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A BRIEF HISTORY OF SANOER

It is in Blanjong Temple in Sanur that one finds the oldest edict in Bali, carved in stone and dating from 914 AD. Built on the delta created by the soil and sand carried down to the Badung Straits by the mighty Ayung River, this edict proves that Sanur was an important trading post at a very early date. Famed as one of the few theocratic villages in Bali and ruled by powerful Brahmana families, Sanur's reputation for magic and secret knowledge has inspired as much fear as awe, supported by an intense tradition of trance. In particular, this area, especially the coastline leading down to Mertasari and Turtle Island, was reputed as a favourite haunt for leyaks and other such malevolent spirits and witches. Considering that the main temple for the worship of Rangda, queen of the witches, is located on the island of Nusa Penida just across the strait, this would not seem unusual.

To most early visitors to Bali, Sanur, along with Kuta, was one of only two major ports for the powerful kingdom of Badung (whose capital now goes by the name of Denpasar) in the 18th and 19th centuries. When Western attention finally came it was not via a pleasant introduction to the modern world but in the form of a fleet of warships and troops moored off its coast in 1906. Only a year before, a small trading schooner from Borneo, the Sri Koemala, had been stranded and plundered on the same reef by the local residents, according to their ancient tradition. The Dutch colonial authorities demanded that the owner be reimbursed, but the princes of Badung refused and after unsuccessful negotiations the fleet arrived. 6,000 troops landed and the capital was bombarded as a military expedition marched to their palaces. Rather than surrender, the princes set their palaces on fire and marched out wrapped in the richest silks and golden kris' in a hopeless attack known as a Puputan, a ritual form of suicide, leaving a heavy stain on the page ending South Bali's independence.

By the 1930's, Sanur was the island's premiere beach resort. No hotels had yet been built but day visitors from Denpasar's luxury Bali Hotel were frequent. The home of Le Mayeur, a Belgium painter, and his beautiful Balinese wife, Ni Polok, was the favorite destination. Today their home is a wonderful museum much in need of renovation (hopefully some funds will be used here). Further south, the German Neuhaus brothers and friends of Walter Spies built an Aquarium and art gallery. It was there that Walter Spies' cousin was attacked and eaten by a shark. Next door to them lived the American dancer Katherine Mershon, who aided Margaret Mead in her studies. She was followed by the Swiss painter, Theo Meier, and finally the Dutch painter Dake. Stories of this remarkable line up are often told by Hans Van Praag, who lived among the former artists in the 1930's. Now 92 years old, he moved back to Bali several years ago and still speaks of the stunning beauty of Sanur's sunrise illuminating the height of the sacred mountain Gunung Agung and Nusa Penida's white cliffs as the colourful sails of the Balinese outriggers came home with fish. This scene is sometimes found in the works of the community of very talented Balinese painters who lived and worked in Sanur at the time.

The Japanese invasion and the independence struggle changed all this and paved the way for the arrival of a new generation who would set the stage for Sanur's next phase. Prominent among these was the Australian painter Donald Friend who inspired Batu Jimbar by building his private palace there and setting a new standard in Bali lifestyles. Nearby, Jimmy Pande, the most famous of Bali's antique dealers, rented rooms out and hosted sumptuous meals for guests such as a young Adrian Zecher long before Aman resorts was even conceived.
Big hotels arrived in Bali with the Bali Beach, the island's first and only high rise which was constructed at the end of the Sukarno era from Japanese war indemnification's. Others such as the still popular Segara Village and the Tanjung Sari came shortly afterwards. In 1973 the Sanur Hyatt was built, with it spacious gardens and magnificent lobby full of stunning Balinese antiques.

Despite the fears of decay, Sanur is still the preferred destination for a host of tourists and expatriate residents who would not dream of staying anywhere else. It has suffered little of the indignity which has transformed other parts of Bali. It's the real thing and with sensitive renovation will once again regain a well-earned prominence as we approach the third millennium.

by Bruce Carpenter of Sanur

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