Culture of Lombok Island. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

One of the most meaningful architecture monuments of the past centuries is Majura Water Palace. This majestic building is located right in the center of Cakranagera district, so you will easily find it. During the reign of Balinese in Lombok, all the important decisions were made here, and this was the place, where the governors of the island lived. The Palace was built in the middle of the 18th century. The garden around the Palace is surrounded by a low nice fence with different animalistic pictures. In the middle of a big pool near the Palace, there is a pavilion, called Bale Kambang, which can be translated as “a small island”. During the time, when the Palace was an administrative center of Lombok, there was a conference hall and a court inside.

Near the pool you can see a statue of a peacock, and the name of the palace itself means “a peacock” in Sanskrit. The legends say, there was a time, when there were a lot of snakes in the palace, including poisonous ones, which caused a lot of trouble to the residents. Then the king asked his friend, a ruler of Pakistan, for an advice. And he suggested fighting the reptiles with the help of the peacocks, which became a very successful decision. The Palace is a real symbol of the Balinese victory over the Dutch colonizers. Right in front of the Palace occurred a significant battle, which ended with the defeat of the Europeans.

There is a Hindu temple near the Palace, which was built at the beginning of the 18th century. This is an active sanctuary, which means you can only enter if wearing a sarong. However, it is easy to buy or rent one. The guardians of the park of the Majun Palace say, its spirit lives in that temple. Do you want to feel a little bit of the royal luxury? Then visit the Namadas water park, which is located 10 kilometers from Mataram. This is actually not an amusement park, as you may think. Namadas is a 19th-century royal residence, where the members of the ruling family came for holidays. On the territory of the park, there is a “fountain of youth”. According to the legend, it will give health, longevity, and a faithful spouse to anyone, who will drink the water from the fountain. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

You should definitely visit the Temple of the Two Holy Shrines. This is a unique place, where the representatives of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism get together in one place to pray for the fertility and prosperity of the native land. There is also a lake not far from the temple. The locals believe that the sacred eels live there. If you want to feed them, you may even buy special eggs in a small kiosk nearby. The temple itself was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century and is well-preserved. In the middle of December, it hosts Perang Topat, an unusual harvest festival, which ends with a rice “battle”. And if you visit a Hindu temple Pura Batu Bolong during the fool moon, you may become a witness to a colorful ritual ceremony.

Another important landmark of the island is the villages of aboriginals, who live according to the precepts of their ancestors. The Sasak people make pottery, weave, farm, and spend their free time the way their forefathers did centuries ago. Visiting their territory, any traveler will dive into the past of not only Lombok, but of all mankind. Because this is the way all our ancestors lived. You can visit Gili Meno Bird Park, located on the Gili Islands. It is a small park, which became a home to hundreds of exotic birds. There is no rush here, and in the silence of the pure nature you may enjoy the view of the most beautiful birds on the planet.