Kerta Gosa at Klungkung

Taman Gili Kerta Gosa at Klungkung Regency

As an ex-kingdom teritory, Klungkung has a lot of Historical Place that interest to visit, one of them is Kerta Gosa. Kerta Gosa is a building (Bale Kerta Gosa) that made at 1686 by the first king of Klungkung, I Dewa Agung Jambe. Kerta Gosa consist of two major Buildings (Bale), whis is Bale Kerta Gosa and Bale Kambang. Named Kambang (kambang=float), because this building surrounded by a pool whis is Taman Gili.

On the roof we can see many of Kamasan Traditional Painting, Kamasan is one of village in Klungkung Regency. At the beginning, all of the Painting that surround the building, made from Cotton and parba (Klungkung Traditional Cotton), since 1930 the cotton changed with Etermit, and restorated depend of the original artwork and we able to see it until now.

The function of Bale Kambang and Kerta Gosa commonly used for Yadnya Ceremony for all of kingdom family.

Other function is for education, that sees from wayang painting the building, because lot of the painting tells the story about Swargarohana Parwa and Bhisma Parwa that tell us about good and bad activity in our life and also reincarnation because of our activity at our past life. There are six rows of painting in there.

Besides than Kerta Gosa, wayang painting also able to see in Bale Kambang, west of Kerta Gosa building. In this building the painting tell us about Story of Ramayana and Sutasoma. At 1930 held a restoration with all of the painting in Kertagosa, and the final restoration held in 1960.

History of Kerta Gosa

It was in this part of Bali that the fleeing royalty of the Majapahit dynasty set up their kingdom. Between the 14th and 19th centuries Samprangan, Gelgel & Klungkung were all capitals of the Klungkung Regency. Recognized by other Balinese kingdoms as the most powerful, this regency was one of the last strongholds of the Balinese during the Dutch invasion of 1900’s. The Gelgel dynasty ruled in Bali for over 600 years and throughout their reign the arts flourished.

Taman Gili Palace – Built in the Dewa Agung dynasty, by artisans of the royal court. Not much remains of this palace, destroyed during the Dutch invasion of Bali, except for the main gate and two buildings that were rebuilt and restored in the 1940’s.

Kertha Gosa Judgment Hall – A Hall of Justice which functioned as the highest seat arbitration in the kingdom. The ceiling friezes depict scenes of horror and punishment. Villains judged here were imprisoned on Nusa Penida Island.