A Village Haven for
the Arts
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.
Important 19th century court
In the late 19th century, Ubud became the seat of punggawa or
feudal lords owing their allegiance to the raja of Gianyar. All
were members of the satriya family of Sukawati and contributed
greatly to the village's fame for the performing and plastic arts.
The kingdom of Gianyar was established in the late 18th century
and later became the most powerful of the southern states of Bali.
And while elsewhere the Dutch conquest had such disastrous consequences
for the Balinese royal houses, in Gianyar for the most part the
raja and his subjects benefited from a Dutch administration that
brought improved road irrigation networks, health care and school
The period between 1908 and 1930 indeed, brought significant changes
to the area, and toward the end of the 1930s Ubud was prospering
as a budding tourist resort due to flowering of the arts here.
In the late 19th century a certain Cokorda Sukawati established
himself in Ubud and was instrumental in laying the foundations
for the village's fame. The area was at this time bereft of remarkable
cultural features. It was it, the interest of the Cokorda that
various artists and literati sought refuge here from other kingdoms.
Ubud slowly accumulated specialists and evolved into a cultural
center with resident artists and lontar experts.
A prime example is the case of the young I Gusti Nyoman Lempad
who, with his father, a noted literati, sought and found refuge
in Ubud from the king of Bedulu. In gratitude, the young apprentice
sculptor helped to decorate the main Puri Saren palace in Ubud
and carved statues and ornaments on the main temple (Pura Puseh)
of the noble family, north of the palace. He also carved the temple
of learning (Pura Saraswati). His work is still to be seen on
location and some of his statues can be admired in Ubud's museum.
At an advanced age he turned to pen and ink, working right up
until his death in 1978 at the age of 116.
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