Balinese Palaces

In traditional Hindu cosmology, the territory of the kingdom was conceived, in symbolic terms, as replicating the universe as a whole, a microcosm of the macrocosm. In this respect, the seat of the ruler, which ideally was situated at or near the geographical centre of the kingdom, was seen not only as the ultimate source of temporal power but also as a cosmological and ritual centre. The two aspects of power went hand in hand, for the ruler in Classical Indonesia was regarded as divinely appointed.

• Balinese Kingdoms

Following the conquest of Bali by the East Javanese Majapahit kingdom in the early 14th century, a vassal king was installed at Samprangan, near present-day Gianyar, who owed his allegiance to Java. The island was effectively a dependency of Java until the start of the 15th century, but, as Majapahit fortunes waned, Bali gradually gained its autonomy from Java and, following the collapse of Majapahit in the early years of the 16th century, grew to be an imperial power in its own right under the leadership of king Waturenggong. By the end of the next century Bali had fragmented into several lesser kingdoms. These survive today as eight regencies (kabupaten), Bali`s local government departments.

• At the Centre

The palace (puri) of the local dynastic ruler (raja) and his family should be auspiciously sited, ideally within the kaja-kangin quadrant formed by the crossroads at the centre of town. In practice, local circumstances and history may determine otherwise. For example, there may be more than one palace complex. At Karangasem, an older palace was left by the founders of a new dynasty to senior relatives, while for younger relatives; where two earlier palaces occupy the centre of Bangli, the principal one is situated in the town`s kaja-kangin quadrant.

• Palace Layout

The palace resembles the basic pattern established for the residential compound of the common man, for it is laid put according to the same rules of the Balinese compass rose. For palaces, however, the grid-like division of the area enclosed by the perimeter walls is given a physical reality, with walls and doorways dividing the palace precincts into a series of the interconnected courtyards.

• The Dynastic Temple

The kaja-kangin sector of the grid is occupied, predictably, by the family temple (pemerajan) of the ruler, which in this instance forms a kind of cosmic centre of the public on ceremonial occasion and is approached from the kauh side of the palace complex via two intermediary courtyard (jaba and jaba tengah). The first of these should ideally be situated on the western side of the palace complex and is entered from outside the palace walls via a ceremonial, split gateway (candi bentar). The second courtyard is used for the preparation of offerings and the reception of guests attending palace ceremonies. This courtyard is completely enclosed on all sides and is entered from the outer courtyard by another ceremonial gateway called a kori agung, which has a lintel and doors that can be shut. The kori agung is usually quite an ornate structure, with statuary and carvings intended to deter malevolent influences from entering the inner sanctum of the royal temple. The aling-aling wall inside the gateway is also decorated with reliefs, which often allude the date of construction. The door way the kori agung is opened only on ceremonial occasions, with every day access afforded by a smaller, less elaborate door to one side.
The sanctum sanctorum of the royal family temple (jero-dalem) contains the ancestral shrines of the ruling dynasty, which are much the same as the other family shrines except that they are usually more numerous and more elaborately ornamented.
There will also be meru towers dedicated to the gods. The number of tiered roofs (tumpang) is always uneven; the exact count depends on the nature of the deity to whom the structure is dedicated and the status of the person responsible for its erection. For example, a raja who dedicates a meru to Siwa is entitled to build the maximum number of tumpang-eleven.

• Raja`s Residential Quarters

The most important of the three residential courts that occupy the central row of the palace complex is the middle one, which is where the raja and his family live. A wall bisects the court along an east-west axis and symbolizes the division between the public and private lives of the ruler.
The kelod half (pelataran rangki) is the public domain and is reached by members of the public from the kelod end the palace complex. This court has a bale gede where important lifecycle rituals relating to members of the royal family take place and there is also likely to be a pavilion to house important guests.
The kaja half of the central court is called the saren agung and this is occupied by the ruler and immediate family. The main building here is the living quarters (ukiran) of the raja himself. This should ideally be located exactly in the middle of the palace complex where it is divided in two by the wall that separates the central courtyard into its kaja and kelod halves. In this respect, the ukiran is located on the border of the public and private domains. The ukiran`s distinguished status is signaled by its pointed roof; all the other buildings have hipped roofs, except for the family shrines and the meru towers.

• The Royal Family Members

To the east of the most central court lies the saren kangin, the residential quarters for the royalty not in the ruler`s immediate family-usually an order branch of the incumbent royal family. The basic layout of the saren kangin resembles the typical residential compound, arranged around a central natar, with family shrines in the kaja kangin corner, an umah meten to the west of this and a bale gede to the east. The western counterpart of the saren kangin is the saren kauh, where junior members of the royal family live-for example, the raja`s younger brother.