Jembrana is the
area of Bali least visited by tourists. This means that
tourist facilities are less developed here than elsewhere,
but it also means this is a great place to get off the beaten
tourist track. Visitors to Jembrana should not expect to
sleep in air-conditioned hotels with hot running water,
or to converse in English with every shopkeeper and waiter.
It requires some initiative to unearth the treasures, which
the area has to offer, but most visitors will find it well
worth the effort.
Jembrana's
main population centers are all found along the 71 kms of
road that hug the southwestern coast. You can reach it from
Singaraja via the wild, dry forests of the north, or from
Denpasar by way of the vast rice fields and brilliant coastline
of Tabanan.
The ferry from
Java berths at the town of Gilimanuk at Jembrana's western
tip. To the east, a mountain road winds down from an elevation
of 798 in at the Buleleng border to the town of Pekutatan
on the main coastal road. Traversing fragrant clove and
vanilla plantations that at one point pass the tangled aerial
roots of a giant bunut tree, this little-known road offers
spectacular view across to Java and is the most scenic way
to enter Jembrana.
Three kms west
of Pekutatan village, on the left coming from Denpasar,
is the entrance to Medewi Beach - a black sand beach with
a pounding surf. This beach is one of the best-kept secrets
in Bali.
Temple of
the sacred hair
The most important
temple in Jembrana is Pura Rambut Siwi, which lies about
20 kms west of the Tabanan border by the village of Yehembang.
Its entrance is marked by a small shrine at the edge of
the road, where Balinese travelers stop briefly to pray
for safety in their journey. Two hundred meters from the
main road lies the main temple complex, perched on a cliff
at the edge of the ocean.
Pura Rambut Siwi
is an important monument to the priest Danghyang Nirartha,
who came to Bali from Java during the decline the Majapahit
Kingdom in the hopes of for fortifying Balinese Hinduism
against the spread of Islam occurring elsewhere in the archipelago.
Between 1546 and 1550 he traveled through the island teaching
and unifying the Hindu populace. According to legend, he
stopped pray at a village temple at Yeh Embang, and made
a gift of his hair to the temple. Since that time it has
been known as Rambut Siwi, which means "worship of
the hair."
The complex consists
of three temple enclosures in a setting of great natural
beauty. The first one you encounter as you enter from the
main road is the largest and most important, the Pura Luhur
where Danghyang Nirartha's hair is kept. A majestic candi
bentar or split gate on the southern wall of the inner courtyard
opens onto the cliff, offering dramatic views of the surf
below. Gnarled frangipani trees litter the ground with fragrant
blossoms, and incense burns at the feet of moss covered
stone statues swathed in white cloth.
From Pura Luhur
you can walk east along the top of the cliff to a winding
stone stairway that descends to Pura Penataran, the original
temple where Danghyang Nirartha is believed to have prayed.
When the Balinese worship at Rambut Siwi they first enter
this temple.
Walking back
westward along the beach. You pass a small shrine at the
entrance to a cave in the cliff wall. This cave is said
to be the lair of mystical animals the duwe or holy beast
of the temple. A well at the mouth of the cave is a source
of holy water that is salt free despite its proximity to
the ocean. Just beyond the cave, another stairway leads
back up to the temple. Perched on the edge of the cliff
here is the tiny Pura Melanting where merchants stop to
pray for prosperity.
A large open-air
performance pavilion and two gazebos set amidst lily ponds
to the west of Pura Luhur are excellent places to rest and
enjoy a panorama of rice fields and white wave crests curling
against the black sand coastline as far as the eye can see.
Continuing west
along the main road, another important temple is situated
along the coast southwest of Mendoyo. This is Pura Gede
Prancak, where Danghyang Nirartha is believed to have first
landed. A peaceful shrine of white stone here sits on the
banks of the placid Prancak River, which empties into the
sea about 100 in south of the temple.
To reach it,
turn left off the main road in Tegal cangkring, 8 kms west
of Rambut Siwi and follow a narrow back road one and a half
kms to an intersection marked by a monument. Turn right
and continue west about 9 kms. The temple is on your right
where the road turns south along the Prancak River.
At the time of
Danghyang Nirartha's arrival, this area was controlled by
the debauched ruler, Gusti Ngurah Rangsasa, who obliged
the newcomer to pray in his temple. When the holy priest
complied, the temple structures collapsed. Gusti Ngurah
Rangsasa then fled and the community rebuilt the temple
in honor of Danghyang Nirartha and his teachings.
Tones of the
giant bamboo
Jembrana
is home to a number of fascinating art forms found nowhere
else. By far the most popular and thriving of these is the
fabulous Gamelan Jegog, a big bamboo orchestra whose deep,
resonating tones vibrate through the air almost every night
in Jembrana.
Gamelan Jegog
is an ensemble of fourteen bamboo instruments so big and
resonant that their vibrations are felt by the body as much
as the ears. The biggest are so tall that musicians have
to sit on top of them in order to play them by striking
the keys with heavy mallets. These larger instruments play
low pitched melodies, while the smaller ones spin out intricately
syncopated variations with dazzling precision and speed.
The result is a dense, multi-layered fabric of sound, above
which a single bamboo flute trills a sweet, sinuous melody.
The most prevalent
form of jegog today is the awesome Jegog Mebarung where
two or more orchestras perform together. Each plays in turn,
pitting their skills against one another in a fierce musical
battle. Jegog mebarung is an unforgettable event to witness.
The instruments sway back and forth, the musician's bob
up and down, and the onlookers cheer enthusiastically, occasionally
helping the musicians to replace a broken key. The winner
is the ensemble that can make itself heard above the frenzy.
Jegogs are also
evaluated for their visual appearance. The wooden components
of the instruments are all finely carved and brightly painted,
with tall ceremonial umbrellas and handsome statues affixed
to the big instruments in the back.
Other
interesting art forms of the area include the Jegog Dance,
as unique as the gamelan itself, Pencak Silat, which is
a mixture of choral singing, theater, martial arts and acrobatics,
supervised by a sharp-tongued jester named Dag, and a daredevil
knife dance called Cabang. All of these have roots in the
performing arts of Java, Madura, and the Malay world. In
recent times, traditional Balinese dances and dramas from
the gamelan gong repertoire have been set to jegog music,
and these renditions have become even more popular than
the originals.
Kendang Mebarung,
a contest of giant drums, shares the competitive spirit
of jegog mebarung. The contest is between two oversized
drums, each 2 to 3 meters in length and one meter in diameter,
accompanied by abbreviated gamelan angk1ung ensemble. When
the drums compete, at cremation ceremonies, national holidays,
or simply for pub' lic entertainment, the drummers play
interlocking rhythms that challenge each other's resonance,
volume, and rhythmic dexterity.
Another type
of ensemble indigenous to Jembrana is the Bumbung Gebyog.
Eight to twelve lengths of bamboo of varying pitches are
struck on the ground in rhythmically intricate, interlocking
patterns. Probably the only music in Bali that originated
and has remained the preserve of women, bumbung gebyog derives
from the pounding of newly harvested rice in the lesung
to remove husks. Nowadays it is performed on national holidays
and at ceremonies related to rice agriculture, usually accompanied
by narrative dances or the playful Ngibing Dance where spectators
may take turns dancing with dancer.
There are no
regularly scheduled performances, so you will have to hunt
a little to see any of the above. Of the 46 jegog ensembles
in Jembrana, the champion today is Jegog Niti Swara in the
town of Tegalcangkrin Jegog Suar Agung in Sankar Agung near
Negara is also well known for their presention of the new
style of jegog dance and drama. To see them, it may be necessary
to commission a performance.
Contact Ida Bagus
Raka Negara in Tegalcangkring for assistance. It costs about
$80 to arrange a jegog performance, and you should book
a few days in advance. Bumbung gebyog and kendang mebarung
are less common today; Ida Bagus Raka Negara can nevertheless
help locate or commission one. Another source of information
is the Office of Fducation and Culture (Kantor Pendidikan
dan Kebudayaan) in Negara.
Off to the
races
The water buffalo
races of west Bali, known as Mekepung and imported by the
local Madurese population, are the most dramatic of Jembrana's
events. Throughout the westernmost districts, it is still
common to see a team of brawny, grey or pink buffalo pulling
wooden carts filled with cacao, coffee or bananas. Mekepung
began when farmers playfield raced their neighbors in plowing
a field or in bringing the harvest home. The races soon
became an event in themselves, and the cumbersome cikar
carts were replaced by light, two-wheeled chariots.
Today, the races
are organized by the regional government of Jembrana. All
participants are members of a racing club (sekehe mekepung)
and are divided into two divisions: a Western Block and
an Eastern Block, with the Ijo Gading River that bisects
Jembrana as the dividing line. These teams compete biannually,
in the Regent's Cup Championship on the Sunday before Indonesian
Independence Day in August, and the Governor's Cup Championship
each September or October.
The buffaloes
in each team are ranked prior to the races, and pitted against
its counterpart on the other team. Two pairs run at a time,
along a circuitous 4 km route. The team with the most winners
takes the cup. Apart from this, the only immediate reward
for winning is prestige, but owning a prize buffalo does
eventually translate into money. A good race animal can
fetch almost double the normal price, if its owner is willing
to part with it.
If you are in
Jembrana between August and October you can find out the
time and place of the championships by visiting the Department
of Tourism in Negara. You can also see races at other times
of the year by commissioning a performance or by attending
the rehearsals that take place every other Sunday morning.
To find out about
these options, contact the leaders of the sekehe mekepung.
I Ketut Suelem or I Ketut Dibia in the town of Banyubiru,
five kilometers west of Negara, or I Ketut Wenong of Delod
Brawah, two kilometers southwest of Tegalcangkring. Rehearsals
may be infrequent during the rainy season (November through
March).
