Buleleng Northern Lights

Gedong Kirtya Library and Buleleng Museum

Gedong Kirtya is the first palm-leaf manuscript library in Bali, founded in 1928 and located at Jalan Veteran Singaraja. The idea of establishing Gedong Kirtya originated from Bali and Lombok Residents of a Dutch-national named L.J.J. Caron. Western scholars that supported the idea were Dr. R. Ng. Purbacaraka, Dr. W.F. Stutterheim, Dr. R. Goris, Dr. Th. Pigeaud and Dr. C. Hooykaas. Apart from them, Hindu holy priests and kings who reigned in Bali then, also supported this institution.

The name of Gedong Kirtya library was taken from the name of two Dutch scholars, namely Liefrinck and van der Tuuk, but on the suggestion of the King of Buleleng, I Gusti Putu Jelantik, in front of the name of two scholars was added with the word kirtya. So the complete name of this institution was Kirtya Liefrinck van der Tuuk. "Kirtya" is derived from Sanksrit vocabulary that means, "to work."
Gedong Kirtya was opened to the public by the then Governor General of East Indies, A. C.D. de Graff on 14 September 1928. The date of the opening is engraved on a monogram or candra sangkala on the entrance door. This monogram consists of the image of a human riding on an elephant with a bow in his hand, killing his enemy with an arrow. This image is interpreted as follows: a human represents the figure 1; elephant figure 8; arrow figure 5 and the dead person figure 0. According to Caka year, Gedong Kirtya was founded in Caka 1850.
Over 2,000 lontar, or palm-leaf manuscripts collection are kept in this library. These lontars are classified based on their content, like religion, language, myth and story. There is one type of unique lontar belonging to the collection of Gedong Kirtya known as prasi. It is not the entire plot of the story written down on the palm-leaf, but drawn in the form of suitable themes. Lontar collections and a number of books in the Kirtya Library are open to the public.

Museum Buleleng
Other than Gedong Kirtya, Buleleng also has a museum that keeps the remains of northern Bali’s civilization from time immemorial. The Museum, inaugurated coincidentally with the celebration of the anniversary of Singaraja City Birthday on 30 March 2002, is located at Jalan Veteran, close to Catus Pata Statue at the crossroads of the highway of Singaraja City.
The main building of the museum displays permanent and temporary exhibitions like sarcophagus, stupika, statues, stone weapons and burial giveaways (i.e. wristlet, beads and so on). In addition, there is a Nagasepan Puppet, head ornament, typical traditional costumes of Sidatapa Village, masks, daggers and spears from Pedawa Village. Other goods that also displayed there are agricultural tools like ploughs, kitchenware like clay water pots, dishes made of coconut shell, procot, gandek (a kind of bamboo-plaited bag), fishermen’s wares like kemal together with cultural or religious articles.
Some archaeological photographs also enrich the collection, namely that of archaeological sites, temples, Banjar and Jagaraga Wars, ancient kings et cetera. Audio and audiovisual tapes are also available here. They pertain the dialect of Sembiran, Julah, Sepang and Pedawa Village. All are worth visiting, chiefly for tourists who are interested to know about the Balinese civilization of the past. (BTN/doc)