 BANGLI
REGENCY
The regency of Bangli is characterized by its rugged volcanic
highlands with bubbling hot springs and lush paddy fields. The volcanic
mountains slope down to the sea near Tianyar and Tejakula while
the rice growing areas over look Klungkung and Gianyar. Numerous
villages are scattered across the landscape of rice terraces, lush
valleys and forests.
Travelers usually enter Bangli through Gianyar, via either Tampaksiring
or the main road branching east from Gianyar through paddy fields,
brick entrances along village streets, and pule and giant Banyan
tress towering above you. Bangli is the source of many of Bali's
rivers.
Pura Kehen
Founded in A..D. 1240, Bangli town is the sleepy administrative
center, with the usual Brahmin palaces and mansions which come alive
during festival days. the puri or palaces of the royal families
are the attention grabbers.
The most prominent is the Puri Denpasar, the palace of the last
raja of Bali who died decades ago. A pavilion of the palace has
been transformed into a small hotel.
The most famous landmark of Bangli is the Pura Kehen, perhaps the
most beautiful temple in the whole of Bali. As the state temple
of the old Bangli kingdom, Pura Kehen occupies the site of an earlier
temple which dates back to the 9th century. There are eight terraces
built into the forested slope of a hill. The first five terraces
are the outer courtyards ; the sixth, the lower middle court ; the
seventh, the upper middle court, and the eighth, the inner jeroan.
A flight of 38 stairs leads to the meru-shaped between rows of
wayang statues. Overlooking the gate is the threatening head of
Kala, guardian of the netherworld. There is a magnificent shrine
with eleven roofs dedicated to the god of fire, the resident temple
god.
Penglipuran, two kilometers from Pura Kehen, is a small village
restored by the local government to represent a "typical"
Balinese village. From Bangli east wards it's a beautiful drive
towards Karangasem and the Besakih "mother temple" via
a seemingly unending succession of hills, valleys and rice terraces.
Take the main road northwards to Kintamani and the volcanic scenery
of Batur awaits the tourist - the most spectacular panorama on the
island.
Batur Crater Area
Bangli's mountainous region centers around the spectacular volcanic
crater ( or caldera ) of Batur, which last erupted in 1994. mount
Batur itself is actually just a small volcano, but its setting is
in the heart of a huge crater 14 km in diameter. Adjacent to the
volcano is the large crescent-shaped Batur lake, all surrounded
by the high walls of the crater rim. The important Pura Ulun Danu
Batur pays homage to the life-giving quality of the lake, which
is considered a sacred water catchments.
As the road rises steadily from Bangli or Tampaksiring, nothing
in the surrounding grey landscape of bushes and garden plots suggests
the presence of a volcano. But over one more small ridge a dizzying
view awaits the eyes, encompassing the crater and beyond. from Penelokan,
the main road runs right round the rim towards Kintamani, the panorama
shifting as you circle around the crater.
The sheer size of the crater conjures up images of the massive
eruption of the original Mount Batur that occurred tens of thousand
years ago. the volcano is still active today as Balinese all over
the island who still remember the great eruption of 1917 will testify.
It claimed thousands of lives and destroyed hundreds of temples.
Old people might tell you this was "the year when the world
shook". Other eruptions have taken place since, forcing the
local population to be relocated, along with several of their temples
- including one of the main Bali temples, Pura Ulun Danau. Initially
inside the huge crater, this temple has been relocated to the top
of the ridge overlooking it. Here it now offers an impressive view
of Mount Batur.
For a complete panoramic view, you can drive half the circumference
of the crater along its upper rim. The highest point is Bukit Penulisan.
Here, one of the most ancient of Bali's temples contains the remains
of carvings from the earliest Buddhist period. From Penulisan the
road continues towards Buleleng and Kubutambahan.
One very interesting excursion in Batur is the climb down the inside
of the crater from Penelokan to Kedisan. You can then drive around
the smaller Mount Batur, trough Songan. From Toya Bungkah, boats
cross the lake to a Bali Aga village called Trunyan. This place
is notorious for its mortuary traditions. Instead of cremating the
dead, as Balinese do throughout most of the island, the Trunyan
community leaves the bodies to decompose naturally in a special
cemetery.
There are also hot springs and lodgings in Toya Bungkah. From Songan
there is a beautiful trek to Tianyar to the north coast of the island.
The adventurous traveler may even wish to climb Mount Batur itself. |
