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 Bangli
is a small, sleepy town lying on the border between central and
eastern Bali. It seems at first to contain nothing but concrete
buildings and empty streets, which only become crowded on market
and festival days. But Bangli is an old city, which may have been
founded as early as A.D. 1204, judging from a stele in the famous
Pura Kehen temple.
The market lies at the center of the town, partly obscured by shops.
On market days, the stalls spill into the street and customers flock
here from the surrounding area to buy produce and manufactured goods.
Opposite is the bus station, flanked by a row of shops owned by
Chinese and Balinese merchants.
For most Balinese, Bangli is in fact the object of some ridicule;
when someone says "I come from Bangli," everyone immediately
bursts into laughter. The reason is that Bali's only mental hospital
is located here - a pleasantly-situated institution with beautiful
grounds that was started by the Dutch.
Physically and socially, the town is dominated by the puri or palaces
of the royal family. The Bangli courts established their independence
from Klungkung in the 19th century and played an influential role
in Balinese politics through to the post-independence era. Eight
royal households spread around the main crossroads. The most prominent
is the Puri Denpasar, the palace of the last raja of Bangli, who
died three decades ago. Much of the palace has been restored by
his descendants, and there is now a small hotel in the pavilions
run by the raja's grandson. The royal ancestral temple lies just
to the north of the crossroads, on the western side. Huge ceremonies
are held here, attended by all descendants of the royal house, including
many who live in other parts of Indonesia.
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