Balines old house in Batuan Village, Sukawati District, Gianyar Regency. The house is owned by the Gung Aji family, foreigners call it Bali Traditional House Gung Aji. The house has a unique character and it’s still preserved in an ancient form whose walls still use clay. The structure of the building still uses wood and the roof uses thatching grass.
To build traditional houses in Bali there special guidelines are used, namely Asta Kosala Kosali and Tri Hita Karana. The meaning of Asta Kosala Kosali is the rules of spatial layout for the safety of its residents, like feng shui in Chinese culture. Meanwhile, Tri Hita Karana is the three causes to get prosperity that comes from the harmonious relationship between humans and:
– Gods who cover the family temple.
– The natural environment includes the yard of the house.
– Humans which includes all family members.
Many tourists both foreign and local have visited this house, there is no entrance fee ticket, but need to pay a donation.
First, of all, let’s look at the building architecture of the house which is specially designed according to its location. This is to determine of direction, location, and dimensions of the yard. It’s made by the provisions of the Balinese Hindu Religion. This Balinese old house whose structure consists of a small building surrounded by a wall. Each part of the house has a gate, WC toilet, kitchen, west pavilion, north pavilion, east pavilion, rice barn, guardian, and family temple. In the construction process, there are also quite sacred rules complete with ceremonial facilities. More details house compound architecture house complex as below.
The gate is the part of a Balinese old house which is used for entering and leaving. Its position is a bit south of the house yard so when someone enters the house they will pass through the front of the kitchen. Balinese believed if there are people with evil intentions who bring goods that will harm the occupants will burn by Lord Brahma (God of Fire). The structure of the building is made of solid stone with a tile roof. On both sides, there is a place to put offerings.
There is also a plate sign for the population census containing the name of the family head and the number of family members. After your pass the gate there is aling-aling which is a small wall as a screen. So the function is to make people out of the street who can’t see directly the activities of the family inside. The gate is also equipped with wooden doors.
The WC toilet with 2 rooms is located behind the kitchen which is used by the family to take a bath and clothes wash. The water is taken from the well beside the Jineng and also provided by the government water company.
The kitchen which is located south of other buildings that always follow the direction of the sea in south. In Bali south is the position of Lord Brahma as a symbol of the God of Fire. A kitchen room built for storage and food processing whose structure is a mixture of solid stone and clay. The roof is made of thatched grass. The place for cooking is still traditional made of bricks and cooking using firewood. You are also allowed in to have a look inside as the family are very friendly.
West Pavilion with its elongated building structure is made of stone on the floor and brick walls. The poles are made of wood and the upper frame is made of bamboo with a thatch roof. There is one room that is used for a teenager’s bedroom. The front is a courtyard that is used to receive guests. The front wall is used to hang family photos and Balinese calendars.
Next, let’s look at North Pavilion with its rectangular structure. The floor is made of marble and the walls are made of bricks mashed with clay. Part of the building is made of bamboo and wood with a thatched grass roof. There are four wooden supports in the front yard which are decorated with Petromax lamps. There is one room that is used for the bedroom of the head of the family. In front is an empty page that is used to relax family members.
On the east side, there is an east pavilion with an elongated structure. The floor is made of natural stone and the walls are made of bricks. The upper supporting part of the structure is combined with wood and bamboo. The roof is made from thatching grass. There are six wooden supports and in Bali, it is known as Bale Sake Enem. This pavilion bedroom is used by elderly family members even though the bed is open. East pavilion serves for the preparation and celebration of ceremonies for both family and community.
Rice Barn or granary (Jineng in Balinese) is a place to store rice after harvest. It’s located to the east of the kitchen and south of the family temple complex. The form of the building is a two-story made of a combination of wood and bamboo with a thatched roof. There are four wooden supports, the upper floor is used to store dry rice and the lower floor is used for making handicrafts.
Guardian Temple is also known as Sedahan Karang which is located northwest of the house yard. Its shrine has a shape of a small building, all made from solid stone. The function of the Temple is to protect family members from invisible mystical creatures (unseen or niskala).
Family Temple or Merajan is a complex of a sacred place for the family to carry out the worship ceremony. Therefore the temple was built in the northeast (kaje kangin), kaje in Balinese means a mountain is a sacred place in Bali. The temple consists of several shrines, namely Gate, Piasan, Taksu, Padmasari, Kemulan Rong Tiga, Penglurah and Dewahyang. The ceremony at the family temple will celebrate every 210 days. This is will follow the Balinese calendar of 30 months. Every month there are 7 days which are famous for Uku starting from Sinta, Landep, Ukir to Watugunung
Some other places located near Balinese Old House interesting to visit is Gunung Lebah Ubud Temple, Gianyar Night Market, Kanto Lampo Waterfall, Ubud Ayung River Rafting, Natural Bali Salt, Campuhan Ridge Walk, Celuk Village, Sukawati Painting Art Market, Batubulan Village, Ubud Monkey Forest, Ubud Market, Ubud Palace, Saraswati Temple, Barong Dance, Bali Swing, Tegenungan Waterfall, Tibumana Waterfall, Tukad Cepung Waterfall, Kehen Temple, Pengelipuran Village, Kintamani Batur Mount Volcano, Elephant Cave, Bali Bird Park, Tegallalang Rice Terrace, Tirta Empul Spring Water Temple, Gunung Kawi King Memorial, Bali Coffee Farm, Sebatu Gunung Kawi Spring Water Temple, Bali Bird Park, Bali Zoo Park, Butterfly Park, Sanur Beach, Puseh Batuan Temple, Ubud Art Villages, Taman Ayun Temple and Tanah Lot Temple.
To visit Balinese Old House and these places above you can take Full Day Tours and Half Day Tours or combine them with Adventure Tours.
Gung Aji Traditional Balinese House is located on Jalan Raya Negara No. 100, Batuan Village, Sukawati, Gianyar – Bali.
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