Tabanan has its roots in the 14th century when Javanese invaders
settled in the area. As they expended their territory, they came
into conflict with the Mengwi kingdom, founded during the mid
1600s with the fall of Gelgel and allied with Buleleng. In the
18th century Mengwi was the 2nd most powerful royal house after
Klungkung.
Whose support it enjoyed. Internal conflict in the late 1700s
weakened Mengwi and led to territorial losses to Tabanan which
were retaken in the mid 1800s, By the late 1800s further conflict
erupted and Klungkung with drew its support, opening the way for
its destruction by Klungkung, Badung, Tabanan, Bangli and the
Dutch. Tabanan got most of Mengwi, but rising Dutch interests
in Bali and the refusal of Tabanan to give in led to its end in
1906 with the imprisonment and suicide of the ruler and his son.
Krambitan village has 2 palaces, puppets style paintings, and
the exciting tektekan exorcist dance dram with music from struck
bamboo and giant wooden cowbells. Tista boasts the special lekoandir
dance done by young girls. Panarukan has good carving, and ceramics
are made in Pejaten. Upland Blayu is famous for its woven brocades.
Extending from the mountains to the sea, Tabanan has a wide variety
of natural beauty.
The
Beratan Lake area has a huge botanical garden at Bedugul with
produce farms at Candi Kuning. The Ulun Danu Temple to the lake
goddess sits at the water’s edge, for the lake irrigates
Tabanan’s ricefields. On Mount Batukaru is Pura Luhur, the
royal ancestral temple. Below this is Jatiluwih with spectacular
view of Bali. The Yeh Panas hot springs at Penatahan, and the
beautiful Alas Kedaton temple. At the coast is the famous Tanah
Lot temple on a rocky protrusion that becomes an island during
high tide. Tabanan is tidy town with a Museum subak to North of
the town a memorial in Marya Theater honors the dancer Mario.
North of the town a memorial in Marga commemorates the slaughter
of Balinese resistance fighter against the Dutch.
As yet Tabanan is little known on the tourist map, but actually
it has a lot of fascinating in its vicinity which have yet to
be developed in to their full potentials. Tabanan is tidy town
with a museum subak devoted to rice cultivation and the Gedung
marya Theater honors the famous dancers Mario.
