Bali's Most Illustrious
Kingdom
The town of Klungkung centers around the Puri Smarapura or "Palace
of the God of Love" former home of Bali's most illustrious
line of kings. Unfortunately, all that remains now are the great
gate and garden, and two pavilions with magnificently painted
ceilings. These are the Kerta Gosa Hall of justice overlooking
the town's main intersection, and the larger Bale Kambang or Floating
Pavilion just behind it.
The rest of this splendid complex was razed to the ground in 1908,
during the royal mass suicide or puputan ("ending")
against the Dutch invaders. This event removed the last obstacle
to Dutch domination of the island. A monument commemorating the
puputan now stands across the road.
The Kerta Gosa was a place for the administration of traditional
justice in precolonial times by a council consisting of the great
king and his priests. The paintings on the ceiling tell of the
punishments awaiting evildoers in hell, and of the delights of
the gods in heaven. Different levels and station in heaven and
hell are described through the story of the hero Bima, who journeys
to the underworld to save the souls of his parent. These scenes
were used to alternately threaten and cajole anyone who appeared
before the court.
Like the Sistine Chapel, the Kerta Gosa presents a whole complex
of ideas on the workings of fate and the role of the divine in
human affairs. The ceilings themselves have been repainted three
times in recent memory. The last complete refurbishment occured,
in 1960 under the famous artist Pan Seken although in 1984, weather
damage cause a number of panels to be repaired.
The Bale Kambang in back is actually rather new, having been added
to the complex only in the 1940s. The ceiling was originally painted
by Wayan Kayun in 1942, depicts episodes from the story of the
Buddhist king Sutasoma, who defeated his enemies through passive
resistance. Also portrayed is the story of the commoner pan Brayut
- a coarse man who received great spiritual blessings.
Palaces and priestly estates
Members of the royal family who survived the massacre of 1908
were exiled to Lombok. They returned in 1929 and settled in a
new palace, the Puri Agung to the west of the old site on the
other side of the street. Chief, among them is Dalem Pamayun,
eldest son of the former king, who has become a priest. To the
north of the main crossroads, on the right hand side, is a set
of beautiful and important royal temples, with an ancestral shrine
dedicated to the great king of Gelgel, Palem Seganing. Just next
to it is the Pura Taman Sari or Flower Garden Temple, consisting
of a peaceful garden and moat around a main pagoda. In the 19th
century, a famous warrior queen of Klungkung meditated and wrote
poetry here.
There are many priestly estates in Klungkung with long histories
connected with the royal house. The best-known is Griya Pidada
Mungkung, once home to the chief priests of the court. Another
residence with long historical associations is the former palace
of Lebah, to the east of the city just before the Unda River,
now the Ramayana Palace Hotel. Just to the west is the Banjar
Pande, the blacksmiths' ward of Klungkung, and the long-established
Muslim quarter. |
