Pulaki
After
Seririt the road leaves the coast, taking a sharp turn inland -
for much of the rest of the journey to the west, the ocean is no
longer visible, and the landscape is dominated by the mountains
and hills of the south.
The sheltered harbor of Celukan Bawang, 16 km west of Siririt, now
serves as the port for Buleleng's import and export trade.
Further west, near the village of Banyupoh, experience the delights
of Pantai Gondol, a superb beach with clean sand and a beautiful
coral reef Pantai Gondol is a marvelous spot for swimming and snorkeling.
It is also the site of a fishery research project.
A cluster of temples, the most important and easily accessible of
which is Pura Pulaki, lies some 30 km past Seririt on the coast.
Pura Pulaki is located in unusual terrain - a rock-face rises perpendicularly
on the left-hand side of the road while the glimmering ocean laps
the right-hand side. Pulaki, the home of monkeys who have a repUtation
for snatching bags and cameras, has recently undergone restoration
and extension. The temple has a fascinating history that is linked
to the legendary personage of Nirartha, a Javanese priest who migrated
to Bali in the 16th century. It is told that prior to his arrival,
a village of 8000 people existed here. When Nirartha visited, the
village leader requested a boon that Nirartha granted: the entire
village was to be given supernatural knowledge that would enable
it to attain an immaterial state. The invisible occupants of this
village became known as gamang or wong samar and form the entourage
of Goddess Melanting, whose abode is the nearby Pura Melanting.
The Balinese in these parts fervently believe in the existence of
the gamang and routinely make offerings to them. For example, it
is held that the entry of gamang into one's house yard is heralded
by the howling of dogs. Occasional reports even circulate of the
sighting of gamang who have momentarily materialized - they are
said to have no upper lip and carry a plaited bag over one shoulder.
The final stage of this journey through western Buleleng passes
through Taman Nasional Bali Barat, the West Bali National Park.
Past Labuhan Lalang jetty, boats to Menjangan Island can be hired.
At Teluk Terima, a short distance down the road, visit Makam Jayaprana,
the gravesite of Jayaprana. According to Balinese legend, Jayaprana
was an orphan who was raised by the ruler of Kalianget village.
As an adult he married the lovely Nyoman Layonsari from the neighboring
village of Banjar. However, the ruler himself became enamored of
Jayaprana's bride and schemed to kill Jayaprana to have her for
himself. He dispatched Jayaprana with an army to contain a band
of pirates who he said had arrived in northwestern Bali. On arrival
at Teluk Terima the ruler's minister killed and buried Jayaprana.
When the ruler asked Layonsari to marry him, however, she chose
to remain faithful to her husband and committed suicide.
The temple marking Jayaprana's grave is a long and steep climb but
the views from about halfway across to Mt Semeru on Java, to Menjangan
Island, and to Gilimanuk at the western tip of Bali, make the effort
all worthwhile. The temple, which contains a glass case displaying
statues of Jayaprana and Layonsari, is pure kitsch.
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