TENGANAN VILLAGE

The village is only 5 km from Lumbung Damuh. It is home to one of the Bali Aga communities - the original Balinese people. The Tenganan community strictly adhere to a traditional life of ritual ceremony, rejecting all caste and religious reformations that followed the Majapahit conquest in 1343.

Tenganan is famous for geringsing (double ikat) cloth produced by the village women and the technique is a closely guarded secret. Visitors can also regularly watch the men of the village demonstrate their fighting prowess using thorny pandanus leaves during the mekare-kare ceremonies. The village commands some 10 sq. km of land due to the foresight of an ancient, wily Village Headman.

Legend tells that prior to the Majapahit invasion, Bali was ruled by King Bedaulu. When his favorite horse went missing he offered a large reward to the finder. The horse was found dead close to Tenganan Village and the King sent one of his Ministers to the area. King Bedaulu decreed that the local people could lay claim to the land within which the stench of the decomposing carcass could be smelled.

The Minister and Village Headman duly marked the boundaries of the land which covered a remarkably vast area. Agreement was made and once the Minister had safely departed, the Headman removed a small piece of rotting horse flesh from underneath his clothing which he had cunningly concealed to deceive the Minister.