Singaraja
From the highest point on the mountain pass, 1,220 meters above sea level, a spectacular descent brings you to the northern coast at Singaraja, capital of Buleleng regency. Buleleng is a strip of land that stretches along the whole northern coast
of Bali-open to the sheltered waters of the Java Sea, and bordering on most of the other regencies. Archaic types of social organization and antiquities are found in many villages that are mentioned in inscriptions dating from the 10th century
onward. The inscriptions also tell of pirate raids.
Idyllically located behind the northern mountains and centrally situated at the north coast near Lovina Beach lies the former colonial capital of Bali, the old market town Singaraja. Until the opening of Bali's international
airport 'Ngurah Rai' near Denpasar in the south of Bali, the harbor of Singaraja was the main entry port to Bali for tourists as well as for traders. Nevertheless, with many remaining colonial buildings in the center of the town, the lively night
and morning market Pasar Anyar, a unique lontar library, an ikat factory, the royal palace Puri Agung Buleleng, its many statues, monuments, and unique cultural events, Singaraja still is an attractive cultural destination for tourists from all
over the world.
During the colonial days the old market town of Singaraja was a busy trade center where spices, vanilla, coffee, tobacco, etc. were traded. Nowadays the white colonial warehouses stand empty and neglected in Singaraja's harbor district as silent
witnesses of these busy days, and the harbor is now only used by the local fishermen.
Through out it's history Buleleng has been more open than others in Bali to the influence of the maritime world of the Indonesian Archipelago and beyond. A province before and after the Majapahit conquest it rose to prominence at the end of the
16th century under Raja Panji Sakti, who added the conquest of the eastern tip of Java to his other successes. In 1604 he built a new palace called Singaraja on fields where men grew the grain known as buleleng. Buleleng, gradually came to refer
to the whole northern coast. The official day of Singaraja's foundation is 30 March 1604, and each year a festival is held to commemorate it.
The annual anniversary of the city of Singaraja, founded by Ki Gusti Anglurah Pandji Sakti, is celebrated each year on April 20th with a spectacular event. On the festival program are all kinds of entertainment for both young and old. This annual
celebration is a unique happening well worth visiting and is an excellent opportunity to enjoy traditional North Balinese music and dance performances, colorful street parades, with cozy flea markets with lots of local food and drinks.
In 1814 a British military expedition stayed several months in Singaraja when Raffles was governor-general. The British went, but the Dutch came, at first with demands and later bearing arms, accusing the rajas of raiding wrecked ships. The first
attempts of the Dutch ended in defeat or a stalemate. In 1849 a reinforced expedition captured the Buleleng stronghold of Jagaraga, after a fierce weeklong battle. In 1882 the Dutch imposed direct colonial rule upon Buleleng and Jembrana.
Singaraja became their capital and chief port and remained the seat of the colonial Indonesian government for the old Nusa Tenggara province (the Lesser Sunda Islands) until 1953. About
Royal Palace of Singaraja : About Bali's Lontar Palm Leaf Manuscripts
Being exposed to European influence for much longer than other parts of Bali, Singaraja has often been in the forefront of changes in the arts, fashion (wearing the kebaya began here), and political and social movements.
As an important shipping center, Singaraja has a cosmopolitan flavor about it. The population of 15,000 comprises many ethnic and religious groups. It is not unusual to see an Islamic procession pass before a Chinese temple flanked by office
buildings of European design. Residential sections of the town are named after such immigrant groups as the Bugis of Sulawesi, the Javanese and the Chinese. After the bustle of the South, Singaraja seems subdued and no longer a leader amongst
Balinese towns. A legacy from Dutch times, however, is its continuing importance as an educational center. The city also houses a historical library, the Gedung Kirtya,, Singaraja's unique lontar library, is the storehouse of Balinese
manuscripts, totaling about 3,000 and is is situated near Puri Agung Buleleng, the Royal Palace of
Singaraja. Lontar book-leaves made from the lontar palm is cut in strips and preserved between two pieces of precious wood and contains literature, mythology, historical chronicles, architecture, philosophy, genealogy, homepathy, 'usada'
(medical manuscripts), black magic and religious treatises, some works relatively new, others almost a millennium old. miniature pictures which are incised on the leaves with an iron stylus and are masterpieces in the art of illustration. Prasati,
metal plates inscribed with royal edicts of the early Pejeng-Bedulu dynasty, are among the earliest written documents found in Bali.
Buleleng is the island's chief coffee growing area. Freighters anchored off the harbor load this cargo for export to Europe and the Orient. The climate here is drier than in the south. Rather than rice, the fields yield Indian corn, oranges and
crops of dry agriculture. The main temples of North Bali are located near Singaraja. If there is time, a pleasant drive further east between stately colonnades of trees leads to Yeh Sanih, a shimmering pool of blue green, flowing from underground
springs. The clear waters have been enclosed to make a most refreshing place to swim. All along the northern shore are sea temples.
Each year in the second half of August another unique, cultural event, the "Pesta Kesenian Bali, Buleleng", is organized in Singaraja. This annual festival, which lasts for three days, takes place at the "Sasana Budaya" building
near the Royal Palace of Singaraja.
The Royal Palace of Singaraja, Puri Agung Buleleng, was originally built by Ki Gusti Anglurah Pandji Sakti on March 30th, 1604. This became the beginning of the Kingdom of Buleleng and Singaraja, the capital
town of the regency of Buleleng. When the Dutch made their first incursion onto Balinese Soil in the mid 19th century (1846-1849), the old palace was destroyed. In 1929, I Gusti Putu Djlantik, the son of I Gusti Ngurah Ktut Djlantik (the exiled
king) was appointed by the Dutch to be the regent of Buleleng and then in 1938 he was appointed to be the zelfbestuurder-Raja of Buleleng and was since known as Anak Agung Putu Djlantik. The Royal Palace was rebuilt by Anak Agung Putu Djlantik,
and together with the Dutch he founded the lontar library, Gedung Kirtya, in the front part of Puri area in June 1928.
The traditional morning market Pasar Anyar in central Singaraja, is best visited in the cool hours just before sunrise and offers visitors a great opportunity to taste some of the hectic, local market
atmosphere with hundreds of stalls lit by oil lamps, selling all kinds of products like vegetables, fruit, meat, spices, flowers for offerings, Balinese cakes, clothes, chinaware, household products, and so on. |
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