The Face of Gajah Mada in the Heart of Bali

Len tonden ke Gajah Mada, artine tonden ke Denpasar… ( If you haven\'t come to Gajah Mada, it means you haven\'t been to Denpasar...)

KOMPAS/AYU SULISTYOWATI

The situation of Jalan Gajah Mada in Denpasar city, Bali, Friday (10/1/2020), which has become a heritage area since 2008. The road is part of the old city with shops of the colonial era and it is maintained by the local city government as a leading destination.

The old town on Jl. Gajah Mada, Denpasar, Bali, keeps on getting a facelift. The area at the Zero Kilometer point promises the history of Denpasar as "The Heart of Bali", the heart of "Island of the Gods".

Walking in the Gajah Mada area is good for sightseeing. Travelers can enjoy the old buildings and the various items offered in the shops. No less interesting is the sensation of sipping delicious Balinese legendary coffee.

Jl. Gajah Mada is less than 1 kilometer long, ending at the Zero Kilometer, exactly at Catur Pata or the Catur Muka Statue. The road with paving blocks and alleyways preserves historical memories, from colonial roads up to the present.

I feel comfortable staying here.

"Since my childhood until now, the buildings in Gajah Mada haven\'t changed much. In this area there is the Chinatown, Arab and Indian villages and Javanese villages. All mingle in harmony from the beginning until now. Therefore, I feel comfortable staying here," said Nyoman Adi, 49, a local resident.

The area is home to icons of Balinese society and culture, namely the Lan Puseh village temple, Pekraman village and Badung market. There is also a tukad or the river of Badung which complements the view in the Gajah Mada area. Tukad Baduk, often called Tukad Korea, has been beautified and decorated with colorful lights.

Until now, observers of the history of Denpasar and the local government continue to look for evidence about when the heart of the "Island of the Gods" was named Gajah Mada. On the map of Denpasar in 1915 made by A Glastra van Loon and published by Universitaire Bibliotheken Leiden on a scale of 1: 5,000, for example, did not include the name of Jl. Gajah Mada.

Man of letters and Professor at Udayana University I Nyoman Darma Putra is still researching the origins of Jl. Gajah Mada. "Yes, there is no exact reference to the history of the name Gajah Mada. It could be related to the name of Jl. Majapahit, which is not far from the Zero point of Denpasar. The coverage of the Suara Indonesia newspaper (now the Bali Post) in May 1964 included changes to the names of roads in Denpasar and only Jl. Gajah Mada had not changed," he said.

KOMPAS/AYU SULISTYOWATI

The situation of Gang Beji (alley) on Jalan Gajah Mada, Denpasar city, Bali, Friday (10/1/2020), which has become a heritage area since 2008. The road is part of the old city with shops of the colonial era and it is maintained by the local city government as a leading destination.

Cultural heritage

The Denpasar City government has named the Jl. Gajah Mada area as a cultural heritage site in 2008. As a historic area, ranging from the royal city to the colonial city, to modern transformation, Gajah Mada has always been faithful to its existence.

In the pre-colonial era, Jl. Gajah Mada was the main access that supported the orientation of the Balinese Hindu belief space, "Tri Mandala". Gajah Mada became the connector of the temple domain, which became a place of worship for Hindus, the center of government, as well as a space for markets and green spaces.

Before the 1960s, there were two cinemas that were legendary among the local community, namely the Wisnu Theater, and the Indra Djaja theater, which was previously named Holliwood.

In the pre-colonial era, Jl. Gajah Mada was the main access that supported the orientation of the Balinese Hindu belief space, "Tri Mandala"

"Uh ... I remember my aunt invited me to watch a movie for the first time, yes, in the Gajah Mada area, but I forget the name of the theater. I don\'t know why it was turned into an office building," recalls Kadek Putra, 40, a Denpasar resident.

In the current era, the Gajah Mada area continues to be arranged as an iconic destination for the old city. Denpasar Mayor Rai Mantra said revitalization of the Gajah Mada area was important and relied on smart cultural tourism or cultural approaches with the use information technology.

It is not easy to match tourist destination icons, such as Kuta Beach. However, Head of the Denpasar Tourism Office Dezire Mulyani believed that the Gajah Mada area which has become an icon of historical tourism in Bali must not be erased and eroded by time. Slowly but surely, within five years, starting from 2019, Gajah Mada is believed to be one of the destinations recommended by tourists.

KOMPAS/AYU SULISTYOWATI

The situation of an alley on Jalan Gajah Mada, Denpasar city, Bali, Friday (10/1/2020), which has become a heritage area since 2008. The road is part of the old city with shops of the colonial era and it is maintained by the local city government as a leading destination.

Statistics from the Denpasar Tourism Office show that foreign tourists accounted for the most visitors to the city of Denpasar in 2018, namely 567,243 people out of the total tourist number of 609,507 people.

Then, there were 1.9 million tourists who visited, but did not stay in Denpasar. This figure was still far below the total number of foreign or domestic tourists coming through I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, which was around 11 million people in the same year.

Tourism agenda

The Denpasar Festival has been held for 12 years in a row at the end of every year and has become a tourist attraction. A variety of culture and art is displayed at Zero Kilometer.

The Denpasar Festival is a continuation of the Gajah Mada Festival (FGM) in the past. FGM was quite popular in the 1960s. The revenue from FGM at that time was used to build a number of educational facilities in Denpasar.

Over time, many things have changed in Gajah Mada. However, history has been preserved and continues to attract visitors.