Klungkung, Ancient Kingdoms

Çiwaratri Celebration Centralized at Jagatnatha Temple

Çiwaratri celebration in the Klungkung Regency is not far different from other regencies on the island. This holiday is believed to lead Hindu devotees to perform total introspection and quality of life enhancement, either physically or spiritually. In Klungkung, the temple most visited is Goa Lawah along with its beach opposite the temple. However, many young Hindu also visit Jagatnatha Temple just in the heart of Semarapura city.

According to I Made Catur Adnyana, secretary Chairman of the National Committee of Indonesian Youth (KNPI) of Klungkung Regency, the carrying out of Çiwaratri is centralized at Jagatnatha Temple with the KNPI party in association with the authority and surrounding community. “The most important thing is that the celebration of Çiwaratri’s night in Klungkung runs successfully and devotees can pay homage conveniently,” he said.
Adnyana expected that the community, chiefly young Hindu’s, will actively participate in the celebration of the holiday that comes once a year. “It is the right time for Hindu youth to perform self-contemplation and self-improvement for faults that have been done,” he affirmed.
The agenda of Çiwaratri’s night is filled up with simultaneous prayer starting from 18:00-00:00 Local Time and also at 06:00am. At yester years, the celebration also includes Gita Shanti (hymnal singing) all night. On the whole, participants of Gita Shanti are the oldies. Similarly, Dharma Wacana (sermon) fills up the Çiwaratri celebrations.
Outside Jagatnatha Temple, some sanctums like Watu Klotok Temple and Beach are overflowed by hundreds of visitors one after another to carry out prayers. The same thing also occurs at Kusamba Beach, Segara Temple and Lepang Beach, Banjarangkan Klung-kung. (BTN/033)

Nyoman Gunarsa, The Maestro of Bali

The Museum Association (Himusba) led by Nyoman Gunarsa of Klungkung held a one-day seminar at the Bali Historical Museum of Bajra Sandhi at Renon Square on December 3, 2004 under the theme of “Increasing the Public Appreciation to Museums”. Among other invited speakers were: the Former State Minister of Culture and Tourism, I Gede Ardika, Nyoman Rudana of Rudana Museum, Pande Wayan Suteja Neka of Neka Art Museum, I Wayan Geriya, anthropologist of Udayana University, Tjokorda Gede Atmadja, the Rector of Ngurah Rai University Denpasar, Putu Suasta, the alumni of master degree at State University of New York and Cornell University of United States, Edi Sedyawati, the Chairwoman of Society and Culture Research Centre of Indonesia University-Jakarta, I Gusti Ngurah Gede Pemecutan of Sidik Jari Museum and Nyoman Gunarsa.
After the first session, Nyoman Gunarsa handed over his watercolor work on paper capturing Balinese dance to the speaker, I Gede Ardika the Former State Minister of Culture and Tourism. Gede Ardika then said that he was very proud of Nyoman Gunarsa talents in artistic and aesthetic creativity. Nyoman Gunarsa is also known as a dynamic artist, invited the audience to vsit his own museum and the collection through video on the wide screen.
Nyoman Gunarsa known as the Maestro of Bali, is an over-active artist. He puts the paper on the meeting table then takes the brush and watercolors. Being witnessed by all seminar participants, Nyoman Gunarsa painted Nyoman Rudana of Rudana Museum together with a Balinese girl in a red kebaya. Both figures sat on the chair and faced the painter at work who finished the work in a short time. “The work of this maestro will decorate the wall at our office in Jakarta”: Rudana said. Nowdays Nyoman Rudana lives in Jakarta since he is a representative figure from Bali on Public Representative Board (DPR). Nyoman Gunarsa is talented in creating public figures on watercolors such as artists, businessmen and politicians.
Nyoman Gunarsa who is the owner and founder of Nyoman Gunarsa Museum (since 1994) in the village of Banda in Klungkung regency collects the classical paintings of Kamasan and the contemporary art by himself. Gunarsa’s contemporary show room is completed with the collection of puppets, statues, antiques and an art library. Don’t leave Bali without seeing the collection of paintings by the Maestro of Bali. (BTN/Lanus Sumatra)