PURI AGUNG KARANGASEM

 

Puri Agung Karangasem is a reminder of Karangasem’s period as a kingdom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Only the Puri Agung Karangasem has been restored and is open to visitors, but you can wander around the other two. Outside Puri Agung Karangasem, there’s an impressive three tiered entry gate and beautiful sculptured panels.

 

After you pass through the entry courtyard a left turn takes you to the Bale London, so called because of the British royal crest on the furniture. The main building is known as Maskarman, after Amsterdam in the Netherlands, because it was the Karangasem kingdom’s acquiescence to Dutch rule that allowed it to hang on long after the demise of the other Balinese Kingdoms.

 

On the other side is the Bale Kambang that is surrounded by a pond. The ornately decorated Bale Pemandesan, in between Maskerdam and the pond, was used for royal tooth-filling and cremation ceremonies.

 

TAMAN UJUNG

 

Taman Ujung ( ujung water palace ) is composed mainly of water, garden and sculptures. It’s situated at the southern east of Amlapura city. This garden is known as “ palace on the water “ . It was built by the King of Karangasem called “ A.A Gde Djelantik “ in the year 1901. This garden was famous in the world because a lot of its photos are collected and publicized at Holland. This garden has been destroyed by the Agung’s eruption for several months, so that a lot of tourists were disappointed

 

Some government officers including a Dutch queen named Wilhelmina used to be received on this place by the King of Karangasem. Taman ujung was built in a fusion architecturally of Bali and Dutch. Ujung’s traditional open palace was accumulated on the green valley with backdrop of Bibis Mountain view, Lempuyang mountain in the north and Ujung beach in the south.

 

According to folklore that the Dirah pool was the first to be built and it was known as “ haunted place “ because at that time it was used by the King to examine a person having supernatural power or black magic power, if it was true, the power would lost in that pool. The project of this beautiful garden apparently had not finished yet in the era of A.A Djelantik, therefore it was continued by the next King “ A.A Bagus Djelantik in the year 1909. This garden was opened publicly as a recreational park and as a meditation place for the King.

 

Taman Ujung was destroyed by the explosion of mount Agung in the year 1963, and earthquake in 1976.

 

SERAYA

 

A small town on the coastal line on the east of Bali. It has a wonderful view as an Hawaiian Island.

 

AMED

 

A fishing village that offers you peaceful bays, calm and clear waters, stunning coastal views, attractive inland scenery. It has a beautiful black sandy beach that is ideal for those who are interested in sunbathing.

 

TIRTA GANGGA

 

Tirta gangga royal water gardens are composed mainly of water, gardens and sculptures. It is situated in the middle of rice fields around the natural springs of Raja, approximately 7 km. ( 5 miles ) north of Amlapura, the main town of east Bali, Indonesia.

 

Tirtagangga is a well known cultural object of Bali. It belongs to the royal family of Karangasem.

 

The area of the water gardens is about 1,2 ha, consisting of three levels of ground stretching from east to west. On the highest northern level there are the spring under the Banyan tree, the upper swimming pool and two decorative ponds, one of which contains four fountains reminiscent of Versailles. The first thing one sees when entering the garden is the elegant eleven-tiered fountain which rises from the middle of the complex. This fountain together with the two large ponds form the middle level. The larger lowest level, on the left side of the straight foot part running from the entrance to the west, is occupied by the big fish pond with a long Holy Water. The water from one of the natural springs of Tirtagangga has always been regarded as holy. It is used for religious ceremonies in the temples in the area until today. Tirta means blessed water, Gangga comes from Gangges, the holy river in India. The holy water is required for ceremonies of the temples in the surrounding as far as Tirtagangga can be reached by foot.

 

At certain celebration days the people from the villages around will come in colorful processions with offerings, umbrellas, flags and other attributes. Led by their temple priest they hold ceremonies around the spring under the sounds of hymns and the music of the Beleganjur.

 

The springs have a huge output of pure water. The water is first led to a reservoir where it is divided in two parts. On third provides drinking water for the town Amlapura. The remainder goes into the upper swimming pool through an underground pipe and through the mouth of stone raksasa ( demon ). The overflow of water goes into the lower swimming pool, the other ponds and finally to the rice fields.