History
During the 14th century northern Bali came under the rule of the Javanese
nobles of east Bali's Gelgel dynasty. In 1584 the legendary Panji Sakti
built a palace called Puri Sukasada where Singaraja is today, extending
his rule all the way to east Java. Panji Sakti broke with the overlords
of the south and established a powerful maritime kingdom, which survived
through 12 generations and into the mid-19th century. In 1814, while Sir
Stamford Raffles was busy founding Singapore, a British force spent several
months here.
Alarmed at the increasing involvement of the
English in the region, the Dutch were next on the scene. Determined to
grab all the islands of the Indies for themselves, the Dutch in 1846 sent
ashore a military expedition to capture Singaraja, then known as Buleleng.
The attack ended in a stalemate and a shaky treaty was signed with the
ruling princes.
Two years later, the troops of Prince Gusti
Ketut Jelantik lured a Dutch force to the town of Jagaraga, killing 264
Hollanders and mercenaries while losing 2,000 of their own men. In 1849,
a much larger and better equipped Dutch engaged the Balinese; a Dutch general
was killed and Jelantik committed suicide by poison. Although the Balinese
were extraordinarily brave, they were no match for the repeating rifles
and modern howitzers of the Dutch. Another truce led to the 1855 separation
of Buleleng from Jembrana, and the regency became the first on the island
to fall under the direct political control of the empire-building Dutch.
Singaraja became the district's capital in
1882, and served as a major transshipment point for Nusatenggara throughout
the colonial period. The descendants of the local regent became bureaucratic
officials in the employ of the Dutch. Feudal rule came to an end here a
full 60 years prior to colonization of the more bucolic south. Even today
northern Bali retains an anachronistic European air, the caste system ignored
and the social order centering more on the family than on the communalized,
institutionalized agricultural banjar of the south. Because of their
strong egalitarian spirit, the cosmopolitan and well-mannered people of
Buleleng are considered kasar by other Balinese.
In 1945 Anak Agung Panji Tisna, an 11th generation
descendant of the Gelgel dynasty, became the first Balinese king to convert
to Christianity. Tisna was the son of Anak Agung Putu Jelantik, who wrote
much of Buleleng's history on lontar. His new faith, coupled with
the perception that he was more artist and writer than ruler, drove Tisna
to resign as raja in 1947; he was replaced by his brother. When Tisna died
in 1978 he became the first Balinese king to be buried and not cremated.
Economy
The regency is an important cattle export center and a major coffee,
vanilla, nutmeg, cocoa, and clove-growing district. Since Buleleng's climate
is drier than that of the south, Indian corn, copra, and fruits such as
mangoes, mangosteen, bananas, passion fruit, and avocados can be grown
here. The latest cash crop is red grapes, the sweetest in all Bali, cultivated
on bamboo frames in the hills overlooking the coast. The island's best
and stinkiest durian come from Bestala near Munduk Village. Several shrimp
cultivation farms lie west of Lovina.
Singaraja, Buleleng's capital, has been an
important educational and cultural center since the Dutch were here; the
education faculty of Denpasar's Udayana University is based here. Tourism
is a nascent but burgeoning industry. Though not as culturally rich as
the classical southern half of the island, tourists are attracted to Buleleng's
cheaper prices and stretch of relatively quiet beaches, dotted with inexpensive
accommodations and restaurants. Shallow reefs offshore offer some of the
island's most accessible snorkeling and dolphin-watching opportunities.
Architecture
The temple architecture of northern Bali differs considerably from
the stiff classical lines carved of gray sandstone in south Bali. The soft
pink paras quarried near Singaraja allow northern sculptors more
exuberance. Because the stone ages so quickly, carving is an art form kept
constantly alive. In the north, stones are chosen for their color, white
or brown, and are often painted.
Homeowners here paint their own pura paibon
to deified ancestors and saints. These temples are more prevalent in the
northern mountain villages than in the south.
Though the interior layout is basically the
same as in South Bali temples, small shrines are replaced by one or two
large pedestals containing houses for the deities placed in the innermost
courtyard and built of elaborately carved tiered stone and covered by a
single roof. Frequently, this flamelike pedestal supports a throne of the
sun god.
Steep flights of narrow steps lead to airy
thrones and shrines, scale is exaggerated, and the tall, dynamic, flowing
candi bentar are covered with spiky, flame-like shapes, arabesques,
and spirals studded with leyak, supernatural beings, and sea creatures.
On the earthy, whimsical, cartoonlike bas reliefs of Buleleng, you'll see
baroque gone wild—images of plump Dutchmen cramped into a motorcar, men
drinking beer and cranking cars, people copulating in the bushes, men riding
bicycles composed of leaves and flowers.
Getting There
Reach Buleleng by crossing Bali's central mountain range on one of
the island's two main roads, both of which pass crater lakes and offer
spectacular scenery. If you have your own transport, take the fastest route
to Singaraja from Denpasar via Bedugul, then return to Denpasar via Kintamani,
a roundtrip covering most of Bali's mountainous backbone. Also approach
Buleleng from Gilimanuk along the northwest coast and from Amlapura along
the scantily populated northeast coast. A third northbound road from Denpasar
crosses the mountains (Gunung Batukau and Gunung Catur) through the coffee-growing
district of Pupuan, offering impressive, hair-raising views.