The festivals held at Pura Dasar
are spectacular, as all members of the royal family join in. It
is here that the deified ancestor are worshipped - inside are
a number stones set on a stone throne, archaic symbols of ancestral
worship. Nearby is the Gelgel Mosque, the oldest on Bali, which
was set up to serve the spiritual needs of Muslims came from Java
to serve the king in ancient times.
Further to the east of Gelgel is a large complex of graveyards
and temples, which are cited in the genealogies of many families
from all over Bali. Just north of this is a set of two unusual
shrines, the Pura Dalem Gandamayu, which was the dwelling of Pedanda
Nirartha - Bali's greatest priest and the ancestor of all Siwa
brahmans on the island. He established this as a branch of the
legendary graveyard of the same name on Java. One of the shrines
at Gandamayu is dedicated to the descendants of Nirartha, while
the other belongs to the pande or black smith clan.
The present temple of Gandamayu was restored in the 1970s after
being partially destroyed by the 1963 eruption of Mt Agung, which
devastated the whole area. The Paksabali is famous for its Dewa
Mapalu or Pasraman Dewa festival - the dramatic "clashing"
or "meeting of the gods." This is held during the annual
Kuningan festival, when idols are borne from the temple aboard
palanquins down a steep ravine to the Unda River to be ritually
bathed and given offerings. As the palanquin bearers proceed back
up to the temple gates, they are possessed by the gods they are
carrying and race madly in circles, colliding against each other
in an effort to get back into the temple compound.
The nearby village of Sampalan is the home of Bali's foremost
traditional architect, Mangku Putu Cedet, who is a builder of
fabulous cremation towers and traditional houses. He has traveled
all over the world exhibiting his skills, and is thoroughly steeped
in the arts of healing and white magic as well. When the royal
family of Klungkung holds major ceremonies, it is he who is asked
to perform a ritual to prevent it from raining.
An important village further to the east is Dawan, home of one
of Bali's most famous high priests, Pedanda Gede Keniten. He is
directly descended from the court priest of Gelgel and is in great
demand for major rituals. North of Dawan is the village of Besang,
famous for its main temple which has an ancient inscription under
a giant pagoda. The Dawan area, situated among small hills, is
another "hot spot" or center of natural and Mystical
power on Bali.
The main road meets the coast at the fishing village of Kusamba,
with its dramatic black sand beaches. For several decades the
late 18th century, the palace Klungkung was inhabited by a mad
king Dewa Agung Sakti, and Kusamba was the headquarters of his
son and rival.
Kusamba was at this time an important port; like Kamasan and Klungkung
it was a center for the blacksmith clan, whose skill in the manufacture
of weapons was of crucial importance to any ruler. In 1849, when
the Dutch conquered north and east Bali, Kusamba was the site
of a major battle in which a Dutch general was killed by order
of the "virgin queen," Dewa Agung Isteri Kanya.
Not far beyond Kusamba is the famous Goa Lawah bat cave temple,
one of the states temples of Klungkung. Legend has it that when
Mungkung was ruled from Kusamba prince of Mengwi sought protection
here and entered the bat cave. He was not seen again until he
emerged nearly 20 kms to the north, at Pura Besakih. No one has
since tried to enter the cave to prove whether it really extends
that far - the strong odor of bat droppings is no doubt a major
deterrent. |
