GWK Cultural Park, Bali

Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park is a place that I've visited twice during my travels to Indonesia, once in February 2012 and once in February 2015. The first time I went I was in awe, not particularly of what was there at the time but of what it promised. The torso of Vishnu (Wisnu), a Hindu God, and the mythical bird Garuda, Vishnu's stead and Indonesia's national symbol, tower above everything in the park and are therefore the main attractions. These statues, although already impressive, are only part complete so stand in wait for the rest of the parts to be finished. I Nyoman Nuarta, Indonesia's most highly acclaimed sculptor, models and develops the parts in Bandung, West Java, out of brass and copper before shipping the parts to the south of Bali. When complete, the statue will consist of Wisnu riding Garuda as depicted in Hindi teachings, complete with a golden mosaic coated crown for the God and decorations for the legendary bird. The statue will have a combined weight of 3000 tons of copper! To put that into some perspective, the Statue of Liberty weights 204 tons. It will be almost 3 times as tall as the the US' great figure with a wingspan of 64 metres. Not only this, it'll sit on a pedestal of 30,000 square metres containing an art gallery and conference centre among other facilities. 30,000 square feet! That's huge, it's like the equivalent of an average Premier League players house. 

   

 When I first saw the current monuments at GWK I was excited at the prospect of seeing one of the world's biggest ever statues as it gave me a glimpse of what was to come. Unfortunately, 3 years later and it's in the same state as what it was on my initial visit. Maybe I'm just impatient to see progress. How long does it take to make a phoenix as long as 10 buses and a Godly figure with a gold encrusted crown as tall as 60 Peter Crouch's? There's no doubt I will go back if I have the opportunity when I know it's complete but until then I won't be returning. I wouldn't particularly recommend it to tourists at this stage or discourage anyone from going if they had this in mind but from my point of view, the whole park is a project in process. It's built into an abandoned limestone mine that looks like the set of the film 'Maze Runner' and offers what feels like a natural but clearly manmade environment. Other facilities on site include a large amphitheater where the traditional Balinese dancers in fully classical attire and masks tell the story of Garuda and other Hindu deities to the sound of the gongs and angklung. Fortunately for us, there was a very nervous looking bloke sat in front of us who stood out of the crowd more than we did so he got chosen to dance on stage. After making a swift exit we headed to a small row of shops that sell all the authentic Indonesian products: cloth, instruments, packaged food, pictures. Lidya however thought it would be a good idea to go for a therapeutic massage session which I happily agreed to, only to be terribly misinformed and ended up laid on my side while a elderly woman held a burning candle in my ear. Due to the fact that I had a flame very close to my head and extremely flammable hair, which seems to be receding at a rapid rate, I found this anything but relaxing. After about 15 minutes of this I'm still none the wiser as to what it was for as my hearing was still the same.

   The grounds surrounding the stalls are quaint and very tranquil, with a lotus pond and flowering trees, something I hope to see more of on the estate next time. Other than this, the area is vast but pretty bland. Facing away from Garuda at the western end you look out at a track of lawn between the the limestone cliff faces with nothing but a small human sized figure at the far end. Whether they have any plans to develop this area is unclear, it could be the location for the eventual final mega statue which, if chosen, I think would somewhat reduce the impact its presence would have as it would be sandwiched in a valley. For me, some kind of botanical garden would compliment the serenity of the place and be fitting among religious icons.

   

When you pull up to the park entrance off a busy street heading south from Bali's Ngurah Rai International airport I expected it to be like most of my Balinese experiences: interesting, picturesque but too much litter and massively overcrowded. What I found to be the case here though, bizarrely, was the complete opposite. Soon as we entered the gates the usual bustle and reverberation of bike engines disappeared and we were suddenly in a peaceful locale. The shacks lined up between 7Elevens or Indomaret's vanished and we were surrounded by vibrant green lawns, rubbish free and tidy. This was short lived though when we were greeted by the soothing sounds of circular saws cutting through the concrete throughout the entrance and pedestrian walkways just through the turnstiles and the sight of heavy machinery landscaping certain areas. Work in progress is very much what GWK is at this moment. 

I love the ambition of the project and what it will represent for Indonesia when or if it is ever completed. It would be a massive accomplishment and generate an influx of tourists to see one of Asia's most spectacular creations. And probably most importantly of all, unlike the Spring Temple Buddha statue in Henan Province, China, it will be accessible to tourists without having to travel far from the main resorts (15 minute drive from the airport, 40 from Kuta and 90 from Ubud). I have a lot of admiration for I Nyoman Nuarta and can't fault his enthusiasm for such a grand plan. I generally can not wait to visit when it's all complete and that gold enameled crown is final placed upon Wisnu's head.

Rich