Tourism place in Ubut
Bali,Indonesia
Ubud, a town in central Bali, is far removed from
the drunken bikini scene in Kuta,
and is regarded as the cultural centre of Bali. It is famous as an arts and
crafts hub, and much of the town and nearby villages seems to consist of
artists' workshops and galleries. There are some remarkable architectural and
other sights to be found, and a general feeling of well being to be enjoyed,
all thanks to the spirit, surroundings, and climate of the place.
History
In many ways, the history of the
Ubud area (not so much the modern day town) is the very history of Bali
itself.
Ubud has a known history back to the
eighth century, when the Javanese Hindu priest Rsi Marhandya came to Bali from
Java, and meditated at the confluence of the two Wos rivers at Campuan, just
west of the modern day town centre. A shrine was established and later expanded
by Nirartha, the Javanese priest who is regarded as the founder of Bali's
religious practices and rituals as we know them today. At this time the area
was a centre of natural medicine and healing, and that is how the name Ubud
originated: Ubad is ancient Balinese for medicine.
Further temples and monasteries were
established over the next 400 hundred years or so. The temple complex at Gunung
Kawi, and the cave temples at Goa Gajah (just east and northeast of Ubud), are
architectural remains from this period. Many of the dances, drama and rituals
still practised in Ubud today, originated at this time. King Airlangga ruled
all of Java and Bali in this era, and his seat of government was located in
what is now the village of Batuan, just southeast of Ubud.
The Javanese Majapahit kingdom
conquered Bali in 1343, and the key final victory was against the Pejeng
Dynasty centred at Bedulu, just to the east of Ubud. A great flowering of
Balinese culture followed, and the ancestry of Ubud's current day aristocratic
families can be traced back to this period. In the sixteenth Century, there was
a total transplantation of the Majapahit Kingdom to Bali as the Islamisation of
Java forced them eastwards. Power flip-flopped between various dynasties and feudal
lords, but the Ubud area remained a very important cog in the various regencies
which ruled the island.
Goa Gajah originates from the 9th
century
Monkeys at the Monkey Forest
In 1900, Ubud became a Dutch
protectorate at its own request, and the colonialists interfered little,
allowing the traditional arts and culture of the area to remain relatively
unchanged. The modern era of Ubud perhaps began in the 1930s, when foreign
artists were encouraged by the royal family to take up presence in the town.
From their Ubud base, the likes of Walter Spies and Rudolph Bonnet were
instrumental in promoting an understanding of Balinese art and culture
worldwide. From the 1960s onwards, travellers started to arrive in earnest,
mostly intrepid types as the infrastructure was still very limited indeed.
Since then, Ubud has developed rapildy into a high profile, top class
international destination, whilst still maintaining its integrity as the centre
of Balinese art and culture.
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