Ubud has been a "royal town" for over a hundred years. Its
princes, who bear the title "Tjokorda" or "Agung" still live in
traditional palaces, called "Puris". Be aware, however, that every
place called "puri" is not a royal palace. The word has been used
quite liberally of late. Also be aware that there is not one
palace in Ubud, but many, most of them clustered around the main
cross-roads near the Bud market. There are several other "royal"
towns in the Bud area, too, with their own palaces, most of which
have close family ties to the Bud Tjokordas. A web of connections
is maintained by incidental and arranged marriages among the
respective offspring of princes in Sayan, Pejeng, Singapadu,
Peliatan, and Payangan's puris.
Although the old Balinese feudal system was superseded by the
Dutch colonial government more that eighty years ago, the Tjokordas
still retain a special role in Ubud society. Many leadership roles,
both sacred and secular are held by Tjokordas. They also figure
prominently in the local business community, arts institutions, and
professional circles. While no formal power is automatically granted
to someone because they come from a puri, the Ubud royals still
command respect solely on the basis of their heredity. They also
command respect from some quarters on the basis of their rather
disproportionate wealth.
The palaces have long been the largest landholders in the area.
They used to manifest this role in a largely "custodial" way,
managing vast tracts of rice-growing land for the benefit of the
community and the temples. In recent times, however, with the advent
of western models of land ownership, many palaces have developed or
sold landholdings to augment their personal wealth--sometimes
conspicuously. In pre-colonial Bali, palaces were the primary
patrons of art, music, dance and literature. The Ubud palaces
consciously continue this tradition. They act as repositories of
traditional culture, and develop artistic endeavours throughout the
area, much to the benefit of both Ubudians and visitors.
The Tjokordas are no longer the physical embodiment of The State,
they are just private citizens, with the same concerns as other
private citizens, plus a few more. Accordingly, the Ubud palaces are
essentially just family homes, and none have yet been turned into
museums of public tourist attractions. While some of them are fine
examples of traditional architecture, none are "historical" in terms
of age. In fact, most are pretty new. The oldest Ubud palace was
located a little to the east of Pura Dalem Ubud, above the main
road. It collapsed in an earthquake early this century, and nothing
remains but a flat place with traces of foundation here and there. |
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