Established in June 1928 and publicly opened in September 1928, Gedong Kirtya stores the island’s most precious literary heritage — thousands of lontar (palm leaf) manuscripts, currently under threat due to the building’s limited facilities.
The lontar manuscripts are inscribed on both sides of dried palm leaves, with the letters incised on the leaf with a sharp blade. The palm leaf manuscripts are bound together with a string. The manuscripts contain pools of knowledge and information ranging from sacred religious texts, to customary laws and codes, calendars, religious and traditional ceremonies, literature, architecture, treaties on traditional medicine, the arts, magic and daily matters.
The museum was constructed with a traditional Balinese architectural design and consists of four main buildings. The first building houses collections of old books and ancient lontar. The second building displays copies of lontar manuscripts and houses a library. The third building is used for administrative offices, while the fourth building is the exhibition room.
Located on Jl. Veteran in downtown Singaraja, the museum rarely gets visitors as the building is not particularly striking. But for scholars and those interested in studying lontar, the museum is a heaven as it houses so many extraordinary literary assets. If you want to learn more about Bali — its religion, culture and customs, Gedong Kirtya offers plentiful resources on the island’s traditional wisdom.