Denpasar City
Denpasar City is a capital of Bali Province since 1960 up to now where previously it was a capital of Badung Empire that controlling the south part region of Bali Island from the end of 18 century until conquered by Dutch in 1906. Denpasar City is a place for Bali Governor’s office therewith all offices from private sectors until important government offices like telecommunications, post office, bank, airline and hospital. It is also as a center of Bali’s economic, business and culture development where the majority of business are centered in this city. Meanwhile the culture can be seen from the places of interest existing in this city those have been appointed as tourist destinations. The local government has launched the Denpasar City Tour to discover the places of interest, cultures and daily local social life from the various urban who are living here.
Denpasar History
Colonial era
In the 18th and 19th century, Denpasar functioned as the capital of the Hindu Majapahit Kingdom of Badung. Thus, the city was formerly called Badung. The royal palace was looted and razed during the Dutch intervention in 1906. A statue in Taman Puputan (Denpasar's central square) commemorates the 1906 Puputan, in which as many as a thousand Balinese, including the King and his court, committed mass suicide in front of invading Dutch troops, rather than surrender to them.
Independence era
In 1958 Denpasar became the seat of government for the Province of Bali. It remained the administrative centre of both Badung Regency and the City of Denpasar. Both Denpasar and Badung Regency have experienced rapid physical, economic, social and cultural growth. Denpasar has become not only the seat of government, but also the centre of commerce, education, industry, and tourism.
Average population growth of 4.05% per annum, accompanied by rapid development, led to a variety of urban problems. It was resolved that meeting the needs and demands of the burgeoning urban community would best be addressed by giving Denpasar administrative independence from Badung Regency. Agreement was reached to raise the status of Denpasar to that of an autonomous City, and on 15 January 1992, Act No. 1 of 1992 officially established the City of Denpasar. It was inaugurated by the Minister of Home Affairs on 27 February 1992. On 16 November 2009, in a further administrative realignment, Regulation Number 67 shifted the capital of Badung Regency from Denpasar to Mangupura.
Denpasar City Philosophy
The word of Denpasar is mean in north of market. It is a fast growing town especially since the tourism industry growth around 1960. Denpasar is populated by 561.814 people. Gajah Mada Street is main road in this town as the shopping centre and the edge of this street, exactly in the middle of crossroad had been built a statue which is called Catur Muka Statue. Caur Muka Statue is a statue owning four faces by observing four directions from north, south, east and west. This statue is made on 1972 and it’s building to commemorate the Badung War on 20 September 1906 which is well known as Puputan Badung.
Places of Interest at Bali Capital City
The courtyard which is located in the south east of Catur Muka Statue is named Puputan Badung Field where the Badung King with its people had battled until him dead against the Dutch colonist. In north side of Puputan Badung is standing up the office which is called Jaya Sabha that is an official office for Bali’s Governor accepts the important guest for having dinner while enjoying the Balinese Culture Show. In eastside of Puputan Badung, it had been built a Hindu temple on 1968 that is called Jagatnatha Temple. This Temple is a public temple to worship Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa / God. Especially each full moon, The Hindu people in Denpasar come to this place in particular at the evening time.
In south side of this temple, there is Bali Museum built on 1931 by architect of Curt Grundler. Its architecture is a combination between temple and empire palace. This Museum contains the artistic object collection or artifact from prehistoric era until modern-day. Another place is becoming tourist destination is Puri Pamecutan/Pamecutan Palace. There are lodgings for the tourist accommodations are available in this palace. This palace is rebuilt as according to its geniuses after broken by Dutch soldier on 1906 and in this palace is kept a set famous Gold Gamelan as empire heritage.
- Alun-Alun Puputan (Puputan Square), The huge four-faced, eight-armed Catur Mukha statue is situated here at the centre point of the city. Representing the Lord Brahma and it serves as a guardian of each cardinal point. The square is a key point of orientation for the whole city. If you get lost, find your way back here and all will be clear.
- Bali Museum, A much under-patronised place by visitors which offers an informative introduction to all things Balinese, both historical and modern-day. Originally opened in 1910, the building was brought down in the 1917 earthquake and languished until 1932 when resident German artist Walter Spies sparked a major revival. The grounds and architecture are quite charming, and the museum is housed in four separate pavilions. The main pavilion has a great collection including ancient stone, bronze and wooden artifact. The southern pavilion houses many textiles, the northern pavilion concentrates on the history of Balinese performance art, and the central pavilion is devoted to Balinese Hinduism and ritual. If this place was in Kuta or Nusa Dua it would be swamped with tourists.
- Lapangan Puputan Margarana (Puputan Park), This rather grandiose park is home to the huge Bajra Sandhi monument (literally Balinese Peoples Struggle). The design of the grey stone monument symbolises the date of Indonesian independence, August 17th 1945. There are eight entrances, 17 corners and the height is precisely 45 metres. The monument is most significant though for its commemoration of the various puputans (suicidal fight to the death) of the Balinese in the struggle against the Dutch in the early 20th century. At the northern edge of the park you will find the governor's office and other government buildings.
- Palace of Satria and the Royal Temples, The palace and temple of the royal family of Denpasar which is beautifully kept and admirably, open to all residents of Denpasar for worship. Some wonderfully ornate carvings here, even by Balinese standards. Donation.
- Pura Agung Jagatnata (Jagatnata Temple), A state temple which was built in 1953. Dedicated to the supreme being Sanghyang Widi Wasa, this temple is open to all worshipers without any restriction as it is a government building and not a village temple. There are large ceremonies here twice a month at full moon and dark moon. Ask at the tourist office for a detailed schedule.
- Pura Maospahit (Maospahit Temple), An ancient temple with a long and glorious history thought to originate in the 14th century. This is a temple typical of the peak of the Majapahit period being constructed largely from red brick. Sadly, much of it was destroyed in the early 20th century earthquake but there are some original remnants including the guardian statues in the inner courtyard. This is a charming temple and one which is seldom patronised by tourists. Every chance you will have it to yourself.
- Sidik Jari Museum, A small, private fine art museum established and owned by I Gusti Ngurah Gede Pemecutan and which exhibits his own work as well as that of other artists. Also has facilities for public dance and other performances.
- Taman Wedhi Budaya Cultural Centre, A museum that covers the history and essence of Balinese art. The classical schools are well represented by both paintings and sculpture and there is a large section featuring contemporary Balinese art. Gamelan orchestra performances are also held here.
- Taman Budaya (Bali Art Center). Taman Budaya or Bali Art Center is the culture building complex with the best style of Balinese traditional architecture. It is featuring the good lay-out building of amphitheater to be a place/hall of show performance purpose. It is symbolizing the twiddling of Mandara Giri mount in the milk ocean and spattering the Amerta holy water for the life of endless as according to nature of dynamic culture and stayed alive during the human being still dwell the earth planet. This amphitheater can accommodate up to 6.000 audiences for the show of colossal both for modern and also traditional. This Taman Budaya (Cultural Park) is opened in the year 1973 with the Bali Artistry Party (Pesta Kesenian Bali) within one month. On that month, there are full of entertainment amusement traditional dance, exhibition, and other cultural activities. At the opening ceremony enlivened by artistic parade started from Puputan Park and finish at the Art Center. Its distance is about 2 Km and this parade is followed by entire regencies and towns in Bali by delivering their artistry mission. This event is often followed by other provinces in Indonesia as well as from outside country like Japan, Korea, Europe, America etc. In this culture parade is presented in so many forms those are from the sacral until contemporary traditional. There are also type of marry and custom clothes from each area, instrument of music or gamelan, forms Sesajen (offering) and others
Festivals
Pesta Kesenian Bali (Bali Art Festival). The Bali Arts Festival is a full month of daily performances, handicraft exhibitions and other related cultural and commercial activities during which literally the whole of Bali comes to the city to present its offerings of dance, music and beauty. On display are trances from remote mountain slopes, forgotten or recently revived village dances, food and offering contests, classical palace dances, stars of Balinese stage, odd musical performances, "kreasi baru" (new creations) from the dance schools of Denpasar, as well as contemporary choreography and dance companies from other islands and from abroad.
It is a month long revelry that perhaps no other place in the world can put up on such a low budget as the Balinese. Not only is their traditional culture alive and well, but they have a tremendous pride in it.
It begins in the villages, where the seka or cultural groups are selected and organized at the regency level, vie with each other to perform the Arts Festival and thus display in front of a large audience the uniqueness of their village of birth and resting place of their ancestors.
The Bali Arts Festival is the Denpasar cultural event of the year, perhaps it would no be too far fetched to suggest that it is the cultural event of Indonesia. The festival is thus a unique opportunity to see local village culture both "live" and at first hand. Tourists are warmly welcomed.
When tourism took off after 1965, the Balinese insisted that it followed cultural guidelines: if tourism was to be accepted, it was to be a cultural tourism, or "pariwisata budaya".
As the Balinese put it: "Tourism should be for Bali instead of Bali for tourism." In time, this idea become national policy, as part of a larger retvping of regional cultures for national purposes. The policy owes much to the former Director General of Culture (1968-1978) and Governor of Bali (1978-1988), Ida Bagus Mantra, an Indian-educated Balinese. It led, on the one side, to the creation of enclave resorts such as Nusa Dua to limit the direct impact of tourism, and on the other, to a long haul cultural policy aimed at nurturing and preserving the traditional agrarian culture while adapting it to the demands of modernity, and in particular of "cultural tourism".
At the village level, local music groups, dances and other cultural events were inventoried, then supported by a series of contests at the district and regency level. The ensuing competition energized the cultural life of villages, whose "young blood" was already being drained to the city by the process of economic change and urbanization.
Schools of dance and art were created, in particular the Kokar conservatory and the STSI School of Dance and Music. Beside research, these schools replaced the traditional master/disciple relationship by modern methods of teaching; standardized the dance movements, produced new types of Balinese dances for tourism and modern village entertainment. Most important, it enabled former students to return to the villages as teachers, where they diffused, beside the creed of cultural resilience and renewal, new dances and standardized versions of old ones.
Many of the performances are held at the amphitheater which can hold up to 6,000 spectators, in a temple-like stage.
Each year, the Bali Arts Festival, beside the fed classical dances of the island, such as the legong, gambuh, kecak, barong, baris, mask dances and the like, is based on the theme around which new "dance choreography" is produced and old village dances and activities revived. Over the years, the whole range of classical Balinese stories - Ramayana, Mahabharata, Sutasoma, Panji - have thus been turned into "colossal" Sendratari Ballets.
The main challenge to the Arts Festival is obviously economic in nature. As village life is increasingly feeling the strains of monetary considerations, dancers, musicians and others cannot be expected to continue participating simply for the sake and the pleasure of it. As costs soar, new sources of financing have to be found. The obvious answer is the private sector and in particular the tourism industry. The greater task then is to convince the hotels, travel agencies and tourist guides to be more participatory in the Arts Festival rather than to their own sponsored events.
Considering the pride the Balinese have in their culture, and the adaptability and dynamism they have always demonstrated, this little hurdle can be overcome. Trust the Balinese. They will eventually succeed to transform their tradition into a modern, Balinese culture of their own.
References: Wikitravel