On September 20th 1906, Dutch armed forces invaded Bali. Arriving in navy vessels on Sanur Beach, the battalions approached the Denpasar palaces receiving little resistance from the Balinese. The troops surrounded the palaces of Kesiman, Pemecutan and Denpasar, and it was painfully obvious that Balinese forces were out-matched, both in weaponry and sheer forces. This, and also due to great pride, is why the Balinese kings had planned something entirely different. Rather than die in the hands of the Dutch, almost all the royal family in their hundreds of faithful followers chose to take their own lives. Kerisses in hand, men, women and children stabbed themselves, and even members of their own family (including babies), violently, as if in trance. This must have been some sight for the Dutch soldiers. According to true accounts, the display was so horrific that many of the Dutch troops were deeply traumatized.
This was Puputan: “The End”. The anniversary of Puputan is remembered each year with ceremonies held across Bali at the various places where Puputan occurred (there was a Puputan at Klungkung also). This year the ceremony will be later than usual, and will take place over three days from October 8th until October 10th. It will be part of an event called Maha Bandana and they will be numerous performances of music and dance, showcasing gamelan and dance troupes from all over Denpasar and Sanur. Make sure you catch the opening ceremony which features parade around Puputan Square, starting at around 5pm on October 8th.
