The Existence of Palegongan Banjar Binoh Kaja’s Style: Between History and Mythology

Abstract

Banjar Binoh Kaja, Ubung Kaja Village, is one of the banjars in Denpasar City that is well-known for its rapid development in the arts, namely the art of palegongan, which has been passed down from generation to generation. The preservation of this palegongan art is closely related to religious activities, so that children in the Banjar Binoh Kaja area are required to learn karawitan and dance. The emergence of legong art in Binoh, now known as “Legong Keraton,” experienced its heyday and peak around the 1920s, when Sekaa Palegongan Binoh was mentored by the late Guru Besar I Wayan Lotring from Banjar Tegal, Kuta -Badung and Ida Bagus Boda (deceased) from Banjar Kaliungu Denpasar. Then, in accordance with the ups and downs of life after experiencing glory, Sekaa Palegongan Binoh began to experience a decline with the emergence of a new art form, namely the Gong Kebyar gamelan. However, palegongan gamelan activities in Banjar Binoh Kaja continued because in Banjar Binoh Kaja itself there are 12 sacred buildings (Pura), where every 6 Balinese months (7 calendar months) they are assigned to accompany piodalan ceremonies at the Pura. The development of Legong Binoh Kaja in this era of modernization has also experienced a decline, largely due to the rapid advancement of technology, which inevitably leads to negative consequences such as gadget dependency activities in the fields of education, social and cultural affairs, as well as the talents possessed by the younger generation, have been neglected. This is a shared responsibility to begin directing the use of technology and gadgets towards more interaction with friends through activities organized by Sekaa Palegongan Binoh and Sanggar Tari Murda Sruti in Banjar Binoh Kaja.