Govt hopes for world heritage status for Taman Ayun

Dicky Christanto , The Jakarta Post , Denpasar | Fri, 03/14/2008 11:19 AM | Bali

Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik said the government expected that UNESCO would soon name Taman Ayun Temple a world cultural heritage site.

Taman Ayun is a unique place with special cultural and historical significance for Hindus in Bali.

"If the site (is given UNESCO status) the whole world will know (its importance) and participate in guarding and preserving it. The temple won't belong solely to the Balinese anymore, but to the international community and we should proud of it," said Wacik, who is a native of Bali, during the visit of UNESCO Secretary General Koichiro Matsuura to the site Wednesday.

He expected the honor would help the government move closer to tourism targets, set at seven million arrivals this year, up some two million from last year.

Commenting on the visit, Wacik said he thought the secretary general would certainly agree that the temple deserved to be put on the world heritage list.

"I am sure that the secretary general will have no difficulty in deciding," he said.

One of the largest temples in Bali, Taman Ayun temple, which dates to 1634 and was established by King Cokorda Sakti Blambangan, is located in Mengwi subdistrict, around one hour north of Denpasar. It is large, designed to accommodating as many believers as possible.

It occupies a parcel of about 50,000 square meters, and has three main parts, each with a specific purpose. The most sacred ground is a shrine; the other two areas comprise meeting halls. A river, in places full of lotus and water lilies, runs nearby.

According to a local tourist guide, around 500 local and foreign tourists visit the temple daily.

Badung regent Anak Agung Gde Agung, a descendant of the temple's founder, said that besides having symbolic significance the river has long served to irrigate nearby rice fields.

"So this temple is not only about religion but also helps local farmers."

UNESCO Secretary General Koichiro Matsuura said he enjoyed his visit to the temple and promised he would lobby for its inclusion on the list at a meeting later this year.

"It is a wonderful site indeed, but the decision is not mine to make. However, I promise you all that I will seriously discuss the possibility (of UNESCO status)," he said.

The UNESCO committee on world heritage will make decisions on new heritage sites at its annual meeting, this year to be held in Ottawa, Canada around May.

"The point behind all of this is to encourage local people to appreciate their cultural heritage," he told The Jakarta Post.

Besides Taman Ayun Temple, the government recommended Pakerisan river in Gianyar regency and the Jatiluwih rice terraces in Tabanan regency as potential heritage sites.

Comments (0) | Post comment

A | A | A |