Palasari: A Tranquil Catholic Outpost in the Sea of Hindu
Monday, December 24th, 2007 by Sidarta WijayaThe feeling of tranquility and peacefulness are the first impressions that captivate the heart of the visitor upon entering the village of Palasari. Palasari is a catholic outpost in the sea of Hindu, situated in the heart of Jembrana regency and surrounded by the forest and coconut plantations. Palasari can be reached with three hours drive from Denpasar, around 120 km.
The history has it; the first Catholic missionary arrived in Bali on Easter Day 1936 and in a short period converted a number of people in Tuka, a village, which is about 10 kilometers north of Denpasar.
The first Catholic church established in this village, the head of the Tuka Church at that time was Father Simon Buis. In 1940, he requested from the Dutch administration and Bali’s Board of Kings and was granted a plot of land in the lush forest of Pangkung Sente in Jembrana for his congregation to live since their was no place for the congregation in Denpasar at that time. In September 1940 Father Buis and his followers moved to the forest and settled in a village, now known as Palasari from the nutmeg trees that surround the village at that time. The word “palasari” is derived from the word “pala” means “nutmeg” and the word “sari” means “essence”.
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