place to go.

Ubud center of Bali, Ubud rice terraces, Ubud Museum, Antonio Blanco museum, Four Seasons Sayan Ubud, Bukit Tjampuhan, Pengosekan Penestanan Peliatan Kedewatan Singakerta, Ubud Palace and art Market, Maya Ubud, Uma Ubud, Lodtunduh Mas Ubud

Denpasar Art Shop and Local Souvenirs

Fine paintings, had carved wooden statues and screens, silver work, handwoven and painted cottons and silks, batiks, embroidered and other garments for casual wear, leash. and cotton bags, bone carvings, shell ornaments, masks, pottery, ceramics, basketry, sandstone statues, bamboo furniture are available.

Denpasar Art Shop and Local Souvenirs

Wayans Art Shop Raya Celuk Street Phone: (0361) 298012 Versace Art Legian Street 133 C Phone: (0361) 761065 Maroon Gift Shop Dewi Sartika Street 69 Phone: (0361) 751565 Legong Art Shop WR Supratman Street 14 Phone: (0361) 461547 Krisanti Gallery D Tamblingan Street 186 Phone: (0361) 288262 Keraton Bagus Handicraft & Furniture Danau Poso Street 89 Phone: (0361) 282669 Handayani House Of Art Gianyar Street Phone: (0361) 226662 Bali Shop Sahadewa Street 8-G Phone: (0361) 759919 Bali Island Art Legian Street 27 Phone: (0361) 761392 Bali Bunga Art Shop Tunjung Mekar Street 50-X Phone: (0361) 755448	Putri Bali Art Shop Kertanegara Peguyangan Street Phone: (0361) 421056 Pusat Antik By Pass Ngurah Rai Street 5 Phone: (0361) 701471 Puri Agung Meregepati Palace Raya Batubulan Street Phone: (0361) 298051 Pasar Seni Merthanadi Melasti Pasar Seni Street Phone: (0361) 761161 Mutiara Art Bali P Ambon Street 18 Phone: (0361) 249411 Mentari Karya Dewata Shop Raya Legian Kuta Street Phone: (0361) 767266 MC 2 Art Shop Arjuna Street 70 Phone: (0361) 732501 Craft Plus Art Shop Raya Ketewel Street Phone: (0361) 288343 Balibo Art Legian Street 295 Phone: (0361) 758424 Bali & Co Art Shop Melasti Street 18 Phone: (0361) 756249	Srimpi Collection Raya Kuta Street Phone: (0361) 750719 Sonia Art Shop Legian Street 204 Phone: (0361) 751519 Simon Gift Shop Pantai Kuta Street 42 A Phone: (0361) 765076 Seni Bali Art Shop Pratama Tanjung Benoa Nusa Dua Street 89 Phone: (0361) 773520 Sasak Art Raya Celuk Street Phone: (0361) 295124 Samarkanda Gallery Legian Street 363 Phone: (0361) 767362 Putu Art Shop Cemara Street 24 Phone: (0361) 285030 Emi Arts & Souvenirs Sultan Hasanuddin Street 53 Phone: (0361) 483215 Duyung Art shop Denpasar Street Phone: (0361) 281211 Dharma Semadi Art Shop Banjar Celuk Street Phone: (0361) 298031	Trigunt Art Shop Legian Kuta Street Phone: (0361) 767347 Tiquz Lamp Shade & Leather Handicraft Raya Kuta Street 115 Phone: (0361) 762658' Teko Art Shop Taman Mertanadi Street 17 E Phone: (0361) 739354 Swin Art Shop Danau Tamblingan Street 72 Phone: (0361) 289272 Sukaya Art Shop Banjar Celuk Street Phone: (0361) 298090 Sukaya Art Shop Banjar Celuk Street Phone: (0361) 298090 Sriwijaya Art Shop Tangkuban Perahu Street Phone: (0361) 734971 Grace Art Shop Legian Tengah Street 435 Phone: (0361) 750826 Ganni Art Shop Lebak Bene Street 6-X Phone: (0361) 750731 Ganesa Art Sriwijaya Street Phone: (0361) 764855

Bali People & Culture

In religion, the prehistoric influences, especially those of the megalithic periods were still quite strong. Beliefs at that time were focused on worship of the spirit of the ancestors which was symbolized in the form of temples which was called pyramid terraces or terraced buildings. Sometimes at the top of the building a menhir was placed, i.e. a monolith column as the symbol of their ancestor's spirit.

During the Hindu period, menhir could be seen in the construction of the temples which looked similar to the terraced pundan. Belief in the gods of the mountains, the sea etc, originated from the period before the arrival of Hinduism, was still reflected in the lives of people after the Hindu religion came in. At the beginning and during the period of King Sri Wijaya Mahadewi, the religion practiced is not mentioned. We know only the names of the priests who bore the name Siwa, such as Piwakangsita Siwa, biksu Siwanirmala and biksu Siwaprajna.

Besakih Temple, Karangasem, Bali

This temple was intentionally built in a holy village named Hulundang Basukih, which is known today as Besakih village. The name of Besakih was derived from the word "Basuki" or in some old manuscripts written as Basukir or Basukih. The word Basuki itself was taken from the word "Wasuki" on the Sunskrit, which means "salvation".
While in the mythology of Samudramanthana it is mentioned that Basuki was the name of a dragon that coiled around the Mandara Mountain.
The old remains say that the BesakihTemple was built by Rsi Markandya and his followers in the 11th century. At that time, Rsi Markandya intended to go to Mount Agung to build a residence. However, the construction was troubled by the spread of disease which caused the death of his followers. For the safety of his followers, he then constructed a veneration to worship God for a salvation. The veneration was called "Sanggar Basuki".

Location:
The location of Besakih Temple or Pura Agung Besakih is at Besakih village, Rendang district, on the south west of Mount Agung. It is about 44 kms from Amlapura and 62 kms from Denpasar.
Facility:
Some facilities are available in this area to support the tourism activities in Besakih, like food stalls, fruit stalls and art shops. There is also a quite large parking lot and local guides who will always be ready to give their best service.

Description:
Besakih Temple is one of tourist objects which has its own uniqueness compared with other places. It becomes famous because of complex of temple established here, also known as the Mother Temple in Bali. Besakih which offers religious atmosphere was built based on the four directions.

Taman Ujung Karangasem, Bali

History:

Ujung Water Palace, which by the local people is called as Taman Soekasada Ujung, was built in 1919. However, the launching of this complex of water palace was performed in 1912.

The water palace was constructed by the late King of Karangasem, I Gusti Bagus Jelantik, that reigned in Karangasem between 1909 and 1945.

Ujung Water Palace was majestically built to welcome and to serve important guests and Kings from neighboring countries, besides for the pleasure of the King and his royal family.

Location:

Taman Soekasada Ujung lies at Tumbu village, Karangasem district. It is approximately 85 km from Airport Denpasar and 5 km from Amlapura.

Facility:

Tourism activity in this area is supported by the available of food stalls, small restaurants and quite large parking area. Visitors who are interested in local crafts product can find some of them in art shops available here.

Description:

Taman Soekasada Ujung has been announced to be a cultural tourist object for it is noted as one of several cultural heritages exist in Karangasem regency.

The complex of this water palace is the combination of Balinese and European architectures. There are 3 big and large ponds inside the area. In the middle of the main pond, there is a building that connected to the edge of the pond by 2 bridges.

On the most tip of the highest level of this complex, we will find a great statue of "warak" (rhinoceros). Beneath the warak there is a Bull statue. From this high place we will see a marvellous view of sea, hills with lush and green forest, the beauty of Mount Agung combined with the green terraced rice fields.

The greatness of Ujung Water Palace had been destructed by the explotion of Mount Agung in 1963 which was made worst by the great shake happened in 1979. However, the recovery effort had been performed to bring back the glory of this complex of water palace by holding a reconstruction and revitalisation project on it. Although it is not as great as it was, the amaze of the past still can be seen here this moment.

UBUD

Ubud, the center of Balinese painting, Ubud's Museum "Puri Lukisan" has a permanent collection of modern works of Balinese art dating from the turn of the century.

Far from the madding crowds, Ubud has long been a quiet haven for the arts. Set amidst emerald green rice paddies and steep ravines in the stunning central Balinese foothills, some 25 km north of Denpasar, the village was originally an important source of medicinal herbs and plants. "Ubud" in fact derives from the Balinese word for medicine - ubad.

It was here that foreign artists such as Walter Spies settled during the 1920s and '30s, transforming the village into a flourishing center for the arts. Artists from all parts of Bali were invited to settle here by the local prince, Cokorda Gede Sukawati, and Ubud's palaces and temples are now adorned by the work of Bali's master artisans as a result. Unfortunately, the tourist boom has transformed Ubud into a bustling business center, complete with traffic jams and fast food outlets.

According to an 8th century legend, a Javanese priest named Rsi Markendya came to Bali from Java and meditated in Campuan (Sangam in Sanskrit) at the confluence of two streams - an auspicious site for Hindus. He founded the Gunung Lebah Temple here, on a narrow platform above the valley floor, where pilgrims seeking peace came to be healed from their worldly cares. You can get there by following a small road to the Tjetjak Inn on the western outskirts of Ubud, then taking the path down toward the river

In the past, other foreign painters inspired Balinese artists to adopt western techniques but traditional Balinese paintings are still made and sold another museum called NEKA MUSEUM has a wide collection of paintings both by Indonesian as well as foreign artists who used to live in Bali.

Today Ubud is a fast growing town with numerous art galleries and shops offering paintings, wood carvings, textiles, and all kinds of souvenirs. Don't miss the AGUNG RAI GALLERY in Peliatan, and the AGUNG RAI MUSEUM in Pengosekan to see the difference between creative art and more commercial products. Problem is that when you see their "Permanent Collections" at many "Galleries" you've seen real art, and when you return to their show rooms you don't like any of the very commercial products any more.

The SENIWATI GALLERY - ART BY WOMEN, founded in 1991 by Mary Northmore (the very personable wife of famous painter Abdul Azis) to help Balinese women to be accepted as artists, is a place you should not miss whatever you do. The main purpose of this gallery is to expose the long understated brilliance of independent women artists resident in Bali, and to motivate, train, and encourage young Balinese girls with obvious creative gifts.

Visit also the BLUE MOON STUDIO and GALLERY, founded in 1994 with an emphasis on exhibiting contemporary artists.