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Building
Architecture of the Balinese
As soon as you step down onto the Island
of Bali, first thing first that draws your
attention is the typicality of architectural
features of the Balinese building. Candi
bentar, a distinguishing Balinese gateway
structure you will pass by at Ngurah Rai
Airport or seaports like Benoa, Gilimanuk
and Padangbai. Further, on the way to your
hotel or tourist object, you will also catch
sight of the architecture of unique and
well-arranged houses and sanctum of the
Balinese on the right and left roadside.
Every house is enclosed with tembok penyengker
(surrounding wall) and to enable one to
enter the compound, he should pass through
an angkul-angkul (entrance gate) in which
on the right and left side lie a place of
offerings. If you pay attention to spatial
division more thoroughly, building placement
of every single house is adjusted to the
function of its space, as there is a space
for sanctum, bale daja or gedong for receiving
guest and resting place for old members
of the family, bale dangin for place of
making oblations and performing socio-religious
activities, bale dauh for resting place
of family members, jineng/lumbung for retaining
rice and paon (kitchen) for cooking.
Amongst the house building occurs the natah
(vacant space or courtyard) that normally
landscaped with various Balinese functional
flowers. Meanwhile, the backyard is called
teba being used for casting off the household
waste and rubbish. However, urban house
today has decreasingly less and less backyard
because it's pushed aside by residential
houses in line with high housing demand
of urban dense population.
Just as the spatial arrangement in the architecture
of sanctum for the community of desa pakraman
(customary village) in Bali that is called
pura or temple. There is jeroan (innermost
courtyard) where the sanctum sanctorum locates.
To reach the innermost courtyard, one should
pass through a kori agung (main gate) and
only those who pay homage or have something
to do with ritual procession are allowed
to enter. Then, in jaba tengah (middle courtyard)
resides a wantilan hall building where to
stage traditional performing art, to hold
meeting or other socio-religious activities.
Sanctum and housing compound architecture
of the Balinese reflect a number of their
life philosophy and character in which in
daily life they always maintain the harmonious
relation with three cardinal elements, namely
with God, environment and the fellow human.
The three elements that make human blissful
and prosperous are known as the Tri Hita
Karana concept. On that account, in establishing
sacred building or house, the Balinese at
all times consult holy man who masters sacred
learning about Balinese architecture. For
example, layout or building position should
accord with the content of palmyra manuscript
Asta Bhumi, building construction with Asta
Dewa and Asta Kosala Kosali, whilethat pertaining
to building materials refer to Asta Dewa,
Asta Kosala Kosali suggesting wood, palm
fibre, thatch grass, natural stone (sandstone),
brick and so forth.
Aside from paying attention to spatial division,
style and function of building, so on the
pre and post-construction should also be
preceded with sangaskara (purificatory)
rites such as ngeruak karang, nyukat karang,
nasarin, memakuh, ngurip-urip (ngambe and
melaspas). Such ritual arrangements are
carried in the Asta Dewa, Asta Kosala Kosali,
Dewa Tattwa and local tradition.
According to Nyoman Gde Suardana, an architect,
writes a book entitled 'Arsitektur Bertutur'
(Conversing Architecture), other than involving
the sensitivity of five sensual touch, the
Balinese architecture has also basic needs,
amongst them are the needs of everyone to
actualise their existence on the physical
and psychic aspect, his transcendence need
as an expectation to comprehend his life's
goal on the one hand. And on the other hand,
it constitutes an awareness milestone of
the existence of sekala and niskala (visible
and invisible) realm. Probably, this building
physical appearance distinguishes the Balinese
architecture from its Western counterpart.
Should you intend to learn more about the
fundamentals of Balinese architecture, Nyoman
Gde Suardana suggests some concepts of the
Balinese that should bear in mind, such
as (1) nawa sanga (points of the compass)
concept where every direction abides the
Devas, namely Vishnu in the north, Sambu
(northeast), Ishvara (east), Mahesvara (southeast),
Brahma (south), Rudra (southwest), Mahadeva
(west), Sankara (northwest) and Shiva (centre);
(2) orientation in the spatial layout and
building refer to direction of sunrise and
sunset as ritual axis and terrestrial orientation
as axis of nature; (3) philosophy of spatial
layout where fusion of terrestrial axis
and sun orientation result in sanga mandala
(nine-building layout); (4) Layout hierarchy
encompasses the utama zone (north and east
as position of sanctum or parahyangan),
madya (lowland area for residential complex
or pawongan) and nista (graveyard, sea).
Balinese architecture indeed contains a
lot of philosophical significances inspired
by Hinduism, so to understand it needs following
by comprehension on Hinduism in Bali. Though
western architecture has had an effect on
Bali, local architect even take it advantage
by combining both so the Balinese still
exist along with its architectural heritage
of their predecessor without being left
behind by modern development of western
one. Including the hotel where you stay,
you can easily observe the perfect fusion
of Balinese and Western architecture that
assuredly will make your adjournment in
Bali more comfortable. Ultimately, maybe
your vacation will be favourable!
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