Payogan Agung Temple at Ketewel

0
inShare

The Birth of Legong Kraton

Payogan Agung Temple located at Ketewel customary village, Sukawati, Gianyar, is one of the ancient temples in Bali. It is evidenced by the archeological heritages like lingam and yoni, statue of Lord Shiva or Mahadev and others. Payogan Agung Temple is at the same location as the Agung Jagat Giri Natha Temple.
The Payogan Agung is a universal temple as the sanctum to venerate Lord Pasupati with the title as the Ida Hyang Murtining Jagat. At this temple, there are bronze sanctified effigies (pratima) of Ida Hyang Pasupati, Ida Hyang Brahma Rishi Shiva Budha, Ida Hyang Bhatari Istri Agung, Ida Hyang Bhatara Indra and Ida Hyang Putra Jaya. All these effigies are enthroned in the grand chamber of Payogan Agung Temple.

Based on local historical records, it is mentioned that Payogan Agung Temple is one of masterpiece related to the birth of Legong Kraton Dance. In the Sukawati Chronicle, for instance, is mentioned that a king of Sukawati, Anak Agung Made Karna, solemnly meditated in the late nineteenth century in a cool park at Ketewel, Sukawati.
In his meditation, he saw some angels dancing gracefully. It is said that the experience of his meditation was then interpreted by the artists of Sukawati Palace into flawless mask which is then danced by young girls. The dance is wearing a canggem mask—bitten mask—so far remains to be made sacred at Payogan Agung Temple at Ketewel.

Local people respectfully call it Legong Mask. However, so far it remains unclear when the Legong Dance first appeared without masks and evolved. Some people say that it passes through an evolution of Gandrung Dance, a kind of social dance presented by male artists. But obviously Sukawati was very famous for its Legong Dance in the 1920s.
Performing artists came from all over Bali and learned to dance and play gamelan music for the Legong Dance to Anak Agung Perit, Made Duaja and Dewa Blacing. As recorded, some Legong figures from Badung such as I Lotring and Ni Reneng also had the opportunity to be artist in residence in Sukawati.
Today when feudalism ends, the Legong art has experienced a rapid growth in terms of quantity and quality. Moreover, Balinese people are very creative so that each dance style has a little difference according to the ability to perform it. On that account, it produces many styles of Legong Dance scattered in various areas such as at Saba, Peliatan, Bedulu, Binoh, Kelandis village and some other places.www.bali-travelnews.com
balinese life and culture