Puputan - One More Time

Daybreak, September 20 1906… about 500 adults wearing kamben alancingan putih (white ceremonial uniform), with keris on his back and long spears on their hand rally from Puri Denpasar heading to Taensiat area. Led by king of Badung, I Gusti Ngurah Made Agung (also known as Cokorda Made). It’s a massive group consist of soldiers, women, children… even babies carried by their mothers. Marching with one determination: puputan… fight to the death for honour and pride. Before departed, the king ordered his army to burn the Denpasar Palace and destroy everything inside.

The puputan verdict taken by king of Badung after the great battle in Sanglah, september 18 1906. According to Bhuwana Winasa literature, night after the war which cost so many lives of Badung soldiers, the 30 years old king decided to held a paruman (meeting) with the kingdom priests. And the final conclusion of the meeting : “finding the best way to physically disappear from the earth“.

I will not continue to write the story about puputan war, according to the articles… it was so horrible. Even VOC army cried while they shot them… if you want more complete story, you can find it out at ”Nyanggra” Seabad Puputan Badung… it’s written in Bahasa Indonesia. And don’t get me wrong, i don’t hate Dutch, i know they feel shame with their past history.

For the King and his followers, suicide war may not be a worthless effort. it’s an option to keep their dignity, better to die than become the western puppets. it’s a rana yadnya… special offering in the field of war.

Too bad.. the Balinese don’t seem to care about their ancestor’s special offering. No documentations, no photos, not even a book about that war can be found in Denpasar and Badung. Ask the young Balinese about Puputan, they might answer you with these :

“i have a soccer team played every sunday in there..”

“oohh… it’s a nice park, sometime you could find prostitute in there”

“puputan is a cheap place to hang out with your girlfriend”

“war? when? Puputan is not a battlefield… it’s a park!!”

what’s wrong with you young Balinese generation, don’t you know how to respect your ancestors?