Puri Collection

Gianyar Bali : Rich in History and Artifacts

The district of Gianyar is the center of Balinese culture, rich in history and artifacts. Gianyar’s history is arguably the most fascinating in Bali.
The town of Gianyar itself is a small administration town, hone to one of the best preserved palaces on the island, but unfortunately closed to visitor.
Leaving Denpasar on the way to Ubud, the first village is Batubulan. Famous for its stone carvings, most of the stone sculptures you see around Bali will almost certainly come from Batubulan. These works are exhibited all along the main road. Batubulan also specializes in the Barong dance  which is performance daily here. The dance symbolizes the never-ending battle between good and bad.
Just after Batubulan, Celuk and nearby Singapadu are the exported worldwide.
After Celuk, the main road heads to Sukawati, famous for its art market (pasar seni). Set in a two-floor building, the market sells everything from statues to dance costumes, all at reasonable prices. At night when the art market is closed, a night market provides a good selection of Indonesian food. Sukawati village is also a centre for the manufacture of the wind chimes you find all over the island..
Further along the road towards Ubud is the village of Mas. Famous for woodcarving, Mas offers a myriad of wooden items. The road through it is solidly lined with craft shops and you are welcome to drop in and see the carves at work. The Tilem Nyana art shop exhibit the work of Ida Bagus Nyana, one of the grat carvers of the thirties.
After Mas, you enter the area of Ubud. Ubud is recognized as the cultural centre of Bali. It is where the image of Bali as a land of artists was created. A former principality, it has several palaces and Brahmin mansions, as well as beautiful houses built in the Gianyar architectural style. The modern Balinese art movement began here, when artists first began to abandon purely religious and court scenes of everyday life,. Ubud is home to many respected local western artists.
The cultural image of Ubud is paramount to the people as home to the best art museum in country. The Puri Lukisan, a Museum of Fine Arts established the 50’s displays art from thee and 50’s, as well as fine examples of modern Balinese art.
The Neka Museum has a diverse and interesting collection of mainly modern art. It also include an excellent and varied display of work by western artistr who have resided in Ubud through the years.
Ubud is in ideal place to see Balinese dance. Legong, Ramayana, Baris, Kecak, and the Fire Dance are pewrformed nightly in or around the Ubud area.
Ubud gives you the opportunity to see the real Bali. It is a place for leisurely strools through rice paddies,
Lush forests, breathtaking gorges, and deserted swimming holes, all within walking distance from the centre of Ubud. You must visit the Monkey Forest walk along Monkey Forest Road from Ubud down into a dense forest where you will find a buncxh of happy monkeys waiting for passing tourists. A word of warning: the monkeys are happy but just a little naughty, so hold on to your camers.
Ubud market has kept much of its traditional charm, with squatting Balinese sellers haggling loudly among spices and vegetables. The market also sells handicrafts, many made in the neighbouring villages of Pangosekan, Tegalalang, Payangan and Peliatan.
Gianyar has some of the most important archeological sites.
The majority are located in the Pejeng area,, 4km from Ubud. It is home to one of south East Asia’s oldest artifacts, a huge kettledrum known as the Moon of Kejeng a relic from the Bronze Age origating from Dongson, Vietnam, and a nearby archeological museum. The village also his ancient temples. The Pura sering Jagat and Pura Kebo Edan.
The road to Pejeng and Giabyar is the site of the Goa Gajah. The elephant cave is carved into the rock face and reached by a flight of steps. It probably dates back to the 9-12^th centuries and shows element of both Hindu and Buddhist use.