Gianyar. One regency in Bali Province which is most famous for its beautiful natural attractions such as Tegallalang Rice Field, as well as being the axis of the Balinese art. Gianyar is a proof of the history of Balinese civilization in the Islamic era which now became a tourist spot. The name of the place is Yeh Pulu Relief.

Yeh Pulu Relief

Yeh Pulu is derived from the word "Yeh" which means water and "Pulu" which means barrel. This relief area is called Yeh Pulu because there is a barrel of rice storage in a water source to the west of this location. This water source is purified by the local community.

This relief was first discovered by a penggawa or chief of troops during the Kingdom of Ubud in 1925. The reliefs carved on the rock walls tell the story of the ancient Balinese people in carrying out their lives and Hinduism religious orders. Not only the lives of Balinese people, there are also sculptures that tell about Krishna which is an incarnation of Bhatara Vishnu or Lord Vishnu.

Padas rock walls have a size large enough. The width of the wall ranges from 2 meters, while the length reaches 25 meters. Naturally, if the rock wall can be carved with many stories of past life that occurred in Bali. Not only sculptures, you will also see cerukan that are believed to be the meditation places of the King Bendahulu. Relief in the cerukan tells a lot about the life of King Bendahulu before he died in battle against the Majapahit Kingdom. The event occurred around 1343 AD. So it is estimated that these reliefs were carved around the 14th or 15th century AD.

When first discovered, apparently Relief Yeh Pulu received great enthusiasm from the Dutch government. So during the Dutch colonial government, this cultural site was further investigated and subsequently promoted as part of an ancient cultural preservation in 1929 until today. Due to the abundance of classical Balinese art and history knowledge that can be seen from the Relief of Yeh Pulu, it has been very well maintained by the local Krama Subak and by the Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of Bali.

If you go there, you can feel how tough and great the spirit of the ancient Balinese people. Where they are able to carve life stories that occur in the form of carvings on the walls. On the basis of their loyalty to the King Bendahulu, they were able to make relief to honor every effort made by the king in protecting his people. Armed with improvised equipment, you can witness the legacy of this ancestral heritage up until today.

If you want to visit Yeh Pulu Relief, you can come to Bedulu Village, Blahbatu District, Gianyar Regency. To arrive at the location, you need to walk on a quite long and tiring path. But, since the weather in Gianyar is cold, your trip will be more comfortable and enjoyable.