巴厘迷人乌布Bali49FascinatingUbud

FascinatingUbud/Presentation/michaelasanda-1891758-bali49-ubud/492Ubudhasbeena"royaltown"foroverahundredyears.Itsprinces,whobearthetitle"Tjokorda"or"Agung"stillliveintraditionalpalaces,called"Puris".Beaware,however,thateveryplacecalled"puri"isnotaroyalpalace.Thewordhasbeenusedquiteliberallyoflate.AlsobeawarethatthereisnotonepalaceinUbud,butmany,mostofthemclusteredaroundthemaincross-roadsneartheBudmarket.Thereareseveralother"royal"townsintheBudarea,too,withtheirownpalaces,mostofwhichhaveclosefamilytiestotheBudTjokordas.AwebofconnectionsismaintainedbyincidentalandarrangedmarriagesamongtherespectiveoffspringofprincesinSayan,Pejeng,Singapadu,Peliatan,andPayangan'spuris3PuriSarenAgungPartoftheUbudroyalfamily'shistoricpalacePuriSarenAgungPartoftheUbudroyalfamily'shistoricpalacePuriSarenAgung(RoyalPalace)wasthepalaceofthekingsofUbuduntilthe1940s,andsomeroyaldescendantslivetheretothisday.Partsofthecomplexareofflimitstothepublic,butentrytotherestisfree,andthisisUbud'sbestsettingfordanceperformances7AlthoughtheoldBalinesefeudalsystemwassupersededbytheDutchcolonialgovernmentmorethateightyyearsago,theTjokordasstillretainaspecialroleinUbudsocietyManyleadershiproles,bothsacredandsecularareheldbyTjokordas.Theyalsofigureprominentlyinthelocalbusinesscommunity,professionalcircles,artsinstitutionsUbudPalaceWallWhilenoformalpowerisautomaticallygrantedtosomeonebecausetheycomefromapuri,theUbudroyalsstillcommandrespectsolelyonthebasisoftheirheredityTheyalsocommandrespectfromsomequartersonthebasisoftheirratherdisproportionatewealthInpre-colonialBali,palacesweretheprimarypatronsofart,music,danceandliterature.TheUbudpalacesconsciouslycontinuethistraditionTheyactasrepositoriesoftraditionalculture,anddevelopartisticendeavorsthroughoutthearea,muchtothebenefitofbothUbudiansandvisitorsTheTjokordasarenolongerthephysicalembodimentofTheState,theyarejustprivatecitizens,withthesameconcernsasotherprivatecitizens,plusafewmore.Accordingly,theUbudpalacesareessentiallyjustfamilyhomes,andnonehaveyetbeenturnedintomuseumsofpublictouristattractions.Whilesomeofthemarefineexamplesoftraditionalarchitecture,noneare"historical"intermsofage.Infact,mostareprettynew.TheoldestUbudpalacewaslocatedalittletotheeastofPuraDalemUbud,abovethemainroad.Itcollapsedinanearthquakeearlythiscentury,andnothingremainsbutaflatplacewithtracesoffoundationhereandthereUbudJalanRayaTheroyalpalacedatesfrom1890'sInBali,theGamelaninstrumentsareallkepttogetherinabalé,alargeopenspacewitharoofoverthetopofitandseveralopensidesPuriSarenAgungisthecentralpalacewherethepublicdanceperformancesareheld.ThelocalroyalpalaceofBali'sculturalcapitalcontainsseveralpavilionshousingornatemusicalinstruments.DanceperformancesareheldheremosteveningsforafeegamelaninstrumentsgamelaninstrumentsgamelaninstrumentsPuriSarenAgungwasthehomeofthelast"king"ofUbud,andnowhisdescendantslivethere.Itisessentiallythe"fatherpalace"oftheotherUbudpalaces,whicharemoreorlessits"spinoffs,"builtasthefamilyextendedPuriSarenAgungwasalsoUbud'sfirsthotel,openingitsdoorstopayingvisitorsinthe1930s.Stilloperatedasasmallhomestaystylehotel.Partsofthegardensandsomeofthebalesarequitegrandandformal,withgenerouslashingofprada(goldleaf)appliedtothecarvedwoodworkThedanceperformaceheldinoutsidecourtyardofUbudPalacewithbackgroundhugeclosedgateBalé,alargeopenspaceforgamelaninstrumentsUbudWaterPalace(PuraTamanSaraswati)withlilypondinforegroundSaraswati,thegoddessofknowledge,arts,musicandculture,ispatrondeitytotheartistictownofUbud,andherbeautifultemple,thePuraTamanSaraswatior"WaterPalace“overlookstheserenelotuspondsDivineMotherTempleUbudUbudDesaPakramanUbudGunungKawiTomb&TemplePuraSamuanTiga-Bedulu-nearUbudPreparationsforatemplefestPuraSamuanTiga-Bedulu-nearUbudPreparationsforatemplefestBaliflagsorUmbulUmbulsareritualflagsfromBalithatrepresentwelcomeandcelebration.TheseflagscanbeseeninBalinesetemples,gardens,houses,restaurants,andalongthetropicalbeachesofBali.Theyarebecomingincreasinglypopularascolorfuladditionstobeachweddings,balconies,verandasandgardensallovertheworldForauspiciousoccasionsandholyHinduceremonies,thehinduspeoplesdecoratethetemplecompoundswithcolourfulumbrellas.IntheBalinesedialecttheseumbrellasareknownas‘tedung’,whichliterallymeans‘toguard’.TheumbrellasareusedinceremonialparadesandpositionedaroundthecompoundsinalignmenttovariousshrinesthatareorientatedtowardsthesacredmountainofGunungAgungPuraSamuanTigatemple,preparationbeforeceremonyThecolouroftheumbrellanormallyreflectsthetypeofceremonythatistakingplace.PureshadesofwhiteandyellowsymbolizededicationtotheHindureligionandthedifferentmanifestationsofGodThepreciseoriginofhowtheBalinesecametouseumbrellasisnotcertain.However,localacademicsbelievethattheconceptwasintroducedduringtheMajapahiteraaroundthe13thCenturywhenaChineseprincessvisitedJavaonamerchantshipShebroughtwithheratraditionalumbrellatoprotectherdelicateskinfromthetropicalsun.TheChineseumbrellawasthenadaptedandusedtoadornshrineswithinthemightyHindukingdom.WhenthenobleclasseventuallysettledontheislandofBali,theyalsobroughttheirart,cultureliteratureaswellasreligionUbudisnotedasoneofthemoretraditionaltownsintermsofmaintainingthetenetsandmanifoldobservancesofAgamaHinduBaliEverywhereyoulook,everysingleday,youwillseeceremony,ritualandsacredofferings.AllofthisiscarriedoutinUbudwithalevelofdevoutattentionandmeticulouscarethatisrarelyexceededelsewhereThisappliesequallytotheyounggenerationasitdoestotheirparentsandgrandparentsUbudtempledetailOneofthebiggestandmostspectacularroyalandcollectivecremationceremonies