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Day 4: Subaks, Dwijendra University, Goa Gajah Buddha Temple

The day began with a 7.30am breakfast, and at 8.45am, we left the cottage to see rice fields and subaks. Our host for the day was Prof. Widaya and Dr. Sedana (from Dwijendra University). We met at a subak, and they explained to us some of the features of the subak system:
  • Tak tak: the allocation of water between farms. It consists of blocking water from the main drainage canal to a field for a specific time period. The water is termed as borrowed from the downstream farmers
    • Tak taks also determine how much each farmer contributes to the subak for communal ceremonies, rituals etc.
  • Subak heads: elected every 5 years; he is an unsalaried official who helps coordinate a subak
    • Its contact with government, private millers market, nonprofits etc.
    • Water allocation during meetings
    • Conflict resolution about water allocation
    • Rituals, and inter-subak coordination
  • Calendar: Balinese have multiple calendars: religious, market, production calendars all which overlay atop one another:
    • Determine when to plant, transplant, harvest, weed etc.
    • Determined by a priest, and info shared during subak meeting
  • Water comes from the lake => feeds into rivers => which feed canals => which feed individual farms
  • Problems:
    • Low incentive for young people to engage in farming: prefer to work in the tourism sector where they earn more and it's less hard work
    • Competition from cheap imported rice from India, Pakistan,
    • Poor infrastructure
    • Poor knowledge of agribusiness
  • Farmers market their rice to private millers individual; a kg of rice = 4, 800 rupiah; barely enough to cover costs => cycle of poverty
At Dwijendra Uni
  • We had a lecture with the rector of Dwijendra Uni, "the most beautiful rector"
  • we ate very spicy food that made our eyes teary and we had our first taste of salak, or snake fruit
  • We participated in a gamelan; I played the gong; this was another eerie presentation. It was satisfying to have the opportunity to do this
  • We also participated in a Balinese cultural dance
  • We saw how Balinese traditions are passed to generations: written on palm leaves by etching markings
We went to a Buddha temple at Gaja Goah
  • Interesting that one of the shrines (cave) was carved by hand
  • The temple is not a single building but a collection of structures with pools, shrines, offering places etc.
The day ended with a dinner with friends at one of the restaurants, some beers (Bintang) bought from a minimart and a swim in the cottage pool.
All in all, a fun and interesting day
Snake fruit aka salak

Etchings for passing down traditions

God of knowledge

After gaining some knowledge, it's all smiles

Dwijendra Uni

Gajah Goa

Show your sarongs
Goa Gajah Temple

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Location: Denpasar, Denpasar City, Bali, Indonesia

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