International Journal of Indonesian Studies Volume 1, Issue 3 | Page 11

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN STUDIES
SPRING 2016
site, appropriately adorned with embellishments in accordance with the traditions of
Balinese traditional architecture. The bayan tree referred to earlier is located at the north
side of the Palace, and in front of the Puseh Temple and serving as a key stopping point in
the ritual itinerary of the ancient ceremony. As Mircea Eliade (1959: 12) states, the
adornment of trees gives their sacred status and their worship reinforces their hierophany
(holy quality). This hierophany, moreover, reveals in the tree an order of reality that is
wholly different from the “natural”.
Unfortunately, the Puri Gde, the central part of the royal residence, was partly
destroyed in 1906 and became a ruin when the Dutch colonisers defeated the king of
Badung and Tabanan. It was eventually demolished by the Dutch, during a revolt after the
initial defeat. The images (figures 6 & 7) taken in 1906 show the Dutch troops in front of the
Tabanan palace and the partly destroyed palace’s wall is on the north side. 10 Hence, under
Dutch colonial rule, the central power of the king practically disappeared, and the palace, as
a centre of spiritual, culture, economic and politic life, significantly declined. In this era, one
of the royal family houses, located at the northern side of the palace, was extended to the
south by incorporating the main access to the Tabanan palace, thereby closing one direction
of the cross pattern. This resulted in a significant change from the initial route of ritual
processions in the centre of the village. During this period, the Dutch also built a bridge to
connect the west and east sides of the river. Because of this strategically important
connection, the cemetery on the east side of the river (previously owned by the former
Malkangin kingdom), became the main cemetery for the Tabanan village. Indeed, the Dalem
temple and its cemetery have served the Tabanan village inhabitants for centuries,
especially the Balinese Hindu.
After the period of colonialism, the areas controlled by the Dutch came under local
government ownership. What was left of the palace changed dramatically, since most of the
area had changed to public and commercial use, such as shops, government offices, a town
garden, and public access. The remaining area of Puri Gde in the Tabanan royal household is
only approximately one fifth of the original total area that was settled by the royal family.
The house of the king‘s priest was relocated to the north, about 500 meters from its original
location. In contrast, the Puri Kaleran (the palace of the second king) still remains relatively
intact, although several building changes have occurred over time. Today, the historic site of
the royal palace forms part of the central area of Tabanan town, whilst the former cemetery
on the west side of the river has become a local government office and electricity service
facility. Besides the relocation of the cemetery and street intersection, the physical changes
to the Tabanan royal palace, and its surroundings, have significantly impacted on the ritual
setting and its urban contexts. The changes in land use of the royal household, after
colonialism, can be seen in figure 8 below.
10

The documentation photo derives from Bappeda Kabupaten Tabanan, Laporan RTRK. Tabanan Tahun 2006,
Ibid, p.III-23-4.

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