Tabanan, Rainbow over Ricefields

Fully Festive on
Sundays and Holidays

Dauh Pala Market, Tabanan, supplies various kinds of daily needs and Hindu’s ceremonial equipment, but mostly contains vegetable sellers. Only with basket and seat, these merchants site in a row at the market’s entrance gate to the inside, and start to yell “Vegetables…fresh vegetables madam”.

This traditional market is between Tabanan City – Pesiapan Terminal, just about 2 Km westward of Tabanan, consists of two locations which is an upper part and lower part. The upper part contains small kiosks with a small desk, and an umbrella as the roof. Besides vegetables, they also sell tempe (fermented soybean), tahu (tofu), salt and other kind of meats. Also, you can find the Balinese cake sellers, and cooked vegetables.
Whilst the down part consists of a big building called Los. The merchants sited for each building is according to their selling product, which is much easier for the buyer to look out for their needs. For example, the first building at the north is the seller’s site for coconuts, bananas, and other kind of fruits. The second building to the south especially sells rice, kinds of spices, and Hindu’s ceremonial equipment and tools, such as jejahitan (plaited offering made from coconut leaf) and a kind of pelinggih (shrine) ornaments.
The third building at the south is the meat corner, where you can find chicken meat, ducks meat, other of two-legged animals, and also pork meat and beef. Whilst at the west-side near the river, you will find the fish seller.
According to the chicken seller, Ni Made Suryasih (38), before the Bypass road of Denpasar – Gilimanuk (southward market) became open, merchants who are from the west area (Jembrana Regency) usually came to Dauh Pala Market. Since the Bypass road is well functioned, they decided to head for Denpasar, and caused the market to be in desolation. “This market was once lively, but now its only visited by people from the surrounding Tabanan Regency,” she said.
She said also, the market opens at 3 AM, starting from the on-car seller, they dismiss around 6 AM and are replaced by the retail seller. The visitor will slack around until 10 AM. “The seller always exist, which for those who own a permanent stall,” she asserted.
Mr. Nari, the market’s parking man said that this market will get busy on Sunday or other marked holidays. “It can seen from the vehicles that park in front of the market,” he said. (BTN/015)