The SAKA Museum at AYANA Bali is set to debut three new exhibitions in early April, offering visitors an immersive exploration of Balinese culture, philosophy, and environmental traditions.
The launch follows the island’s sacred Nyepi holiday, a day of silence that marks the Balinese New Year. The museum showcases Bali’s richness, showing that Bali is more than just a tropical getaway.
The new exhibitions—Kasanga: Nyepi Exhibition, Subak: The Ancient Order of Bali, and Heritage Gallery: The Five Elements (Panca Maha Bhuta)—expand on the museum’s existing displays, deepening its focus on Bali’s traditions and the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, which emphasizes harmony between humanity, nature, and the divine.
Tri Hita Karana roughly translates to “three causes of well-being”. This philosophy is deeply ingrained in Balinese life, influencing architecture, agriculture, and daily interactions.
Exploring Bali’s cultural and environmental heritage
Each exhibition highlights a different aspect of Balinese life. The first, Kasanga: Nyepi Exhibition, delves into the rituals and symbolism surrounding Nyepi, a day of self-reflection and purification that brings the island to a complete standstill.
Balinese New Year is not just a single day. It is a series of sacred rituals observed over six days. Nyepi, also known as the Day of Silence, is the most well-known part, during which even the airport ceases its services with no flights in or out of the island.
SAKA Museum’s exhibit showcases artwork and cultural artifacts that depict the various stages of the celebration, including the Ogoh-ogoh parade, where towering demon effigies are paraded through the streets.
The second exhibition, Subak: The Ancient Order of Bali, offers insight into the island’s UNESCO-recognized irrigation system, a centuries-old water management network that sustains Bali’s iconic rice terraces.
Rooted in the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, the subak system integrates spirituality, cooperative governance, and ecological balance. Water is distributed through a network of temples and terraced rice fields, with priests performing rituals to bless the water and farmer cooperatives ensuring its fair allocation.
Unlike government-controlled irrigation models, Subak operates as a self-regulating system, emphasizing shared resources and communal decision-making. Beyond its agricultural function, Subak serves as a global example of sustainable development and water diplomacy, offering valuable insights into climate resilience and traditional governance models that remain relevant in modern discussions on environmental stewardship.
The third exhibition, Heritage Gallery: The Five Elements (Panca Maha Bhuta), examines Balinese cosmology through the island’s five fundamental elements—earth, water, fire, air, and ether.
“Through these exhibitions, visitors will gain a deeper appreciation of the role these practices play in daily Balinese life—how they guide spiritual observances, the rhythms of the island, and the collective consciousness of the Balinese people,” said Marlowe Bandem, the executive advisor of SAKA Museum, in a press release on Tuesday.
A growing cultural destination
The new displays complement existing exhibitions such as Sasi Wimba Haneng Gata Poem—a homegrown poem by Bandem herself—and Palelintangan: Balinese Astrology, which is on the Balinese star calendar.
Beyond its exhibits, SAKA Museum serves as an educational hub, offering free visits for schools, researchers, and students.
The new exhibitions will open to the public in early April, following Nyepi on Saturday, March 29, after the new moon.
