Painting Vilage

Desa Kamasan ( Painting Vilage )   As the former hub of Bali’s Kingdom at the end of the nineteenth century, Klungkung regency had a variety of cultural activities which has survived to this day. The classical style of wayang painting of Kamasan or lontar (palm-leaf manuscript) was inheited by the kingdom of Klungkung and can still be found there. Klungkung is situated east of Denpasar. It is a 60 minutes drive to Semarapura, the capital of Klungkung. Three tourist destinations along the same route and beyond Klungkung include Besakih, Candidasa and Goa Lawah. The Regional Government of Klungkung has specified 18 tourist attractions in its region, including Nusa Penida and Kamasan village. Kamasan Village is 2 km from Semarapura and takes 10 minutes travel time to reach. What is the attraction of this village? The head of Kamasan Village, I Nyoman Sidharta Yoga explains that the village is the centre for Balinese cultural studies. Every hamlet in the Kamasan Village has particular characteristic attributes in the field of handicrafts.   As soon as one enters this village, art shops will be encountered around the small town of Sangging. Here, one can see wayang paintings in the Kamasan style and objects made from bullet shells by blacksmiths. Ritual paraphernalia, guest room ornaments and so forth can also be found, which are characteristic of Kamasan Village. Administratively, this village is divided into four hamlets. Most (80%) of the inhabitants living at Kacang Dawa earn their livelihood as farmers and at Sangging Hamlet as blacksmiths and painters of classical wayang in the Kamasan style. Meanwhile, the Pande Mas hamlet is the hub of blacksmiths and in the Tabanan hamlet, 60% of its inhabitants work as blacksmiths and the remaining 40% as farmers. More than that, as added by Sidharta who was born in 1953, Kamasan Village also is the centre of “Wayang Kamasan” and Balinese language studies. “In Bali, the most complete composition of Balinese language lies in the Klungkung regency. I’d like to make Kamasan an urban village, however it sould still reflect its original rural atmosphere by preserving the potency of existing nature,” he adds. Undertakings for the development of tourism at Kamasan Village have been carried out by Sidharta. One of these is providing English and Japanese courses to his people, mainly the primary school students and youngsters who are interested in the tourism field. In addition, a program of mutual assistance to support the cleanliness and charm of Kamasan Village has been re-activated. Facilities supporting the development of Kamasan as a tourism village include villa style accommodations at villagers’ family compounds, road access, art shops and restaurants. A visit to Kamasan Village is worthwhile and could make your holiday a complete Balinese experience. Photo Gallery