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Location
Alas Kedaton, known as Kedaton Monkey Forest, since within
the small spot of forest of high trees live dozens of wild
monkeys and fruit bats, enclosing a temple characterized with
old tradition of monolith which is supposed to originated
from megalithic period. The location of this forest is just
2 km from a settlement or village which is belong to the area
of Kecamatan Kediri Tabanan, or located around 5 km from the
town of Kediri. From Denpasar this place is around 17 km,
and from Kuta is shorter, around 14 km. The environment of
this forest with temple is a rice field and a small river
on the east border. Along the way from Denpasar or Kuta one
will pass the villages and towns which is densely populated
as the area relatively closed to the biggest city of Bali,
Denpasar and very close distance to the capital city of Kabupaten
Tabanan that is Tabanan city. Between Denpasar and Tabanan
one passes cities such as Kapal, Mengwi, and Kediri which
is now has no clear border between them along 21 km length.
Alas Kedaton
For Alas Kedaton with its wild monkeys it is a story of the
smart monkey life, like a human being the monkeys will burry
their died member. That is the reason that from hundreds of
years the farmers around the forest never find any dead monkey.
A spot of land south of the forest which is look like a cemetery
with dozen of small domes is considered the cemetery of the
monkeys. This group of monkeys are more diligent compared
to other monkeys as it is belong to the holy spirit that abide
the temple, and any one who gives trouble to the monkey will
be encountered with problem. This is the believe of the people
living around Alas Kedaton. This story was created to preserve
the forest and its wild monkeys and fruit bats. The way Balinese
preserve the nature sounds superstitious, yet so success so
far. The only government side did not understand how to adjust
this good traditional technique to shift it into scientific
way of preservation, as it is realized that superstitious
way will sooner or later will be re-considered by the people
themselves in the pace of their knowledge. A partial solution
to the effort was done by Department of Archaeology of University
of Udayana in 1982, only just to discover the truth of the
myth by organizing an excavation to the spot supposed as the
monkeys cemetery, but without the adjustment of the preservation
ideas laid out behind it. It was lucky that Alas Kedaton has
developed into tourist object and by this, the people were
given advantages, if not the lost of believe on the story
of the monkeys ability to burry their died member will fade
the believe of the people to the holy spirit that abide the
temple and at last will harm the spirit of preservation.
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The beauty of Bali
Island has long been known world wide. It is true that the
beauty appears from her various living art, yet also her natural
views such as tropical white beaches, mountains, lakes and
man made natural view such as rice terraces carved on the
sloping land for the use of rice cultivation. The combination
among various cultural aspects and natural
beauty of Bali will give a different experience for everyone visiting
the island beside the hospitability of her people. Dances,
carvings, paintings, music are on the top of Bali's interesting
aspects for people visiting the island. Visit interesing
places. |
