Stone Carvings

Although stone carvings were mainly used to decorate temples and palaces, the carvers had much more leeway in their use of subject matter than the artists and illustrators. There is little difference between the iconography decorating temples and that of private buildings. Gateways represent the dividing line between the inner and outer worlds, and as such are the recipients of some of the most fantastic carvings.

As well as portraying deities and demons, the carvers included many scenes from public life and there are many temple surfaces enriched with the antics of the Dutch Colonialists, including scenes of bicycles, drunken parties, car break-downs and even airplanes. Bali's modem-day centre of stone carving is the village of Batubulan, situated halfway between Denpasar and Gianyar.

Although you can see excellent examples of Balinese stone carving all over the island, the temples in the North tend to bc much more creative (with the exception of Pura Puseh in Batabulan). If you are planning on visiting Northern Bali, it is worth taking the time to visit Pura Meduwe Karang m Kubutambahan, Pura Dalem in Jagaraja and Pura Beji near Singaraja. (See Bali Fold-Out Map for locations).