Julian Davison - Balinese Architecture

Bibliography

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Balinese Architecture and Belief Systems

The archetypal Balinese residencefrom the humblest abode to the grandest palacereflects an ancient architectural tradition which has its origins, at least in part, in India. Metaphysics, Hindu religious beliefs, cosmology, ritual, function, and climate all combine to determine the location, shape and function of buildings.

Divided in Three

The tripartite division of the universe dovetails with the concept of tri angga , which assumes that everything in the natural world can be divided into three parts. Utama , which denotes things that are high or above, is identified with mountains and, by extension, the gods who dwell there, heaven and the ancestors, and all that is pure or sacred. Nista denotes things that are low or below, including the sea and any malevolent spirits, hell and the dead, the impure and the profane. Man occupies the middle ground of madya , the mundane world of everyday existence, a hinterland that stretches from the seashore to the foothills of the central mountain range. The human body can be similarly divided into three parts-head, torso, and feet. This tripartite scheme of things extends to the components of the simplest built structurethe base, the walls or posts, and the roof.

Most often, the Balinese residence comprises a collection of low-profile pavilions set in a walled compound ( pekarangan ), surrounded by fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. Each building is placed on a low plinth and surmounted by a hipped roof clad with clay pantiles or grass thatch. Some structures are open-sided, while others are enclosed by masonry walls. Each building has a specific function.

Microcosm and Macrocosm

Balinese architecture is grounded in a metaphysics that presents the universe as an integrated whole, where each part participates in the existence of every other part, and where the microcosm is perceived as a reflection of the macrocosm.

Correct orientation in space, combined with ideas of ritual purity and pollution, are key concepts, providing a cosmological framework for maintaining a harmony between man and the rest of the universe. This view of the world derives from the Hindu idea of a divine cosmic order (dharma).

Balinese Hinduism

Indian religious beliefs in Southeast Asia date from the time of Christ when Indian merchants first developed trade links with the region. Balinese Hinduism, however, probably owes more to Javanese influences between the 14th and 16th centuries than it does directly to the Indian subcontinent. This was the era of the mighty East Javanese Majapahit empire (1292-c. 1525) whose political and cultural influence at its height extended over much of the Indonesian archipelago, including Bali. The Majapahit dynasty was the last in a long line of Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms in Java which in earlier centuries had been responsible for building the great temple complexes at Borobudur and Prambanan.