on windy days of July, the sky Denpasar fill with kites. These large birds and dance of fish and slide with the joy of children (of all ages, of course) by pulling their strings. The heavens are not the only congested roads, however. As restless winds of change attempt to lay the final clumps of cloud for cooler Bali more sunny dry season, the blue sky invite guests from near and far, filling the streets of Bali with traffic.
Bali prepares to attack with frantic activity. Stuck in traffic with several meetings on my calendar, uncertain and renounce to go, I remember my all-powerful enemy, one of the six enemies in me (the Balinese version of the seven deadly sins): Confusion. And it's times like these I invoke the divinity in me, this time as Catur Muka, the god with four heads facing the four cardinal directions. Expand my spatial awareness, I guess the immobility of a statue as I slip (or grind, mostly) through the traffic. Watch all the comings and goings around me.
There are many Catur Muka statues, as Janus in ancient Greece, guarding the crossroads of Bali. My favorite stands proudly in the heart of Denpasar, at the intersection of Jalan Surapati, Jalan Udayana, Jalan Jalan Gajah Mada and Veteran. It is the place Puputan Badung Jagad Temple Natha.
To appreciate this statue, it is not enough to go round twice (as I like to do when in a race, but wanting to enjoy this marvel). I prefer to walk to it from the south, past the office of Denpasar Mayor, the granite statue of 9 meters high.
Unlike its cousins skinnier around the island, Denpasar statue is impressive for its perfectly balanced proportions. It is the work of artist I Gusti Nyoman Lempad Ubud, commissioned in 1973 at a time when the Balinese government faced a new brave future. The Government had established the Ngurah Rai International Airport in 1969 and acquired Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur the same year (as a repair gift postwar Japanese government). When the local legislature issued a decree to erect the statue in 1971, the government had to establish the tourist area of Nusa Dua.
The government directive is embodied by the statue "Denpasar should be built on the basis of Balinese philosophy." Rampant development in Bali late suggests otherwise.
Taking into account the fact that during the previous Dutch colonial period, this site was a city clock which chimes every hour, reminding the people of who was in charge, we can also consider the statue as a symbol of identity restoration.
The clock now wallows in the Bali Museum, two blocks away. It is easy to be pessimistic that by removing the clock, the Balinese have abandoned discipline and order mechanism for mysticism. Or Catur Muka statue that depicts the Balinese soul firmly bound by rope illusions Villa-Real.
But I prefer to put on four bold faces. It looks to the past and see a history of violence and repression and is happy for these freedoms. Another looks at the future of a generation that grew up with an awareness of the place of Bali in the world and pray that they will learn from the mistakes of their parents. A third looks at the price wars companies sub-section around the island as a necessary evil to remind stakeholders of the need for regulation and ethics.
The final face, I set before the officials of the tax man and the government insisting on their contributions without contributing much, but heavier for business. It is a bold face obedient to the laws of this island, both spiritual and human. It is a face that intends to remind the mayor of good governance values enshrined in the Catur Muka statue at the next meeting.