Bali Anjani BLOG: Denpasar

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Taman Budaya Ardha Chandra Art Center Denpasar

Bali Art Center or known as Taman Budaya Ardha Chandra is located at Kecamatan Kesiman, municipality of Denpasar. More precisely is at the southern end of the Nusa Indah street of East Denpasar city.

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ardha chandra taman budaya art center denpasar

Three accesses can be taken to reach the area; one is from Sanur taking Jalan Hang Tuah from where bigger cars can enter, or from the crossroad of Jalan Gianyar and Gatot Subroto which is preferable to go with traffic flows already in line as in Indonesia including Bali the line is on the left. Third access is from west Denpasar city which are available many roads, but all are difficult due to the dense traffic, only smaller cars such as taxi or minivan are suggested to access art center from the west.

Geographically today Ardha Chandra looks lay in the center of Denpasar city, due to the extension of the east Denpasar further east, up to the border with Kabupaten Gianyar, a distance of more than 5 km east and with the opening of beach road to the east Bali the extension of the city is even further east along the road. Before 2000 the Kecak dance was presented at one of the corner of Ardha Chandra, and due to the difficulty for bigger bus then organizer of the dance moved the stage to the new place just on the right side of main road from Sanur to Kesiman.

Taman Budaya architecturally is a complex of buildings with the main mark of a big open stage. Designed by a traditional Balinese architect Ida Bagus Pugur, opened for public in 1973.

Besides the traditional open stage there are many buildings and hall constructed in Balinese architecture with finest decoration. These buildings are consisting of two types, one type is for permanent exhibition and others are for seasonal exhibition, especially during Bali Art Festival of June every year. Two buildings with the finest Bali architecture are for permanent exhibition where one can see various art of Bali from dance facilities or figures, carvings, clothing arts, paintings, and others.

In the North is located the Gedung Kriya Uccaihsrawa building where the fine arts exhibition are held. Balinese and foreign artists exhibit there.

To The West of Gedung Kriya lies the two story Dewi Ratih Building, which is used during the Bali Art Festival for an architectural exhibition on the first floor and a photography exhibition on the second floor.

But the largest structure (7200 m2) by far is the giant crescent shaped Ardha Candra Amphitheater. A magnificent Candi Kurung's gates, through which the dancers enter the stage, make up the background of the performances. The atmosphere is particularly impressive during the full moon or under the light of the projectors. This theatre, completed in 1977, can hold up to 600 people. Underneath the stage, facing North, West and ticketing offices and handicraft exhibition rooms for the various regencies of the island.

To the west of Ardha Candra Amphitheater is the Ksirarnawa closed theatre, which occupies a 5850 square meter surface on two floors. The theatre can contain up to 800 people, which is located on the second floor. The first one is occupied by the offices of the Art Center, a cafeteria, and several is also used for various handicraft exhibitions, the turnover of which is increasing from year to year, and they play a large role in the increase in non oil exports. Visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

During Bali Art Festival the whole buildings are filed with exhibition of all type of products, not only art products but also history, books, daily needs, creative products, governments departments with their duties and others. A real bustling situation during one month of the feast. The activities at the open stage even more lively, as scheduled life shows present their representatives from traditional dance or drama or pantomime from Bali, other Indonesian provinces and foreign participants. Loyal foreign participants so far such as India, Thailand, USA, France, Australia, Japan, and Korea. New country such as Vietnam and Cambodia have also actively participating.

The most interesting moment is during the opening of the art festival, which is always started from Puputan City square with procession of dances, music, decorations, marshal art and others, finishing at Renon city square where invited high officials and foreign officials are waiting in a temporary set up Bali traditional pavilions with thatched roof.

Along the way the procession which consist of various artists show their actions or dance catch up by many TV stations or journalists. The procession usually started at 9 pm and finishes 12 noon marking the start of a month long art festival. The livelihood of the situation can be seen both at the exhibition and at the open stage starting from the night of the opening ceremony with the procession.

Every evening or night has been scheduled the turn of each representative to present their show which is normally has been confirmed long before the event. During the day the open stage also not always rest, but sometimes the school or universities will fill with many activities such as life drum band, drama or any other art activities they can present.

Beside normal show there are also kinds of competition among the same traditional music of Bali such as Gong, and the winner will be given the appreciation. It is a pity that Dinas Kebudayan Provinsi Bali is still not yet develops despite the fact of the modern technology that already freely available in Bali with cheap price.

This situation making the information about Bali Art Festival is not yet widely known by the people. Although the people know that the art festival is organized regularly every year during June, but detailed information on the activity schedule is hard to find. It is probably lack of professional manager or staff that has made this big job never known by most of the visitors to Bali and even by tour organizers.

More info :

Source:
http://balianjanivacation.blogspot.com/2011/08/taman-budaya-ardha-chandra-art-center.html

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Bajra Sandhi Monument

The Monument of Balinese Struggle

In 1981, Fr. Ida Bagus Gede Yadnya, IAI won an architecture competition held by the provincial goverment. The competition was to award the winner with the project of building a monument to the memory of Balinese Struggle.

Ida Bagus Mantra, the former Governor of Bali, was the man who initiated the monument project, and the monument was to be built for the memory of the hard work and heroic struggle of the Balinese before and after independence.

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Somehow the building process of the monument was also a kind of a struggle. With the process started in 1981 but stuck for several years!

The Bajra Sandhi monument is located in Niti Mandala, Renon, Denpasar, an area where most of the government offices are located. It stands majestically in the middle of a green field that is usually used by the public for sports such as jogging, soccer and basket ball during early morning or evening sessions and is always full of people doing activities on Sunday mornings.

The architecture of the monument is very unique, taking the shape of Bajra or Genta, a bell that used by Hindhu Priests during religious ceremonies. It is also a symbol of the bond between males and females that creates prosperity according to the epic that tells the story of the Gods’ struggle to get the Water of Eternity.

Every statue and each carving in the monument compound has its own meaning. The whole of the monument symbolizes Mount Mandara where, according to the epic Mahabarath, the Gods had a battle with giants fighting for the Water of Eternity. The architecture also symbolises nationalism with 17 main gates, 8 pillars and the monument reaching a height of 45 meter, to reflect 17 August 1945 the independence day of the country.

Entering the monument, from the drop off point you have to climb the stairs that bring you to a garden then there are more stairs to climb to get inside where there is a round pond with fish in it. Then there is another stair to get to the main hall where you can see a range of dioramas telling the story of Balinese life from the Stone Age till the independence era.

The monument has a chamber on the top where the only access is the stairs in the middle of the pond. From the chamber, you can see the 360° green grass of the field, rooftops of houses & buildings around dominating the scene. The unique design of the monument attracts many visitors every day, and art exhibitions such as photo or painting competition are taking place quiet often in the exhibition room.

There’s an even nicer view from outside the diorama hall, where you can enjoy the scenery while savoring the breeze.

More Info :

Source:
http://balianjanivacation.blogspot.com/2011/08/bajra-sandhi-monument.html

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Pasar Kumbasari the Traditional Market

On Jalan Gajah Mada, Denpasar there are Badung and Kumbasari Markets. Both these markets have become significant for Denpasar dwellers, as they are categorized into a complete market. Diverse goods are on sale here, ranging from daily needs, fabrics, food up to ceremonial ingredients for Hindu's. There are also inexpensive handicraft products that are on offer at Kumbasari Market. But, be sure to enter the right market as Kumbasari Market is adjacent to Badung Market; they are just separated by the river. Kumbasari Market is located on the west side and Badung on the other.

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Formerly, Kumbasari Market was named Pasar Priuk, which especially sold kucit (suckling pig). In 1977, this market was restructured with four-floors with each floor selling different goods.

On the first floor, merchants sell various daily needs, like fruits (southern street side), meat (at southern market stalls) and assorted perishable cakes, and bakery (northern). If entering the market stalls, just under the building, visitors will find many shops that sell diverse ingredients for Hindu ceremony like that for ngaben (cremation), melaspas (inaugural rites) and miscellaneous temple ornaments.

On the southern side, merchants sell many daily needs such as rice, vegetables and kitchen spices. Merchants on the second floor nearly all sell fabrics, school uniforms, various daily garments ranging for kids up to adults. There is also a shop that sells costumes for Balinese dance.

On the third and fourth floors is sold varied handicraft products made by Bali's craftsmen. They are wooden statues of many figures, bags, kites, slipper, ashtrays, embroidery and so forth.

Shops at Kumbasari Market open at 07.00-17.00, but some may offer their goods until late night depending on the number of visitors. Special for merchants of vegetables, fruit, young coconut leafs and some others are sold from open cars, thronging the parking lot from night until dawn.

Kumbasari Market is not only visited by the local people of Bali, but also by domestic and foreign visitors. They usually look for art articles, or just browse the market which has become a daily activity for the Balinese.

Wayan, a merchant, told us that in 1982 goods that were best favored by tourists consisted of bags, fabrics, kites, slippers and some souvenirs with new motives. While, the art products that are made of wood like statues and masks are nearly unsold. I Putu Gede a stall employee told us that he occasionally feels ashamed of his boss. Why? "Because we are paid by our boss. Then, if we cannot sell something where does he get money from to pay us?" he asked while adding that he was paid Rp 300,000 a month. This sluggish condition is also experienced by other merchants locate in the market stalls.

They also sigh since they hardly ever get any buyers. "They do not even get buyers, at times, let alone visitors who come to market stalls. Anyway, I am incessantly charged a royalty fee every day," said Ni Ketut Sutini, a merchant of Hindu ceremonial ingredients at a market stall. On the contrary, the merchants of cake, fruit and meat sell their goods every day. "Even though it is not so busy, we thank God that we can sell some of our goods," said Ni Made Wati, a meat merchant.

More info :

Source: http://balianjanivacation.blogspot.com/2011/08/pasar-kumbasari-traditional-market.html

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