Kertha Gosa.

Regency / City: Klungkung

As a former kingdom, It makes sense that  Klungkung has many heritages which currently become tourist attractions. One of them is Taman Gili and Kerta Gosa, a cultural heritage of Semarapura Palace, Klungkung. Kerta Gosa is a building (bale) which is part of the palace complex. Semarapura was built around the year 1686 by the first holder of the throne of power and the kingdom of Klungkung Ida I Dewa Agung Jambe.

Kertagosa consists of two buildings (Bale), Bale Kambang and Kerta Gosa. It is called Bale Kambang because the building is surrounded by a pool of Taman Gili. The Uniqueness of Kerta Gosa and Bale Kambang is on the ceiling surface. The ceiling is decorated with traditional painting style of Kamasan (a village in Klungkung) or style of puppet that is very popular among the people of Bali. At first, the paintings that decorate the ceiling of the building was made of cloth and parba. Since 1930 it has been replaced and built on top of the plasterboard and then restored in accordance with the original image and remains intact until now. As the cultural heritage of Semarapura Palace, Kerta Gosa and Bale Kambang was used to try the case and a place where religious ceremonies are held especially cut teeth (mepandes) for sons and daughters of the king.

The function of these two buildings is closely related to the function of education through puppet paintings presented at the ceiling of the building. Therefore, the paintings is a series of a story that takes the main theme parwa Swargarokanaparwa and Bima Swarga who guide the punishment karma phala (result of the merits of human acts committed during his life) as well as re-incarnation into the world because of the deeds and sin.. Therefore it is not wrong to say that psychologically, the themes of paintings that decorate the ceiling of Kerta Gosa building contains the values ​​of mental and spiritual education. The painting is divided into six rows of terraces.

Bottom row illustrates the theme of the story coming from Tantric. The second row from the bottom illustrates the theme of the story in Swargarakanaparwa Bimaswarga. The next row of Kasyapa Bagawan. The theme of the fourth row is Palalindon, that is  the characteristics or the meaning and significance of the earthquake mythologically Continued story taken from the theme Bimaswarga describable on the fifth row of  the ceiling of the building. The last row or sixth is occupied by a picture of the life of nirvana. In addition to the roof of the building, puppet paintings also decorate the ceiling of the building of Bale Kambang. On the palate of Bale Kambang the theme of the puppet paintings is taken from the Ramayana and Sutasoma Kakawin story. Taking the theme originating from kakawin yanga provides clues that the functions of  Bale Kambang is a place to hold religious ceremonies, Manusa Yadnya, i.e  cutting teeth of sons and daughters of the king in Klungkung. The attraction of Kerta Gosa other than the traditional style of Kamasan painting in Bale Kambang and Kerta Gosa, other important relics around that can not be separated in terms of historical value is great pemedal (the gate / gate). Great Pemedal is located on west Kerta Gosa and  embodies value of cultural heritage.  This Great Pemedal also containes artistic value of traditional Balinese architecture. This gate once served as a support mechanism to the holder of the throne (the Supreme Deity) in Klungkung for over 200 years (1686-1908).

In the event of war against the Dutch military expedition known as Puputan Klungkung on April 28, 1908, the last holder of the throne Jambe Dewa Agung and his followers killed.(Records of these events are now immortalized in a monument Puputan Klungkung  located across Kerta Gosa). After the defeat of the core building Semarapura palace is destroyed and turned into residential places. The highest remaining debris is Kerta Gosa, Bale Kambang with its Gili Garden and the Gate that turned out to be a very interesting object both in terms of tourism and culture, especially historical studies.

Kerta Gosa was also once functioned as the court hall during the Dutch colonial bureaucracy in Klungkung (1908-1942) and since the appointment of indigenous people to be the kingdom’s chief regional officer (Ida I Dewa Agung Klungkung State) in 1929. In fact, the chair of the court fixtures and carved wooden desk are still there. The objects are evidence of customary courts Traditional relics like the one prevailing in Klungkung in the colonial period (1908-1942) and the period of Japanese occupation (1043-1945). In 1930, restoration of puppet paintings contained in Kerta Gosa and Bale Kambang was done by the artists of Kamasan painting.Restoration of the last painting was  done in 1960.