Bali Island

Historical Tour at the Bajra Sandhi Monument

Diyan Sardjono

73 3 minutes read

Table of Contents

Visa Bali Info – Bajra Sandhi Monument

Occasional historical tours to get to know how Indonesia fought for the independence of the Republic of Indonesia.

In the territory of Indonesia, in its regions there are many monuments as a form of commemorating an important event.

Bali is no exception, which has historical monuments which are symbols of the struggle of the Balinese people against the invaders.

One of these monuments is the Bajra Sandhi Monument or also commonly called the Bajra Sandhi Museum.

So what is the history of this monument in Bali, see our review below.

History of the Establishment of the Bajra Sandhi Monument

Derived from the word “bajra” which means bell, where this monument building has a shape resembling a bajra or bell.

This bell is commonly used by Hindu priests in chanting the mantras in the Vedas during Hindu religious ceremonies.

Construction began in 1987 at that time, during the reign of the Governor of Bali, Ida Bagus Mantra. The construction of this monument takes approximately 14 years to complete.

So that in 2001 it was finished, then this Monument was inaugurated by President Megawati Soekarno Putri on June 14, 2003.

It has a land area of 13.8 hectares with a building area of 4,900 meters. The Bajra Sandhi Monument occupies a very large area so that there are several soccer fields around it.

Bajra Sandhi Monument Building Concept

The building of this monument consists horizontally referring to the concept of the Tri Mandala which is in the form of a square, where;

First, Nista Mandala in the form of an outer courtyard that surrounds the Bajra Sandhi monument

Second, Madya Mandala in the form of a courtyard surrounded by a building fence equipped with a gate

Third, Utama Mandala is the core of the building surrounded by a lake

Vertically, the building adopts the Tri Angga concept

First, Nistaning Utama Mandala is the lowest floor of the monument building from the Bajra Sandhi Monument
Second, Madyaning Utama Mandala is the second floor containing 33 dioramas measuring 2×3
Third, Utamaning Utama Mandala is the top floor where tourists can see Denpasar City from the height of this monument

The Meaning and Purpose of the Bajra Sandhi Monument

Full of meaning for the construction of this monument, the Bajra Sandhi Monument has a meaning regarding the independence of the Republic of Indonesia.

Where in this monument building there are 17 steps on the main door, the grand pillars inside numbering 8 with a height of 45 meters.

The numbers on each building are the date of Indonesia’s independence, August 17, 1945.

The purpose of the construction of the Bajra Sandhi Monument is to perpetuate the soul and spirit of the struggle of the Balinese people as well as explore, maintain, develop and preserve Balinese culture to be passed on to future generations as capital to move forward in a world that is increasingly full of challenges and obstacles.

Collection of Bajra Sandhi Museum

Built to commemorate and honor the services of the heroes who fought for the independence of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, the Bajra Sandhi Monument has several collections.

The collection consists of 33 dioramas, photographs and paintings. The diorama contains the history of the life of the Balinese people for four successive generations.

Starting from the life of the prehistoric Balinese people, the ancient Balinese period, the middle Balinese period, and the Balinese struggle for and filling culture.

If you trace the history of Bali’s struggle for independence, Bali was also one of the bases of the struggle against Dutch colonialism.

Revealed in history through a number of resistance that took place in Bali, such as the Jagaraga War (1848-1849), the Kusamba War (1849), the Banjar People’s Resistance (1868), the Puputan Badung War (1906), and the Puputan Klungkung (1908).