3.07.2015
Tampaksiring Presidential Palace is situated approximately 700 meters
above sea level, located on the hills in Tampaksiring Village,
Tampaksiring Sub District, Wisma MerdekaGianyar Regency, Bali. The
palace is the one and only palace constructed at the time when the
Indonesian Government rules (1957 – 1960). Initiated by the first
President of Republic of Indonesia, Soekarno, the palace was built by a
hundred percent Indonesian architects and constructors
The
name, Tampaksiring, is taken from two Balinese words. “Tampakâ€
means sole of foot and “siring†means slanting. According to a
legend recorded on Usana Bali lontar leaf (lontar leaf was used as paper
in ancient time), the name was originally rooted from the trace of feet
of a king named Mayadenawa. The forest roamed through by King Mayadewa
by walking with slanting feet is the area now called Tampaksiring
(slanting sole).
Tampaksiring was constructed
gradually, the architect was R.M. Soedarsono. The first buildings to be
built were Merdeka House and Yudhistira House in 1957 and the
construction was completed in 1963. Furthermore, to accommodate the XIV
ASEAN Summit in Bali on 7 – 8 October 2003, a new building was built
and Balai (a conference room) Wantilan was renovated, a new entrance
building accompanied by Bentar Temple, Kori Agung, parking lot as well
as Balai Bengong were also constructed. Tampaksiring Palace does not only function as a place to convene state or governmental events which include the presence of the president or the vice president, but also serves as a resting house for the president, the vice president and their family. Among various state guests recorded to have visited tha palace were President Ne Win from Burma (presently Myanmar), President Tito from Yugoslavia, President Ho Chi Minh from Vietnam, Prime Minister Nehru from India, Prime Minister Khruschev from the Uni Soviet, Queen Juliana from the Netherlands and Emperor Hirohito from Japan.
Presently, the complex of Tampaksiring Presidential Palace consists of five main Wisma Negara buildings and one “pendapa†(hall). Two of the main buildings are called Merdeka House (1,200 meters per square) and Negara House (1,476 meters per square), separated by two slopes around 15 meters deep but connected by a 40 meters bridge, the other three main buildings are called Yudhistira House, Bima House, a conference room as well as Balai Wantilan.
