Denpasar
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General Information
Other Name: -, District: Bali, State: Nusa Tenggara , Indonesia
Area: 123.98 km²
Languages Spoken: Indonesian
Long Distance Code: +62(0)36
Importance: -
Best Time to Visit: - to - and -
International Access: -Description
Denpasar is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. It is also the site of Ngurah Rai Airport, the main gateway to Bali. It has a population of 491,500 (2002).Denpasar has various attractions. The surfing beaches are famous all over the world. Australian tourists come to Bali for the surfing waves. Some of the famous surfing beaches are Kuta Beach, Legian Beach and Canggu Beach.Location
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Immediately to the right of the main exit from the National Museum is the Pura Jagat Natha (Temple of the Rulers of the Worlds), dedicated to Sangyang Widi, who to the Balinese Hindus is the incarnation of Vishnu, the supreme god, and thus the god of gods. The symbols of divinities in the temple (Sangyang Widi represented as a gleaming gold figure seated on a seven-tiered throne of coralline limestone) are venerated not merely by particular groups of the population but by all Balinese Hindus.
Near the Art Centre (Jalan Ratza) is the Academy of Indonesian Dance,in which young Balinese are taught the high art of the traditional dances, the shadow play and the playing of the instruments of the gamelan orchestra. In the morning visitors can watch the pupils rehearsing, and in the evening there are performances in which they can demonstrate their skills.
In the angle between Jalan Gajah Mada (one of Denpasar's main traffic arteries) and Jalan Sulawesi is the town's largest market, the Pasar Badung, housed in a three-story building. Fresh vegetables and fruit are sold in the basement, handicrafts, textiles, clothing, etc., on the upper floors. The Pasar Badung has its own domestic temple. Round the corner are the fishmongers - half concealed because the Balinese Hindus believe that the sea is inhabited by demons and evil spirits, as no doubt are the creatures that live in it.
The Pura Maospahit is one of the most important temples in Denpasar and one of the oldest. There is reliable evidence that it dates from the 15th century.As the name indicates, the temple was founded by the Majapahit dynasty, whose ancestral temple it still is.
The palace of the Rajas of Badung (Puri Pemecutan), now a pleasant small hotel, lies in the angle between Jalan Thamrin and Jalan Hassannudin. Behind a red brick wall are a number of charming buildings set in a luxuriant tropical garden. The contrast could hardly be starker: outside the palace are clamorous traffic and swarms of people, while inside it cocks in wicker baskets crow in peaceful rivalry with one another.The palace was almost completely burned down after the puputan on September 14th 1906, but a year later was rebuilt by the Dutch, though not on its original scale. Notable features are the richly decorated entrance gate and - the only relics of the original palace - a number of fine reliefs towards the rear of the palace precinct. In one building is a collection of lontar (palm-leaf) books which survived the fire, in another some old gamelan instruments.
Werdi Budaya Art Centre is worth visiting both for the permanent exhibition of Balinese paintings in the main building and for the exhibition of work by both young and established artists for sale.
Behind the building is a luxuriant tropical garden with a number of small pools. There is also a large open-air theatre in which performances of Balinese dances are given during the annual Festival of Arts and occasionally at other times.
Behind the building is a luxuriant tropical garden with a number of small pools. There is also a large open-air theatre in which performances of Balinese dances are given during the annual Festival of Arts and occasionally at other times.