Kerta Gosa is a historical landmark building in the form ofa court in the Kingdom of Klungkung, Bali. This building was once part of aKlungkung Kingdom palace complex. Unlike most court buildings, kerta Gosa ismade very beautifully.
It shows the cultural richness of the Balinese people,especially in the field of architecture. After the Kingdom of Klungkung was nolonger in power, Kerta Gosa began toswitch functions. Along with the progress of tourism, Kerta Gosa is now apopular tourist destination in East Bali.
Location
The complete address of Taman KertaGosa is on Jl. KenangaNo.11, Semarapura Kelod, Kec. Klungkung, Klungkung Regency. This park is about40 km from the city of Denpasar, with a very good road infrastructure. You canvisit this park by taking a tour or renting a private vehicle.
Even though it is not exactly a temple for worshipingHindu’s Deities, there are still conditions to enter the park. All touristswere allowed to enter after wearing sashs and sarongs. The entrance ticket tothis park is Rp. 12,000 per person, the price includes a rent for a sarong anda sash.
Kerta Gosa building structure
There are two main buildings in this park; Bale Kambang andBale Kerta Gosa. Bale Kambang is a building that stands above a pond. This pondis called Taman Gili. On the Bale Kambang ceiling there is a puppet paintingthat tells about the Sutasoma Epic from Java. The main character in this storyis Prince Sutasoma.
Bale Kerta Gosa is an open hall with many beautiful details.On the ceiling of this hall there are puppet paintings telling about spiritual lessonsand guidance. Every part of this painting tells a different theme. Some teachabout Karma, some other about reincarnation, or the journey of human life toNirvana.
Kerta Gosa function
Currently, Kerta Gosa is not much more than a tourist destination. This used to be a place for the Royal family to carry out important religious rituals. During the Dutch occupation, this place became a court. Kerta Gosa was one of three buildings that were not destroyed by the Dutch after they succeeded in winning the war against the Kingdom of Klungkung in the early 20th century.
Three survivors
Bale Kambang, Bale Kerta Gosa, and Taman Gili are the only remaining structures after the Dutch destroyed the Semarapura Palace complex. This palace was destroyed after the Klungkung Kingdom led by the Dewa Agung Jambe carried out an all-out war on Dutch occupation and lost. If you are interested in the history of this kingdom, you can come to a museum that is located at a walking distance from this complex.
This place is a park with a very long history. This park is part of the Klungkung Royal Palace and was built from the 17th century and partially completed in the 18th century. Kerta Gosa can be an attractive stopover destination when you visit East Bali.