Among other things which are named after or have anything to do with Balinese national hero I Gusti Ngurah Rai (i.e. Ngurah Rai International Airport, Ngurah Rai by pass, or Margarana Heroes Burial Park), Tanah Aron is the least known and given adequate attention.

Tanah Aron is located at the foot of mount Agung, near the village of Budakeling, in Karangasem regency. It was the place where I Gusti Ngurah Rai and his Ciung Wanara troops fought against Dutch’s troops and hide from Dutch’s aerial bombardment. Ngurah Rai and his troops managed to escape the Dutch’s attack and continue their guerrilla warfare until met their final fate in a battle in Margarana.

(more…)

During his life Rai often became a leader in his team during his childhood or after. Once Rai and his friend wanted to enter Pura (temple) in Samuan – not far from his village, but they were stopped by the people who had authority on the temple because they were using pants. He asked his friends to take gunny-sacks and they were used as sarong, some of Rai’s friends took kinds of towels as sarong. Of course those people were very angry for that and snapped at Rai. Due to the emotion of a teenager, Rai snapped back at them. Nobody dared to stop him entering the temple. In ± 1940s, he was a lieutenant in Prayoda Corps that belonged to the Dutch which was prepared to face the 2nd World War in Europe. In 1943 when Japan in Bali, he work in MBK (Mitsui Bushan Kaisha). The aim of MBK is to force villagers to give away their rice to Japan. This made Rai hated Japan so much. So, in 1944 Rai and some Balinese youngsters joined PETA, troop to defense the mother land. Here they fight against Japan with an underground resistance movement.

On October 1945 after the Indonesia Independence, BKR (Badan Keamanan Rakyat/People Safety Organization) was made in Bali and then it was integrated with the other organizations that concerned on how to defense the Indonesia Independence into TKR (Tentara Keamanan Rakyat/People Safety Soldier). Rai was a major in TKR. After the invasion of Denpasar on 11 April 1946 and after passing some battles in Badung and Tabanan, the crusader did a consolidation at Mundukmalang on 17 April 1946. Here, Rai decided to consolidate all organization into DPRI (Dewan Perjuangan Republik Indonesia/The Council of Republic of Indonesia’s Struggle) and Rai was chosen to lead DPRI and then he led DPRI Sunda Kecil (Bali and Nusa Tenggara).

(more…)

Part 2

On I Gusti Ngurah Rai’s life Gianyar (state East of Denpasar) became a special place for him. It is not just because Gianyar was his first place to learn about military drill but this was also a place where he met his true love. Desak Putu Kari, a dancer, was the one who had stolen Rai’s heart at the first sight. She is an orphan from Gianyar. Gusti Ngurah Rai asked for the hand of her when she was at the age of thirteen. One day Rai appeared suddenly at 11 pm in her room and ran her away. When Kari’s family looked for her Rai asked her to go to the barracks while he talked about his willing to get married with Desak Putu Kari. But based on Kari’s demand, they got married after the cremation ceremony (ngaben) of Kari’s parents.

I Gusti Ngurah Rai. www.baliprov.go.id
(more…)

Part 1

I Gusti Ngurah Rai bestowed the National Hero award due to his sacrifice towards his nation, Indonesia, in the battle of Margarana against the Dutch. He was killed in the battle on 20th November in 1946 with his Ciung Wanara troop which included 95 soldiers. His name is immortalized as the name of the International Airport in Bali, name of street, campus, and sport centre to commemorate him.

Red: Gusti Ngurah Rai, Blue: Dr. Anak Agung Made Djelantik, 1931, from flickr.com/photos/wibisono/

I Gusti Ngurah Rai was born on Wednesday, wuku (seven-day week in the Balinese 210-day calendar — one traditional year consists of 30 wukus) Kelawu, 30th January 1917, in Carangsari Village, ± 24 km to the north from Denpasar. His father’s name is I Gusti Ngurah Patjung, was a Manca (head of the sub-district) and his mother is I Gusti Ayu Kompyang. His childhood name was I Gusti Ngurah Gejor (shake) because a great earthquake was going on when he was born and then changed into Ngurah Rai in his school period.

(more…)