“Subak” – Bali’s Cultural Landscape

“Subak” – Bali’s Cultural Landscape

Visit Bali, travel to its highlands, and you can not but be amazed by the beauty of the thousands of hectares of lush green paddy fields that cascade in terraces from the upper reaches of volcanoes down to the deep valleys below as if sculpted from the mountain side

Indeed, Bali is blessed with 150 rivers and streams that provide water year round to irrigate this most important staple. Nonetheless, irrigation of the ricefields would not be successful unless man also has a hand in it.  Ancient inscriptions recorded the digging of an irrigation tunnel back in the year 944 AD. The complex irrigation system is complemented by a network of irrigation channels that distribute the waters to each and every paddy field.  

Travel to Tegallalang some 15 km north of Ubud, or wander to the eastern slopes of imposing Mt. Agung at Amlapura by the village of Abang, and stand in awe at the wonderful spectacle of rich green ricefields undulating over valleys and across mountains.

Uniquely, Bali’s complex irrigation system has its roots not by order of kings, but its management is very much in the hands of the villagers through village cooperatives, called “Subak”. Since farmers depend on the successful irrigation of the fields, the different Subaks form an inseparable bond that unites into a single system. This unique system has been handed down the generations for over a thousand years, whose results can be admired in the wonderful terraced ricefields of Bali

“Subak” – Bali’s Cultural Landscape

At the most reduced dimension, every rancher is an individual from a subak, whose ricefields is bolstered from a solitary dam. The leader of the Subak, called the Klian Subak is chosen by its individuals. In the bigger subak that are encouraged by a channel, the most reduced dimension is known as the tempek. The subaks, thus are connected to mountain sanctuaries or pura masceti, which go under the influence of one of two lake sanctuaries, these are the Pura Batu Kau which facilitates water system in West Bali, and Pura Ulun Danau which arranges the north, east and south of Bali. 

Water sanctuaries hold celebrations each 105 days, relating with the 105 days rice-developing season in Bali. This cycle additionally decides the season of opening and shutting of trench sluises, guaranteeing that plantings are amazed and that water is allotted in the most effective and impartial way. 

Be that as it may, each choice is constantly talked about at individuals' gatherings and consistently settled upon then conveyed down to each subak. Thus the subak then assemble their individuals with the goal that every part can choose when to begin planting. Ranchers at that point begin planting in successive way after each 10 days. (Indonesian Heritage: The Human Environment, Archipelago Press). 

The Subak obviously relates only to watered ricefields, called "sawah", different fields are downpour encouraged, and are known as tegalan. 

In Indonesia, and particularly on Java and Bali, Rice isn't just a staple eating routine, however it stands synonymous with the word Food. No feast is finished without rice. Rice is likewise a basic piece of social and religious services, since Rice generally frames the backbone of the network. 

The goddess of Rice is known as Bhatari Sri, or the mother of Rice. As the Indonesian archipelago's staple nourishment, Dewi Sri isn't just adored in Bali, yet in addition on Java and other rice-creating islands. 

Joining holy conventional qualities and a profoundly composed framework, in this manner, the Subak, the interesting Balinese rice cultivating society is a sign of the Balinese Tri Hita Karana cosmological regulation. It is the substantial impression of the first Balinese thoughts and convictions that are basically established in this idea, specifically the mindfulness that individuals need to dependably keep up amicable connection among Man and God, Man and individual people, and among Man and Nature in one's day by day life. Such specific idea is in actuality apparent in the Balinese inventive virtuoso and one of a kind social conventions coming about because of the long human connection, particularly between the Balinese and the Hindu culture. 

All the group destinations of the Cultural Landscape additionally straightforwardly exhibit the ability of the Balinese to make their remarkable cosmological precepts a reality, rehearsed in their every day life through spatial arranging and land use (social scene), settlement courses of action, engineering, services and ceremonies, craftsmanship, just as social association. In fact the usage of the idea has clearly created a lovely social scene