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GARUDA VILAGE

The villagers of Pakudui

entertain us with a customary

interpretation of the Garuda

creature. Putu Sayoga visited

these talented artisans.

The Garuda is a long-standing

Indonesian national symbol,

however the public's interpretation

of its physical shape continues to develop. Artists are

still creating variations on this mythic creature that are

dramatic and which capture the imagination.

The village of Pakudui, which lies about 10 km north

of Ubud in Bali, remains under the Garuda spell. Some of

the villagers here are professional artisans and make

Garuda statues for a living. Indeed, Pakudui is more

commonly known as DesaGaruda (Garuda Village). The

customers who shop here are varied and range from

tourists to famous politicians.

The atmosphere was cool and tall trees shaded the

road. Far away from the major tourist spots, Pakudui stillradiates traditional Balinese village life.

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Little kiosks line both

sides of the road and all

sell the same thing: statues

of the Garuda eagle. Sizes

vary and there are

different colours, however

the artisans creativity is

deeply rooted in Hindu

mythology. These little

kiosks don't just sell

statues though but also

function as art workshops.

Before making a purchase, customers can watch the

production process and come to understand the workinvolved in the creation of these statues.

One of the artisans I met was Nyoman Reta. His

workshop was not particularly spacious and had a tin

roof and a cement floor. A few of his small eagles were

lined up neatly on a wooden shelf awaiting buyers.Stripped to the waist, he hammered away at wood from

a nangka (jackfruit) tree, the main material used in the

making of these statues.

This now so-year-old craftsman started learning how

to carve when he was only ten. Everything he knows he

learnt from his father, who was also a sculptor. The

expertise needed to carve a Garuda that is rich in detail

http://serbaserbihindu.blogspot.com/2014/11/nangka.htmlhttp://serbaserbihindu.blogspot.com/2014/11/nangka.htmlhttp://serbaserbihindu.blogspot.com/2014/11/nangka.html

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does indeed require intensive training. Once a person

has mastered this craft though, he or she passes on

these skills to his or her children.

According to Nyoman, the production process of a

statue depends heavily on the size and the complexity of

its detail. Small ones of less than a metre in height

require three weeks work, while

larger statues can take up to three

months.

The history of Garuda statue

production in Pakudui is unclear,

however it seems that this

business emerged naturally.

Nyoman Reta explained that thevillage's ancestors originally made

a range of different statues,

including dragons and lions, however as business grew,

the Garuda came to dominate as they were more

commonly requested bycustomers.

Source: Garuda Magazine