Senin, 19 November 2007
Denpasar is located right in the south center side of the island, Badung on the west and Gianyar on the east. Denpasar became capital city of Bali in 1958. From just Denpasar is about 500,000 inclusing resident who was coming over from all over the archipelago or even around the world just soon after the boom or tourism. Denpasar is the center of administration offices as well as most universities and higher learning institutions, home to about 25,000 students. Denpasar is consisted of 70% Balinese and other 30% Non-Balinese mostly work in tourism and other at general business, bank and education.
Maospait temple. Located on the busy road in Denpasar dates back to 14th century showing marvel bricks of temple architecture.
Puputan Square. Located right in the centre of the capital city where we can find a memorial for those who lost their lives in the one-sided struggle with the Dutch called Puputan
Catur Muka stone statue. Located in the corner of Puputan square is a 5-metre stone statue dedicated to the "Great Teacher"-Shiva. The statue is have 4 faces facing to the east is Indra (Iswara), to the south it is Brahma, to the north Vishnu, and to the west Mahadewa.
Pura Jagatnatha, located in the heart of the city. It was built in the 1970's to be the "territorial temple" of Denpasar, an open monument to modern Balinese Hinduism. Its main padmasana shrine, or seat of the "supreme Ciwa", embodies the new importance given to the concept of the One God in Balinese religion.
Museum Bali. Located right next to Jagatnatha temple preserving the finest of collection of Balinese antiquities. Of particular interest is the stylistic simplicity of the items in its 1930's collection.
Taman Budaya, the Arts Centre located in the east of the city, is a complex dedicated to the preservation of Balinese culture. It contains the gigantic Ksirarnawa amphitheater and a museum with an important collection of paintings and sculptures from the period of Balinese renewal, but no contemporary art.
The Sanur area, the beach front of Denpasar now extending from Sanur westwards to the Suwung marshes and Serangan island, is steeped in history. The Blanjong, written in Sanskrit in 1913, is the oldest inscription of its kind in Bali. It tells of the founding of a Buddhist monastery. Other traces of contact with the outside world persists to this day. The villages of Renon, on the road to Denpasar, and Semawang, near Sanur Beach hotel, still host a Baris Cina dance, with warriors wearing Portuguese-like 16th century helmets, perhaps the sign of early European contact.
Other beautiful monuments include the temple and palace of Kesiman, Penambangan temple (near Pemecutan palace), and Satria temple, with its nearby bird market. Pemecutan, Kesiman and Badung (now the name of the nearby regency) were the three "united kingdoms" in the territory of Denpasar.
