Jatiluwih - See beautiful rice terrace unfolding from the foot of mountain until the coastal side.

TRIP TO JATILUWIH :
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Jatiluwih was recently listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its preservation of traditional Balinese farming techniques.

Jatiluwih is one of places to visit in Bali with the beautiful view as according to its name from Jati and luwih, where Jati mean really and Luwih meaning especial, good, and beautiful or the equivalent.

Jatiluwih is surrounded by cool atmosphere because it is located in the height of 700 meters above sea level. Besides its nature potency, Jatiluwih is also saving the cultural potency, especially history of the Petali Temple existence that is related to the power of Ida Dalem Waturenggong King in Keraton Gelgel (1460 - 1552). The distance from Denpasar to Jatiluwih is about 48 km and it is situated in upstate of Tabanan town (28 Km).

Jatiluwih is a favorite tourist destination in Bali famous with the beautiful rice terrace unfolding from the foot of mountain until the coastal side.

The local paddies are planted in this place look typically of the high relative size plant if it is compared with other pre-eminent paddy planted by most farmers in Bali . Despitefully, Jatiluwih also famous with its organic agriculture system due to the location is located in the in the plateau of Watukaru Mount which is suitable for the agriculture development.

The road to this place has been progressively improved so that motor vehicle can enter from east side through Pacung Village and go to Jatiluwih and also from the west side from Watukaru Temple pass to Jatiluwih. Jatiluwih is many visited by tourist from local and foreign countries who want to enjoy the cold atmosphere and beautiful panorama of rice terrace. Jatiluwih as a nature tourist destination in Bali which has been recognized since Dutch colonial build the Security Headquarter and until now the local residents conceives with the Dutch Tangs. Indonesian government has assigned the Jatiluwih to be a Tourist Destination Village because of this potency.
Other Unique

Jatiluwih also keep the unique religious ceremony attraction which is famous know as Patirtaan in Petali Temple on Wednesday Kliwon Ugu (Based on Balinese Calendar). The local residents believe that Petali Temple is a worship center of The Hyang Widhi Wasa (the God) as agriculture power. Beside of Petali Temple , there is also Pucak Rsi Temple is located in this area. As a tourist object, Jatiluwih provides the public facilities like parking area, toilet, resting bale and Wantilan for tourist who is enjoying the beautiful panorama. Some restaurants have been built to serve the food and beverage. Watukaru Tour is an exciting tour to visit Watukaru Temple and other tourist destinations like Jatiluwih.


From an elevated vantage point the natural beauty of this area appears to have been created by a higher force. It is as if the shade of emerald green from a painter’s palate has been generously spread over the land. Towards the south there are slight tinges of Blue Ocean, while the opposite direction reveals clear outlines of the Agung and Batukaru Mountains in a majestic stance of silent wisdom. The prevailing ambience is one of peace with cool pockets of air bringing a refreshing change from the oppressive tropical heat of Bali’s south.

The glorious ridges of Jatiluwih have always been an artists’ dream; a place to reflect the gift of nature bestowed by the Gods and where one can create in solitude Bali’s most famous expatriate artist was Walter Spies who lived in Ubud during the 1930’s and he would often visit the picturesque fields of Jatiluwih. Later in his studio he would record his impressions of these exotic views with magical brush strokes upon canvas. Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias in his book entitled ‘Island of Bali’ also narrated the precious beauty of the Balinese landscape as the first classical introduction to the island and its culture. These splendid writings perhaps precipitated the gradual flow of visiting artists in the ensuing years that came seeking inspiration.

The agricultural community in Jatiluwih has more or less remained untouched by the impact of tourism. Instead many villagers seem to maintain a simplistic lifestyle that concentrates on the continual cycle of harvesting their crops and their strong faith in the Hindu religion. There are frequent ceremonial rituals prepared by each family of farmers to express their gratitude to the Gods for the provision of earth, water and all of nature’s components that allow mankind to exist.

The process of growing and harvesting rice is just one fragment of the unique Balinese culture that is guarded by the Goddess Dewi Sri. It is a culture that signifies a customary way of life where rice and all of its stages of process is a powerful driving force behind all form of activity within the community. Food, medicine, art, hope and the ideologies that exist within the village are all directly related to the rice field. The Goddess Dewi Sri symbolizes fertility and prosperity as well as the cycle of human life. The practice of planting rice, maintaining the crop and harvesting is a definite parallel to the full circle of life from birth until death. In Bali there is a real relationship between man and the environment, which follows the Hindu philosophy of maintaining a harmonious balance between all living things to appease the Gods as well as unseen entities.

A day trip is highly recommended as it enables visitors to observe the realities of rural Bali. The opportunity to wander through the fields and watch the birds as they attempt to pilfer rice grains from immature stalks is an enriching experience. Another interesting aspect is the organized irrigation system where farmers share water in a tradition that dates back centuries and has united generations of farmers in their common need for this highly valued resource.

West Bali National Park - Where to Stay & What to Do

WEST BALI TRIP :
Info dan Pemesanan
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The area of Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park) situated at the Edge of north Bali Island is the stretch of green ground along the 150 km road that link Gilimanuk and Denpasar or Gilimanuk and Singaraja. It is located between district of Gerokgak in Buleleng regency and district of Melaya in Jembrana regency. It is reachable from Gilimanuk as the main entrance to West Bali, and from Denpasar. This 77,000-hectare park was established in 1941.

With almost 200,000 acres of arid forests and mangrove swamps, Bali Barat (West Bali) National Park is a valuable natural treasure. The park is home to several very rare species; foremost is the Bali starling, the island's mascot. Also known as Rothschild's mynah, this soft, white bird has a blue band around its eyes; the world's last 50 or so of these winged creatures are here, and an on-site breeding program is trying to save the species. Less rare but still of interest are several species of deer including the mouse deer and the barking deer and several types of monkeys, leopards, and civets.

Lush forests still grow on Bali's southern and western slopes. West Bali National Park (covers 50,000 hectare on the western tip of the island. It also includes another 7,000 hectares of coral reef and coastal water. Considering in the small size of the island as a whole, the National Park is a major commitment towards attempting to preserve the wildlife found on Bali. The forest in this area has been determined as " Nature Park" - later on known as Taman Perlindungan Alam Bali - based on the decision of " Raja-Raja di Bali" (Kings in Bali) dated 13th August 1917 noE-1/4/5. This regulation is intended to preserve the flora and fauna in this area.
The region is watered by clear streams and traversed by footpaths, which offer often steep but relatively easy walking. Explore the forested hills, scrub acacia near the coast, and the unspoiled reefs and dense mangrove swamps along Teluk Terima and the bays to the East.

The diverse fauna exist here, including Jalak Putih Bali/Bali starling (Leuoeopsarrhotschildi) and Bull (Bos javanicus), Antelop (Muntiacus Muntjak), deer (Cervus timorensis), monkey (Presbytis cristata, Macaca sp.), Scaly anteater ( Manis javanica), boar (Sus scrofa), hedgehog (Hystrix javanica), Sturnus melanotenus, Sturnus contra, Acridotenis fuscus, Picoides mucet, Orialus chinensis, Haliastur sp., Galus sp.
Since Bali is such a densely populated, intensively cultivated island, very little wild forest is left. Such primary monsoon forests as remain (about 50,000 hectares) are found along the watershed at the western end of island, on the slopes of the mountains Sangiang, Merbuk, Musi, and Patas, an area not nearly as rugged as the higher mountains of eastern Bali.
More like a forest than a jungle, the park offers exceptional walking and first class panoramas. The types of the land are forest, savannah, mangrove, coast, beach, and conservation forest. The plantation that formed the pure forest are sawo kecik (Manilkara kooki) and palm (Borrassus flellifer).

























Where to Stay:
A Lakeside Hideaway at Taman Wana Villas

A Deluxe Hut at Waka Shorea Jungle Resort
This hotel is on the west side of the Singaraja. Begin your adventure by boat to this hotel (about 10 minutes from the civic area). Being part of the Bali Barat National Park, you may spot several monkeys and deers along the way to its main area. Here, rooms and villa with all its natural setting and atmosphere are at your disposa

What to Do :

Diving, Snorkelling, Boat Trips, Tours, Trekking, Hiking, Painting, Dancing, Cooking Classes.
Scuba Diving and Snorkelling
Help the turtles at Kurma Asih Conservation Site



Tips :

Bali Barat National Park has some interesting points to it, including a short circular hiking route, which starts at the Ranger Station. Along the north edge of the park, close to the coast, one will find fertile grasslands. There is a fishery research project going on at Pantai Gondol.

The wild Samabar deer roam free, in on the NE slops of the park. Balinese Sapi (local cattle) are descended the wild benteng, that live on the SE slopes of the park. Benteng are rare but you might be luck. A hundred years ago Bali and Java had tigers, wouldn’t that be a treat! The mountains sitting on an East-West axis, split the park in 2, with the wetter scenery on the southern side, the dry grassland on the northern, which is dotted with acacia, palms and shrubs.

In the far NW of the park lies Menjangan Island, a favourite with divers. Bali’s only remaining native bird, the Bali Starling is still alive in the national park. Close to the Ranger Station is a breeding facility for the Bali Starlings.

The deal with access to the park is you need a permit, obtainable at the park HQ, for overnight travel, or extensive trekking. The only hiking trails are near the park HQ, but intrepid souls might fancy heading off into the wilderness.

If you need a permit you have 3 choices:
1. Indonesia Forestry Service (PHPA) office, Jl. Suwung 40, BOX 329, Denpasar.
2. Park HQ,
Jl. Raya Gilimanuk, Cekik
(0365) 61060
8am- 2pm Mon-Thurs, 8-11am Fri, 8am-noon Sat.
3. Ranger Station
Labuhan Lalang
8am-6pm daily.

Balinese Dances - Know It, Before you Watch it ...

BALINESE DANCE TOUR :
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In many cultures dance and drama are important to pass on customs and mores from one generation to the next. Such is true in Bali where dance & drama has historically been used to pass down cultural values through the tales of Ramayana, Mahabarata and other epic stories from Balinese history. It is interesting to note that the Balinese never tire of watching these dances even though they may have seen them umpteen times before and know each movement by heart.

History Of Balinese Dances

After the Majapahit warriors subdued Ball in the 14th century, Javanese mini principalities and courts soon appeared everywhere, creating that unique blend occur and peasant culture, which is Bali highly sophisticated, dynamic and lively. The accompanying narrative for dance and drama is to a large extent based on court stories from pre-Majapahit Java. Even the Indian epics, another favorite of the stage, especially the wayang, use Javanese, complete with long quotes from the ancient Javanese Kakawin poetry. So Javanese culture, which disappeared from Java following Islamization in the 16th century still survived in Bali in a Balinese for which became classical ~Balinese culture. However, colonization brought about the fall of classical Bali. With the rural courts defeated and with new lords of the land, the centre of creativity shifted to village associations, and to the development of tourism. The 30's and 50's were particularly fertile decades; while the old narrative-led theater survived, lively solo dances appeared everywhere, accompanied by a new, dynamic kind of music called gong kebyar. This trend continued in the 60's and 70's with the creation of colossal sendratari ballets, representing ancient Indian and Javanese stories adapted to the needs of modern audiences.

Movement and Dance

The typical posture in Balinese dance has the legs half bent, the torso shifted to one side with the elbow heightened and then lowered in a gesture that displays the suppleness of the hands and fingers. The torso is shifted in symmetry with the arms. If the arms are to the right, the shifting is to the left, and vice versa. Apart from their costumes, male and female roles can be identified mostly by the accentuation of these The women's movements. Legs are bent and huddled together, the feet open, so as al a sensual arching of to reve the back. The men's legs are arched and their shoulder pulled up, with more marked gestures, giving the impression of power. Dance movements follow on from each other in a continuum of gestures with 110 break and no jumping (except for a few demonic or ,animal characters). Each basic posture (agem), such as the opening of the curtain or the holding of the cloth, evolves into another agem through a succession,, of secondary gestures or tandang. The progression from one series to the other, and the change from right to left and vice-versa, is marked by a short jerky emphasis called the angsel. The expression is completed by mimicry of the face: the tangkep. Even the eyes dance, as can be seen in the baris and trunajaya dances.

The Gamelan

Balinese music is based around an instrument known as the gamelan. The gamelan is such a central part of Balinese music that the whole 'orchestra' is also referred to as a gamelan. Gamelan music is almost completely percussion. Though it sounds strange at first with its noisy, jangly percussion it's exciting and enjoyable.

Kecak
Probably the best known of the many Balinese dances, the Kecak is also unusual in that it does not have a gamelan accompaniment. Instead the background is provided by a chanting 'choir' of men who provide the 'chak-a-chak-a-chak' noise. Tourists especially enjoy the performance staged by the Kechak dancers. This dance is also deeply rooted in local tradi- tion and Indian mythology and is inspired by Ramayana, an epic poem written in Sanskrit. The dance brings to life the tale of King Rama, his wife Dewi Sita and his brother Laksamana who were exiled to the forest for 14 years following some complex scheming in a struggle for power. In the forest, they are persecuted by Rahwana, the ogre king who then abducts Dewi Sita and makes her a prisoner of his palace on the Island of Lanka (Ceylon) . Rama strikes an alliance with the monkey people whose army de- feats Rahwana’s troups, making it possible for King Rama to rescue his wife. In each Kechak performance, a hundred or so dancers play the monkey army while a few female dancers are assigned specific roles (Dewi Sita, Trijata). The performance generally lasts one hour and takes place in the evening, preferably around 7 PM.

Barong & Rangda

It's the most popular dance for tourists. A straightforward battle between good, the barong, and bad, the rangda. The barong is a strange creature, half shaggy dog, half lion, propelled by two men like a circus clown-horse. The widow-witch rangda is bad though and certainly not the sort of thing you'd like to meet on a midnight stroll through the rice paddies. The Barong dance is truly a triumphant display of bright colors and graceful movements. Greatly appreciated by the tourists, special performances are staged for their benefit, generally in the morning, and last one hour. The villages of Batubulan as well as Tegaltamu and Singapadu, small towns located 30 minutes from the capital, are known for putting on the best performances. There is, however, more to the Barong dance than the folkloristic dimension, It is, in fact, an integral part of the island's culture and has an evident sacred connotation. It isn't rare, in fact, to see the Balinese dancing the Barong during their religious ceremonies, regardless of the presence of tourists. Inspired by an episode taken from Mahabharata, an epic poem written in Sanskrit. the dance evolves around the character of the Barong, the king of the jungle. A mythical animal, not clearly identified (perhaps a lion), he is the symbol of virtue and good, subject to the continuous struggle against the evil forces that threaten life and the integrity of the forest, this being an element very dear to the Balinese population. In detail, the Barong embodies everything that can be beneficial to man, and help him defeat illness. black magic and any other kind of misfortune. The evil entity against which he must relentlessly fight is personified by Rangda, queen of death and devourer of children. She is characterized by a dark and gloomy mask from which a red tongue of fire hangs. The entire dance is centered around the struggle between these two rival characters. The Barong is interpreted by two dancers whose rhythmic movements bring to life the beautiful and elaborate cos tume they wear. a large animal head skillfully carved out of wood, brightly colored in red, white, black and gold. It is adorned with a crown extending outwards from the sides of the head, and by a prominent necklace which hangs from the neck, The final touch of the costume is a tail made out of bison leather which is elaborately finished and guilded. The first character to appear on the stage is the Barong with his swaying gait: his dance is meant to express the joy of living. He is followed by a group of armed supporters who stand ready to defend him.

When Rangda strikes her terrible blows. It isn't at all rare for the dancers playing the Barong's followers to become so engrossed in the sacredness of the per- formance that they go into a real trance. A cloud of characters surround the Barong on stage. Rangda, goddess of death, personification of evil, the young girl servant Kalika; Dewi Kunti, queen of the kingdom of Hastina and her stepson Sadewa who will be sacrificed in order to placate the anger of Rangda, the minister Dewi Kunti; Patih who ex- presses sorrow for the fate of Sadewa (Rangda will have to enter his soul in order to make him accept the sacrifice), and then the monkey supporters of the Barong, producers of palm tree wine (nira). A very important element in the entire dance is the large orchestra, known as gamelan, which is essential to underscore the ritual nature of the performance. Many are the instruments that make up the orchestra: some metal xylophones which stand out not only because they are so numerous but because of their power ful and imperious sound; there are also drums as well as flutes, the rebab (a type of violin) and the gender (typical xylophones). All together, these instruments are essential in guiding the dance and underscoring the rhythm of well coordinated movements. These along with the joyful colors are the most alluring elements of this remarkable perfor mance. At the end of the dance, the masks of the Barong and of Rangda, as proof of their sacred nature, are stowed in a special room inside the temple. They are covered very carefully, especially Rangda's mask, because its deadly powers are greatly feared. It's a way of saying that the ritual victory of the Barong, that is of good, which marks the end of the dance, is only temporary: tomorrow the eternal and unresolved conflict could begin again.

The end of the Barong dance is like an entirely separate performance. Also known as the Kris dance, it is named after the famous Malese dagger. The idea is based on the philosophical concept rwa bhineda. good and bad, evil and goodness which have always been present and have always existed together albeit in a constant and inevitably unre solved conflict. Nothing will change in the future. While man is left free to try to develop his positive attitudes and let them win over the negative ones, he must nonetheless resign himself to the fact that the presence of both good and evil is a law of nature and as such must be accepted. When the dance is performed, Rangda is the evil spirit which enters the bodies of his victims, usually followers of the Barong, and pushes them to the edge of suicide. The dancers attempt to stab themselves in the chest with their krises until they are finally stopped by the beneficial appearance of the Barong. It is he who will save these unfortunate beings by revealing that the notion of good and evil will always be inevitably present in the world and in everyone's life and that they must therefore accept it.

Kris Dance
In the Barong play, Bali's mythical guardian, Barong, battles Rangda, the demon - Queen. barong's supporters are a group of Balinese men with the natural ability to enter a trance state. They are armed with a kris ( traditional sword). Rangda insults Barong and taunts the men- enraged and in a trance they attack her! But her powers are so strong that they are knocked out. When they come to they are so distressed by their failure, that they try to impale themselves on their kris. But their trance state amazingly protects them from injury.

Legong

It's the most graceful of Balinese dances. A legong dancer is known as a young girl, often as young as eight or nine years, rarely older than her early teens. There are various forms of the Legong but the Legong Kraton is the one most often performed.


Baris

The warrior dance, known as the Baris, is traditionally a male equivalent of the Legong femininity and grace give way to energetic and warlike martial spirit.

Ramayana Ballet

Basically, it tells the same story of Rama and Sita as told in the Kechak but without the monkey ensemble and with a normal gamelan gong accompaniment.

Kebyar

It's a male solo dance like the Baris but with greater emphasis on the performer's individual abilities. There are various forms of Kebyar including the Kebyar Duduk and Kebyar Trompong.

Barong Landung

The giant puppet dance take place annually on the island of Pulau Serangan and a few other places in southern Bali.

Janger

The Janger is a relatively new dance which suddenly popped up in the '20s and '30s. Today it has become part of the standard repertoire and no longer looks so unusual.

Topeng
A mask dance where the dancers have to imitate the character represented by mask. A full collection of Topeng masks may number 30 or 40. Closely liriked to religious ceremonies and processions, and danced as a ritual interval, the Topeng dance ultimately takes on a sacred connotation. As a matter of fact, foreigners are allowed to see the dance only if they behave appropriately and respectfully. Actually, some performances are staged only for the benefit of the tourists, but do not enjoy the same following of the Barong and Kechak dances. Peculiar components of the Topeng dance are the masks used to hide the faces of the dancers. Specific attributes are used, instead, to identify the characters (a mustache and thick eyebrows for the elder, arrogance and defiance for Patih, and so on). The rhythm of movements (perfectly in accordance to the age and role of the character) is underscored by a large orchestra, the garnelan, which is essential for the success of the performance.

Jauk

Also a mask dance but strictly a solo performance.

Pendet

It's an everyday dance of the temples, a small procedure to go through before making temple offerings.






Sanghyang (Fire Dance)
The Sanghyang trance dance originally developed to drive out evil spirits from a village. The Sanghyang Dedari dance is performed by two young girls who dance a dream-like version of the Legong but with their eyes closed. The Sanghyang Jaran, a boy dances around and through a fire, riding a coconut palm hobby-horse. In both dances, a priest is always on hand to help bring the dancers out of their trancestate at the end of the performance.

Subak Museum - Miniature of Subak

What is SUBAK ?

The general Balinese philosophy guiding the subak system adheres to the principle of Tri Hita Karana which emphasises that happiness can only be reached if the Creator (God), the people (the farmers) and nature (the rice fields) live in harmony with each other. Based on this philosophy are the ceremonies which are a substantial part of the rice cultivation cycle. The ceremonies are carried out at the various temples which are associated with the subak.

They are organised hierarchically as follow: the simple shrine (chatu) at the individual water inlet, Bedugul temple at the dam or tunnel intersection, Ulun Suwi / Ulun Carik temple at each subak area, penyungsungan subak temple ’sanctuaries which were originally desa temples that one or more subaks helped to worship, after which in the course of time, all the expenses connected with the temple services and offering ceremonials have, gradually fallen to the subak or subaks and Ulun Danu temple, the Baliwide inter-subak temple at the crater lake Batur, the most sacred lake in Bali. For all the temples and other places of worship there are certain times when religious ceremonies are held, either periodically or as occasion demands.
The periodical ceremonies are divided into ngerainin and ngebekin or ngusaba. Ngerainin consists of making a flower offering in the puras ulun charik and penyungsungan subak; it takes place on certain favorable days (rerainan) such as full moon, new moon, Wednesday-Kliwon, Anggara Kasih (Tuesday-Kliwon), and the like, and is performed by the pemangku without the members of the subak being present. No ngerainin takes place at the chatus, which, since they are not puras, do not have pemangkus.

The harvest festival is celebrated in the last stage of the ripening of the rice, in alternate years as ngebekin and ngusaba. New moon is considered a favorable time for ngebekin, while ngusaba takes place at full moon. The former ceremony has the character of an offering to the demons; the latter, primarily a festival of thanksgiving to the deity, is more elaborate than ngebekin and is often accompanied by the Placing of festive Poles of bamboo (penjor) each kesit (field).
The ceremonies are not just performed based on the calendar but also carried out regularly following the stages of rice growth and the sequences of rice farming activities (which are quite similar with the rite of passage) starting from land preparation which is presided by “water opening ceremony”; seeding; transplanting; blooming of rice plant; milking; harvesting until the harvest being stocked at granary. The rituals may be performed individually by each farmer at his own altar as well as in a joint cooperation with other members of the same subak or even different subaks at relevant temples according to the kind of ceremony to be performed.

The Tri Hita Karana philosophy is also the basis for the clearly defined rules of a subak, called awig-awig. This set of laws regulates rights and duties among the members. It includes public obligations, regulations concerning land and water use, legal transactions of land transfers, and collective religious ceremonies. For instance, all members have the right to the same share of water at all times. This principle of equitable water sharing is put into action by fixed proportional flow division structures.
Subak internal matters are handled by the pekaseh, the subak head who is democratically elected by all members of the subak. He is responsible to overlook the irrigation management within the subak area, to schedule cultivation cycles and to organise subak ceremonies. He is supported by several assistants, such as the vice subak head (petajuh), the secretary (penyarikan), the treasurer (petengen or juru raksa), the messenger (kasinoman), special helper (saye) and the heads of the sub-subak groups. Bigger subak are divided into sub-groups, called munduk. Munduk may have a separate inlet from the subak main canal. A munduk usually comprises an average of 20 to 40 farmers.
Every munduk is headed by a pengliman who receives direct orders from the pekaseh and is responsible for all matters related to the munduk. As a sub-group of the subak, the munduk has to follow the subak rules and regulations. However, certain organisational and water management issues can be decided autonomously on the munduk level. The munduk is an important dimension within the subak. Day-to-day cultivation decisions are made on this level and provide the fine-tuning of the subak water and crop management – not always following the subak laws by doing this. The relationship between subak and munduk is to facilitate top down and bottom up information flow.

Members of subak also form an informal group which is called sekaa, in order to make ease a certain working activity on the rice field by working together on a certain field and certain activity. For examples: sekaa numbeg (for land cultivation), sekaa jelinjingan (for water tunnel maintenance), sekaa sambang (for water and pest surveillance), sekaa mamulih (for seed plantation), sekaa majukut (for plants surveillance), sekaa manyi (for harvest work), sekaa bleseng (for carrying paddy to the barn). These sekaa may recruit workers outside subak members. The code of work in these sekaa is simple, “I scratch yours you scratch mine.”
The indigenous social-administration organization in subak also supported by efficient and effective water system. Subak’s water system comprise of many parts such as empelan (dam) functioned as water reservoir, aungan (tunnel), telabah (primary waterway), tembuku aya (primary inlet), telabah gede (secondary waterway), tembuku gede (secondary inlet), telabah pamaron (tertiary waterway), tembuku pamaron (tertiary inlet), telabah penyacah (quaternary waterway), tembuku penyacah (quaternary inlet), tembuku pengalapan (individual inlet), tali kunda (individual waterway). Subak’s water system also has complementary part such as penguras (flushing), pekiuh (overflow), titi (bridge), Jengkuwung (small tunnel), abangan (off-land tunnel), petaku (waterfall structure), and telepus (siphon).

SUBAK MUSEUM

Subak Museum is definetely one of the most interesting museums in Bali. It is located in Sanggulan village two km east of Tabanan. The Subak Museum houses exhibits on the history and development of Bali’s unique Subak irrigation organization. This is the only museum in Bali to focus on agriculture, provides all information on agricultural life of Bali and all its related aspects.
As its name suggest the main display in Subak Museum is the miniature of Subak which provides series of pictures of development of a Subak from finding a wellspring, creating tunnels and dams, channeling water through tunnels and dams to managing the water in the rice fields. Displays of farming implements for cutting, cleaning and pounding rice; tools for leveling land, ploughing, weeding, and digging water tunnels; various fish traps; tweezers for catching eels, wooden net used to catch dragonflies, and all implements in relation with Subak activities can be found here.

The Subak Museum provides a film which describes the process of handling the agricultural land. This process consists of various activities, from the meeting of Subak members to arrange the Subak rules to cultivating the land up to expressing gratitude to God for a good harvest. The museum also shows the variety of ceremonies commonly conducted at various stages of the cultivation cycle. There are also a miniature of kitchen with utensils used for cooking rice, a scale model of traditional house compounds which is built based on ancient architectural science of Asta Kosali Kosali.

For the visitors who want to get further information on Subak, a library with complete collection of books, palm leaves manuscripts and carved copper plates concerning with the Subak is at your service. The collections mainly deals with variety of rituals held at every stage of cultivation cycle, method of farming and auspicious days to start activities including their abstinences. The library not just houses collections in relation with Subak (irrigated field) but also provides complete collection of literature on Subak Abian (non-irigated ricefield).

Subak Museum not just gives complete information on Subak but also provides an image on how deeply rice farming intertwines inextricably with daily life of Balinese as well as with Balinese culture and religion.