Jembrana, Bull Racing Center

Pan Ranjing, a Fantastic Artist

Tourists travelling in Jembrana for a week, especially those loving landscapes and architecture will enjoy admiring Balinese temples and Balinese family shrines in the villages. Many shrines are adorned with paintings on glass depicting the Hindu epic; Ramayana and Bharatayudha. Many paintings can be seen on the ceilings of pavillions both in the temple and the public hall. The family shrine at the palace of Negara for instance is decorated with glass paintings. The other theme for such a painting is the Saraswati, the goddess of science and literature. Jembrana is very lucky in this case, because glass paintings are rare nowadays in both Bali and the rest of the archipelago. It is very important to note that a lot of these paintings are by Pan Ranjing, a senior artist living and working in his home studio in Dauhwaru village, Negara. He has been painting on glass since the 1970 s under his mentor, Pan Teler, who is from the same village.

Pan Ranjing is a very popular man. He always rides his beloved old bicycle around the town, even to the far villages of Gilimanuk and Pengeragoan. Pan Ranjing often stops for a while in the town square, town park and in front of the temple during temple festivals or to the unique event of buffalo races. One day, his collector said the painting bought ten years ago is still all right. On hearing such a comment, Pan Ranjing smiled in front of Jagatnatha temple. His art As part of Bali, Jembrana in west Bali also follows the local traditions and religious ceremonies. Those traveling by land from East Java to Bali via Gilimanuk will witness the Tumpek Landep ceremony held in Jembrana. All bikes, motorbikes and cars are decorated with Balinese young coconut leaves and colorful material. It will be interesting to watch all the decorated cars on all the roads for one day during Tumpek Landep. For those who love to watch ceremonies, please visit the Balinese in their own compounds, especially the family priest in the village of Batuagung, on the north east corner of Negara, the Capital town of Jembrana from morning until late in the evening.
At Tumpek Landep, tourists can also visit Puseh temple, on the west part of Negara to watch the temple festival. A day before the temple festival, there is a procession held in Pura Taman. There is also Balinese music and dancing to accompany the traditional events. (Lanus Sumatra)