Rich artistic traditions
Several villages located to the southwest of Tabanan Town are
especially rich in dance and art traditions. The village of Krambitan,
in particular, is noted for its tektekan performances. This is
in fact not a dance, but a procession of men with giant wooden
cow bells with huge clappers around their necks and bamboo split
drums. They traditionally marched around the village during an
epidemic or great drought to chase away the evil spirits and bring
fertility to the area.
There are two palaces here, belonging to a branch of the Tabanan
royal family. Since 1972, the Puri Anyar has been holding "Palace
Nights" for tourists, with a tektekan group from nearby Panarukan
and a performance of the dramatic calonarang trance play. One
can commission a private performance with dinner by candlelight
within the palace precincts, and both palaces are also renting
rooms to tourists.
In the nearby village of Tista, just one to the west of Krambitan,
special versions the of legong kraton dance, called leko or adat
are performed. This is a dramatized version of a classic tale
(the Ramayana or Malat) danced by three young girls - a condong
(female attendant) and the two legong (processes). They change
roles during the performance, but wear the same costumes. The
Tista group was founded in 1989 under the guidance of two old
dancers from the, 1920s
Two km south of Krambitan, the village of Panarukan has many good
sculptors both brahmans and jaba (sudras) working in wood as well
as in soft volcanic paras stone. The village is also known for
its tektekan, for the painter Ajin Ida Putu Cegeg from Griya Gede,
who was a pioneer in the use modern elements in his works.
Several kms beyond Panarukan, the road ends at a broad, black
sand beach by the village of Klatingdukuh. This long, deserted
strip of paradise is slated for tourist development within the
coming years on account of its fine sand, pounding surf and stunning
views down the coast in either direction.
|
