Wisata Religi: Masjid Al Hikmah yang Unik Berarsitektur Bali

Di mana langit dipijak di sana langit dijunjung. Pepatah itu dengan arif diterapkan umat Muslim di Bali. Warga Muslim di kawasan Kertalangu, Denpasar membangun masjid dengan menerapkan arsitektur Bali dan dihiasi ukiran khas Pulau Dewata.

Masjid yang paling unik karena dihiasi ukiran Bali ini dinamakan Masjid Al-Hikmah. Masjid yang berukuran 20 x 20 meter ini berdiri di Jl Soka, Kertalangu, Denpasar.

Nuansa Bali sangat kental di masjid ini. Dari depan, dibangun gapura khas Bali yang dipenuhi ukiran. Gapura ini sangat lazim dibangun di depan pura.

Discovering an Indigenous Architecture (1)

Until recently, Lombok has merely been a “spill-over destination” for tourists from Bali. However, if one looked beneath the preudo-Balinese surface which Lombok has adopted, there is an indigenous culture waiting to be discovered.

The heart of Lombok is the Sasak culture. The Sasaks, who are the indigenous people of Lombok, are Muslims. But there are no domes and arches which are often associated with Islamic architecture because such display of grandeur does not exist in Lombok.

Apart from being more primitive, they live a completely different lifestyle from their Hindu neighbours in Bali. In the few remaining Sasak villages, one can observe the traditional lifestyle and daily goings-on in their genuine setting, quite unlike the “cultural shows” often frequented by tourists.

Stripped down to bare necessities, the architecture in the Sasak villages accurately reflrects the lifestyle of these people. There is no intricate wood-carving, elaborate terra cotta sculptures or lush landscaping. What you see is just the purity of an indigenous architecture that has germinated from the seeds of nature, undisturbed by any form of decoration.

In other words, one cannot expect to find beautifully adorned edifices like the temples of Bali. Instead, there are very basic houses that are representative of the Sasak lifestyle. Ironically, it is this pure form of architecture that ends up as decorative features in the modern hotels which attempt to introduce some Lombok style into their built forms.

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Image Source: SilkWinds Magazine

Kebyar Duduk: One of The Best Known Balinese Dance

Kebyar Duduk is balinese solo exhibition dance that is performed to the accompaniment of a gamelan ensemble. Developed and popularized in the 1920s by a famous dancer-choreographer named I Nyoman Mario. A popular form of the dance is the Kebyar Duduk, which is performed while the dancer is sitting cross-legged.

Any limitations brought about by the lack of mobility in the lower limbs is more than compensated for by subtle upper-body movements and highly nuanced facial expressions.

Ternyata Bli Agung Masih Ingat Aku

Sudah lama tidak buka-buka friendster, eeeh kemarin ada email alert dari FS yang memberitahu kalo Agung – ini nama temanku, hehehe.. – kirim pesan untukku. Menjadi menarik, karena Agung ini sebenarnya bukan sahabat friendster yang masuk kategori aktif (sama kayak aku juga). Cuma, koq masih ingat ya sama aku, dan sempat-sempatnya itu lho kirim pesan segala, padahal (ini dugaanku lho!) dia mestinya sibuk banget.

Agung ini – yang nama lengkapnya Anak Agung Gede Rai Putra Bawantara, dan biasa disingkat Agung Bawantara – aku kenal pertama saat kuliah dulu, kira-kira 20 tahun silam. Kakak tingkat satu tahun diatasku, terkenal karena seorang aktivis, scientis, sekaligus seniman. Satu predikat yang amat jarang dimiliki oleh mahasiswa.

Agung masuk kategori aktivis, karena terlibat dibanyak kegiatan demo di kampus maupun luar kampus, apalagi jabatannya yang Ketua Presidium mahasiswa. Scientis, karena sering juga mewakili kampus diberbagai seminar dan lomba karya ilmiah. Dan seniman, karena memang sering menjuarai berbagai lomba (baca dan tulis) puisi, ikut teater, jadi MC dan aktivitas seni lainnya.

Aku terakhir ketemu Mas Agung (dari dulu udah biasa panggil Mas, bukannya Bli seperti panggilan orang Bali umumnya) di kantor tabloid Detak di Lebak Bulus, karena saat itu dia memang salah satu wartawan disana, sekitar 10 tahun silam. Kebetulan saat itu bertepatan dengan ulang tahun Mas Eros Djarot (PU-nya Detak), jadi ketemu juga dengan Gus Ipul (Syaifullah Yusuf, calon Wagub Jawa Timur) dan beberapa aktivis pers yang lain. Biar ingat, Tabloid Detak ini reinkarnasi dari Detik yang dibreidel (kemudian Detik masuk ke bisnis berita dunia maya).

Lama tak pernah dengar kabarnya (apalagi berkomunikasi), dari seorang teman aku baru tau kalau Mas Agung selain di dunia jurnalistik, film, juga sudah merambah ke dunia tulis-menulis novel. Yang agak mengejutkan (tapi, bagiku ini sama sekali bukan kejutan, karena aku dulu pernah satu kost sama beliau ini, hehehe…), novel Mas Agung ternyata ber-genre remaja ABG, bahkan beberapa sudah dilayar lebarkan (kalo yang ini aku baru tau setelah film-nya menjadi perbincangan hangat).

Yup, tulisan Mas Agung yang laris manis diantaranya adalah Virgin (Ketika Keperawanan Dipertanyakan), 17^th (Seventeen) dan juga Suster N (Dendam Suster Ngesot). Yang lainnya (masih beberapa lagi), aku belum konfirmasi pada yang bersangkutan, takut salah tulis, hehehe…

Seperti biasa, tulisan ini tak ada tujuan apapun, selain “penghormatan” kepada Mas Agung, yang telah banyak memberikan inspirasi kepada teman-teman seperjuangan (dulu), terutama keuletan untuk menakhlukkan sebuah cita-cita. Begitu kan, Bli Agung ?

Mount & Lake Batur - Kintamani (Bali)

The mountainous region around Kintamani, centering on the spectacular volcanic caldera of Mt Batur with its deep crater lake and bubbling hot springs, is rugged with a high and wild beauty.

Wonderful mountain air and dizzying views in all directions, as well as several important temples, are what makes Kintamani one of the most memorable stops on the Bali tourist itinerary.

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Lovina Beach-Bali (Bali)

Lovina is for those who like still waters (no surf) and are not fussy about the color of the beach.Lining up of busy losmen and hotels with the depleted shady sea makes Lovina one of the most stirring beaches in Bali.

Tranquility, incredible under water world and popular attraction is the dolphin watching.

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The Dramatic of Kecak Dance (Bali)

The Kecak dance is one of the most famous of Balinese dances. It is unusual because it has no musical accompaniment like many other Indonesian dances do, the rhythm of the dance is produced by the chanting 'monkey' chorus.

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