Last year Barrie and I went to one of the many great historical sites in Bali, the Royal Court of Justice at Kerta Gosa. A photo from that trip recently appeared as Photo Of The Day.
Balinese culture has its own system called adat, meaning traditional law, but for serious offences Kerta Gosa was the end of the line. Kerta Gosa is located right in the center of Klungkung next to the main roundabout. The gardens of Taman Gili, in which Kerta Gosa sits, were built in 1710. For me the impressive thing was to look up at the ceiling and check out the terrifying artwork depicting good vs. evil. No doubt criminals facing trial shivered before the judges realizing the seriousness of their actions.
The style of the paintings is Kamasan (wayang) and has a puppet-like appearance. The humid atmosphere and lack of close attention mean these precious pieces will not be with us for long.
For those interested in checking out Kerta Gosa it will take around 2 hours from Kuta. Kerta Gosa is open daily 7am-5.30pm. Entrance is 5,000rp.
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