Just another day in Ubud? (Part 1)

What is there to do in Ubud when you’ve been to the most popular sites? Sometimes something different happens.

Ubud is often described as the cultural soul and heartland of Bali. Sometimes mass tourism destroys what it comes to see, but in Ubud that hasn’t happened. Ubud is not the unique artistic village of 70 years ago but the great increase in visitor numbers has not destroyed its charm and attraction.

During our first 3 days we covered many of the popular attractions so what were we to do on our final day? Would it be just another day in Ubud?

The Balinese operate 2 calendars of different cycle length in addition to the standard western calendar. They have many special days and holidays, and some days are deemed to be especially auspicious for important ceremonies and events. As luck would have it, Sunday 3rd October, was an especially auspicious day.

Our first stop was the Royal Palace. The issue of “Royalty” in Ubud is confusing. The local “royals” span many connected families. They trace their origins back to a split between princes in the court in nearby Peliatan. Dutch rule from 1906 effectively ended their legal powers but the kings and princes still have sentimental support, influence, prestige, and wealth. Many members of the Ubud family operate business in Ubud, and there are many sites described as “Puri” or “palace.” Australia has a strong connection with the Ubud royal family as Australian women have married into the family and some members have studied in Australia.

 

Decorated Palace Gate


 On this day Puri Saren Agung palace was the setting for traditional celebrations of the wedding of the king, Tjokorda Bagus Dwi Santana Max Kerthayasa, to Happy Selma, an actress & artist from Jakarta. She is a Muslim, and that led to some complications and questions about the significance of some of the rituals. In fact they had sidestepped some problems by earlier marrying in a civil ceremony in Sydney. I learned this from often conflicting stories in the local media and online (so it must be true!).

 Uniformed palace officials checked that only guests were admitted but allowed interested onlookers to look through the gates into the courtyard. We sat in the shade of an adjacent pavilion and watched as the streams of guests arrived, and traffic tried to negotiate the obstructions and road closures.

A quick glimpse at activities in the court yard

On the pavilion’s stage we watched dancers apply makeup, dress in their splendid traditional costumes, and then wait for their time to perform at the palace.

Dancers - dressed and waiting for their call

A final check that makeup is just right

We are on at last

It would be an all-day affair so after a couple of hours we moved on to Jalan Hanoman.


To be continued  (Part 2 to follow soon).

See also the Blog entry  “Photo gallery - Just another day in Ubud”.