No.044/VIII - January 2000
Bali Beyond 2000
Bali Tourism in the New Millenium
Millenium Surprises
Welcoming Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK)
Garuda Wisnu
The Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Take Off
A story of crucial supporting arts in Bali
A Region in Transition
Lombok in the New Milleium
Private Islands
The Legend of Three Islands
Prospectives
Predicting the Future
Flashback
Keep the Faith
Flashback
Evolving Dances
Postcard
Religious Duty
Book
Universal Balinese Artist
Food
21th Century Tradition and Inovation in Food
Environment Action
Protecting the Environment
Fiction
B a l i
Advertising index for Bali Echo web site
Want to have Bali Echo Magazine Hard
Copy ?
click here
|
 |
| The promotion and
protection of Balinese art and culture is evident at all levels, but the fascinating
palaces in Peliatan claim to have had a particularly crucial involvement in the support of
the arts. Susi Johnston visits with Peliatan's nobility, and
finds the enchantment of bygone eras still permeates the town...
One of those traditions - seemingly at odds with democracy - is the Hindu caste system, which designates certain lineages as Ksatria nobles, who are granted special privileges and accorded extra respect within Balinese society. Their homes are the palaces, called Puri or Jero, which grace town centres throughout the island, and are among the cultural sites which draw dollars to Bali. These palaces have no officially sanctioned place within the structure of a democratic society; nor do the special privileges and responsibilities of their noble inhabitants. Nonetheless, like the noble houses of Europe, these institutions - left over from a feudal past - still exist and even flourish. Are they an irrelevant anachronism, or an essential institution to maintain a peaceful and prosperous society? Are they merely potential tourist attractions, or the benevolent custodians of art and culture? What is their place within a modern society moving into a new millennium? The onus is on the Puri families to answer these questions themselves; to continuously define and redefine their role in society. We visited Puri Agung and Puri Kaleran in Peliatan, to learn something about the history, and the future of these palaces and their inhabitants. Entering the Dream KingdomThe character and charm of Peliatan is hidden beneath its superficial appearance. Indeed, it is not an attractive town when viewed from the road. Glancing out the car window at cluttered and busy Jalan Tjok Gde Rai, one is tempted to speed right past it, and head northwards on the "Handicrafts Highway" toward the high hills. But then one would miss Peliatan entirely. To find it you must go inside. Enter a gang or a gateway off the main street and Peliatan presents itself graciously yet unostentatiously to the curious visitor.One of the most auspicious and obvious gateways to enter is that of Puri Agung, the ruling palace of this royal burgh. The existence of this full-fledged Puri signifies that Peliatan is not a waypoint, but a destination in its own right; with a definite history, distinctive traditions and an independent claim to fame. It 's not a mere appendage of Ubud's clamorous urban sprawl. Nor is it a spinoff of that more notorious neighbor. The reverse is perhaps closer to the truth. Peliatan has for decades been an unrivaled locus of brilliance in dance and music, cultivated by the patronage of its royals. Its ruling palace, like Ubud's, houses a branch of the illustrious Sukawati dynasty; a branch that is in fact older and genealogically closer to the ancestral root than the Ubud branch (a fact that the Peliatan nobles never, ever fail to mention).The Sukawati clan has been famous for arts patronage since the early 18th Century, when a district palace was established by a descendant of the Gelgel dynasty in an area south of Ubud. The lord of this sub-domain vowed to create a dream kingdom, based on the ideal of Majapahit Java. His ambitions were more or less fulfilled, as he drew to his court the finest musicians, dancers, carvers and artisans, and built a splendid palace with lavish gardens. As the story goes, his cultural accomplishments were so great that upon witnessing them, people could not help but exclaim, "My heart's delight!" In Balinese: sukahatine. The word evolved into "Sukawati," which is now the name of this king's line of descendants, and of the town where he built his palace.We can thank that ambitious ruler for the creation of the Legong dance, and for energetically supporting the arts. The Peliatan palace families proudly declare that they are a continuing part of that tradition. Among them is Anak Agung Bagus Mandera, a renowned master of performing arts, and the head of the Puri Kaleran family. He relates his view of how Peliatan became such a prolific centre for performing arts. |
Bali, as a
province of Indonesia, is ostensibly a democratic society in which all people are equal,
and enjoy more or less the same privileges and responsibilities as their neighbors. Bali
is also the cultural showpiece of Indonesia, with traditions and historical sites that
have the power to attract droves of cash-carrying visitors to its shores each year.
[top] copyright © 1999 Bali Echo. All rights
Reserved |
