Bali Culture: Bali Kerta Gosa

The village market is a focal point of great interest to the visitor, and no opportunity should be lost to stroll in one, to examine the variety and range of goods offered for sale, to savour the smells of coconut oil, dried fish, flowers and spices, and to enjoy moving amongst the crowd of women who are either semi-nude or dressed in most colourful and attractive costumes (Plate 5). Every purchase made calls for bargaining, which lends great animation to the proceedings. In larger towns such as Denpasar itself, the markets are held in permanent locations on concrete floors and are less informal, but nevertheless well worth visiting. As villages grow in size and importance they divide into smaller sections, similar to the wards of a western city. Each ward really corresponds to one of the original villages making tip the larger one and it runs its own affairs just as the village itself does. Each of these subdivisional communities is called a band jar. Each band jar controls its own section of the village property and functions locally with its own council of members tinder its own leader, the klian band jar. Each band jar takes part in the desa activities as a whole. In these cases each band jar will generally have its own small temple, its own meeting place (the ball band jar) and may own some common property for loan to members, the village orchestras, dancing costumes and masks.
Where villages become large enough to become towns, and where these towns become the centres of principalities or regions of government, their character changes markedly. The same basic system of development and government exists but on an expanded scale, with so many repetitive elements as to obscure the central picture, and with the admixture of Chinese and Indian traders and their shops to further colour the scene. In addition the western influence is now becoming noticeable in places such as Denpasar. In these larger towns, where formerly Radjas or Princes held power, they lived in puri, or palaces, which still exist although used for other purposes. These palaces were large editions of the village family compound-areas divided into many intercommunicating courtyards surrounded by brick walls, adorned with stone carvings and beautified with trees, gardens and substantial pavilion buildings often ornately carved, including the ancestral shrines. The puri of the Radja of Battling can still be seen in Denpasar. This is now an exhibition centre for a number of painters and artists. The puri of the Tjokorde of Ubud can be seen at Ubud. This has now become a tourist hotel. The part played by the krama desa as a court of appeal in the village to settle differences and administer the village law has already been discussed. The Balinese prefer to settle their differences at this level and make every effort to do so. Formerly, when these efforts failed, the final appeal was made to the official tribunal at one of the seats of regional government, the kerta. The courts of the kerta were composed of three Brahmanic priests acting as judges, assisted by lawyers or a prosecutor where necessary. The courts were held in special buildings built on high stone platforms so that the proceedings were visible to all. The Kerta Gosa, the old courthouse of Klungkung, is an example. This famous court. house is beautifully carved and decorated and the underside of the roof is covered with frescoes depicting the punishments awaiting the wrongdoer in hell. In the kerta the law was dispensed strictly according to the rules. The judges reached a decision after hearing all the evidence. No one spoke unless he was addressed by the court. An absentee, or even one whose case was poorly presented, lost his suit. Curiously, the oath was taken by the winner after the verdict was given. This was done at a special religious ceremony conducted for the purpose, and false swearing of an impor. tant and serious oath might result in eternal purgatory for the person concerned and all his relations and descendants. The courts of the kerta are mentioned here because every visitor to Bali will wish to visit the famous Kerta Gosa at Klungkung (Plate 49) and will wish to understand its purport. Nowadays, however, the Balinese are subject to the national laws of the Republic of Indonesia administered by courts expressly set tip for the purpose by the Government. The new courthouse at Klungkung may be seen adjacent to the old Kerta Gosa.