Balinese Traditional House Compound

Balinese house compound

Talking about Balinese traditional house or Balinese house compounds are surrounded by high walls and have only a single small entrance, we called it the “angkul-angkul”, at the side bordering the street. Entrance-ways define the threshold between inside and outside and are viewed ambivalently by Balinese: on one hand they admit welcome visitors, while on the other hand they can allow malign or bad spirits to enter since we know the Balinese belief there are bad spirit around us. Thus it important that the entranceway be small, and that immediately inside one faces another smaller wall called the “aling-aling” placed specifically to baffle uninvited spirits who are normally only capable of traveling in straight lines.  As a further safeguard a small shrine is often built just in front of the house facing the road. Offering of flowers and coconut leaves are placed in it in other to protect bad spirit enter our house.

Within the compound, on the northern east boundary wall, we can find “sanggah or merajan” family temple, normally consist of at least 6 small shrines, each shrine related to the ancestor worship, Hindu gods, and invisible being. Actually a collection of at least five small shrines are usually placed on high pedestals. One aspect within Balinese house need to be described shortly here is the family temple. The basic idea or the ancient form of this family temple must have been the ancestor's spirit worship or the worship of the guardian of the land. So in the past it might consisted only one or 2 shrines. With the coming of Hindu influence the number of shrines were added for the gods and goddess. Other thought that gods or holy ancestral spirits can be worshiped temporary from home have also added more number of shrines. For example a family can build temporary abode of god that reside on Batukaru temple or Besakih or any other temple in Bali. So it is not rare a family has a family temple with many shrines or just only 6 shrines as basic small new family. This basic small new family must be the bigger number of current Balinese family temple type. Normally the shrines in the family temple consist of the main function:

1. Kemulan shrine, a 3-niche shrine which has now associated with "Trinity" in Hindu god,
2. Gedong Kompyang, an ancestor's shrine.
3. Pesimpangan shrine, can be more than one shrines as temporary abode of god when a family having ceremony, they can praying to any temple in Bali without specially presence at the temple.
4. Piyasan shrine, is the biggest in the temple compound, to put offering during the ceremony. Also used to keep the cloths, umbrella, and other rituals tools,
5. Tugu shrine, is dedicated to guardian spirit of the land
6. Padmasana shrine, an open shrine, usually built in stone as the symbol of oneness of god.

Within different cast also have different number of shrines in their family temple according to their tradition in building shrines for their ancestors. While in families of urban areas within the cities which are normally new family most have only 2 shrines for their family temple, those are Padmasana and Tugu. Since their customary organization is still bound by their original village.

Parts of house compound it self we have  “Bale Daja” or northern house is the pavilion built near family temple. In the past this pavilion was used to keep all the ceremonial materials. While in some areas this pavilion is used to lock in a newly married couple as long as 3 days and sleeping room for children. But currently it is used as normal house. A small pavilion near the eastern side of the temple complex, called the “Bale Dangin” or eastern house is traditionally used for ceremonial purposes. It is built in open air with bed. This is also the place of grand parents to sleep; in addition, if one of the family members died is also laid down here before going to the cemetery. Next house called “Bale Dauh” or western house is normally an open pavilion with one bedroom which is not totally enclosed by wall. The pavilion is used for welcoming the guests, and this is occupied by the current head of the family and his immediate family, while the smaller dwellings house visiting relatives and children. Towards the south, there is “pawon” or kitchen sits, consisting of 2 rooms, one open sided for cooking, the other closed to store cooking materials. Behind the kitchen in the past was built rice granary. A family in the past it was not rare to have more than one granaries as the symbol of their economic level. Around the area of granary usually constructed the house for pigs, poultry, or some time for the cows. Here are usually dug out the well "semer"  where we can get water from it to fulfill our needs for cooking washing clothes and taking baths. In the back of the court yard is called " teba " in less or more can be translated into " wastes yard ". In the past the management of waste was not yet fully concerned because all types of wastes were endurable materials. A family just throw away the wastes to "teba", and normally they do not have private toilet or water closed, so every time they just go to "teba"