Hell from Balinese point of view can be seen in the ceiling of the Kertha Gosa, the traditional courtroom of Gelgel Kingdom in the heart of Semarapura town, Klungkung Regency. I think picture will tell about the Balinese vision on hell better than words so here are some pictures that show various punishments for the sinned souls in hell painted with the classic Kamasan style.

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When you visit Klungkung regency (State East of Denpasar) you have to visit its Museum – Museum Semarajaya — to know a little about the History of Klungkung. Museum Semarajaya is located in Semarapura City – the city of Klungkung — next to the tourist destination Kertha Gosa/Taman Gili (Old Court-Hall/Floating Hall). Whether you want it or not you have to enter Kertha Gosa first before going to the museum due to one entrance only is opened for these two areas. The ticket is very cheap, @Rp 5000,- for adults and @Rp 2000,- for children. Why it is cheap, because it will not be able to help the government to maintain those historic inheritances. But the good point is the local people will not feel difficult to pay for the entrance if they take their family members there. It means they will know and learn more about their ancestor history.

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That area is divided into three parts, the museum on the West, Taman Gili (Floating Hall) on the South, and Kertha Gosa (Old Court-Hall) on the North. There are wayang (consist of Hindu’s figures and stories) pictures at the ceiling of the Old Court-Hall which tell about the life after the death. There is also a big exit called Pamedalan Agung, it is said when a Dutch Soldier climbed and was at the top of Pamedalan Agung he saw a different place below not the ordinary one.

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Memento mori, a Latin phrase that may be freely translated as “Remember that you are mortal,” “Remember you will die,” or “Remember your death”. It names a genre of artistic creations that vary widely from one another, but which all share the same purpose, which is to remind people of their own mortality. Although Balinese culture has no such genre in their art, but the message of memento mori clearly interwoven in all kind of Balinese artistic products even further penetrates to the Balinese daily life.

Balinese philosophy borrows perfectly the gloomy Buddhist philosophy of life and inevitability of death. As Buddhist, Balinese believe all living things are suffering. Life is a suffering. We try so hard to stay alive, enrich ourselves but at the end, all will be swept away by death, an irony of life. As for inevitability of death, the basic principle of rwa bhineda explains everything. Life and death is one, one that is born will surely die. Balinese said that when they are born they bring four treasures: happiness, sadness, sickness, and death.

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Kertha Gosa, the Hall of Justice is situated at the main road intersection side of the town of Klungkung, 40 kilometers northeast of Denpasar. Kertha Gosa was a building for solving problems concerning security, prosperity, and justice of the Kingdom of Bali. It was not known exactly who was the founder of this palace, but according to the Candra Sengkala carved at pemedal Agung (Palace’s main door), it had been existence in the year Caka, Cakra Yuyu Paksi Paksi which means the year Caka 1622 or around the year 1700 A.D, when Dewa Agung Jambe governed the Kingdom of Bali.

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