Tenganan Village

Tenganan, northwest of Candidasa, is situated about 5km from the main road. Tenganan is a symmetrically laid out Bali Aga village with a walled homes and unique crafts. Bali Aga was the original inhabitant of Bali, before the arrival of Hindu Javanese. Tenganan retains its ancient pre-Hindu customs through a strong code of non-fraternization with outsiders, further enforced by the protection of its surrounding walls.

Tenganan village is located among hill countryside, the hill at west part and east part. This countryside is inclusive of Manggis sub district, Karangasem regency, consisted of three Banjar those are Banjar Kauh, Banjar Tengah and Banjar Pande. The regional of countryside consisted of three complex those are resident complex, plantation and rice field complex. History of Tenganan village expressed in a few version, first version mentioned that resident of Tenganan village come from Paneges village, a near by countryside of Bedahulu in regency of Gianyar, second version express that word Tenganan recognized in one of Bali inscription with the word Tranganan, the third version express that resident of Tenganan village pray to Bukit Lempuyang temple who trace the coast of Candi Dasa to the east about 10 and 11 century. The word of Tenganan ascribed by a Tengah root word which can mean to aim to middle of Pegringsingan, representing the cloth type weave to fasten typically produce by Tenganan village resident. The structure of resident in Tenganan village is built in linear consisted of six ray, every ray consisted of some lawn broadly, form the building which relative, existence of art shop have altered the original some types of the resident. All the tradition existence of the human being harmonious with the God, human being with the human being and human being environmentally as according to conception of Tri Hita Karana. The Tourism Destination of Tenganan remains to draw during the time, goodness as tourism cultural object, tourism nature and agriculture tourism.

Tenganan village or Tengan Pegeringsingan represent one of the ancient village in Bali known as Bali Age. society life pattern of Tenganan like countrified pattern, communications structure of ritual systems represented very unique.


Its pattern of the life of the society represents an example of the culture of the village of Bali Aga (pre-Hindu) different with the other field in the level one from Bali. Like place of the destination of the tourism, the village of Tenganan can serve the attractive and unique matters that add the variation of the object and the fascination the tourist in Bali. Village of Tenganan that presents/displays the unique traditional culture the specification that is there is in the object of the wisata of the Tenganan field consisted of:
1. Pattern of Countrified of rural having the character of linear
2. The structure of the bilateral society that orients in collective precedence
3. Special the ritual system in of high frequency surrounds serves mechanical solidarity as the solidarity of religion, artistic and social
4. The Mekare-Kare tradition in every June that is fight of the tradition the pine of the screw in ritual context, value of the religion, the alcohol of the fight and the physical test of delaying accompanied by gambelan traditional of selonding
5. Art to make the armor by hand to hold to the cloth geringsing by designed and to fix the typical color.

Tenganan is one of several ancient villages in Bali, which is usually called “Bali Aga”. There are some versions of story telling us the history of Tenganan village. Some say that the word Tenganan was derived from the word “tengah” or “ngatengahang” which means “move to the inner area”. This derivation of word was having a relation with the movement of the villagers from the seaside to a rural area, in which the position of this village is in the middle of hills, that are western hill (Bukit Kauh) and eastern hill (Bukit Kangin).

As an ancient village, Tenganan Pegeringsingan is identical with religious activities. Many temple festivals performed in this village that attract visitors to come. The most famous one is “Mekare-kare” or “Perang Pandan” and also called Megeret Pandan. This is a ceremonial fight or war using thorny pandanous leaves as the weapon. This festival usually takes place in relation to the celebration of Usaba Sambah on Sasih Kelima or the fifth Balinese month. Many other uniqueness of custom and culture can be found here that make Tenganan worth to visit.