AsiaBarong acquires carved stone traditional compound filled with jungle growth on the slopes of the volcano in Bali. Our plan is to restore this compound, with its attending temples back into a part of the community here. It will become our home and Asian tropical headquarters. Covered in plants, roofs caved in, floors sunk into the fertile soil. 16 people from the Balinese villages nearby are cutting the jungle back, sanding the wood work, cleaning the floors and walls, unearthing the stone paths that lay buried in over a foot of topsoil development . A crew will also start cleaning the delicate stone shrines of the temples. Our plan is to carve new woodwork as we need, to re-gild the old, to dedicate the old temples with consecration ceremonies so they will be once again be part of the religious heritage of the island we love. The old carved beams that are no longer able to withstand the wind of mini-typhoons will be shipped to our shop in Great Barrington. One building of heartbreaking carved beauty will be coming down to open up the original central garden courtyard, it’s base will remain as a stage for Gamelan orchestra and traditional dance performances.
Find the two photos that show the before and after of the old koi pond as 16 Balinese spent the day unearthing and hacking down the jungle plants at our home. Under all the growth was a Koi pond and tiered fountain. More exciting though was a stone sculpture of Vishnu atop Garuda, so overgrown we weren’t aware of it in our temple. More exciting then that was all of us stopping work to enjoy mangosteen fruits ripe from our own tree.
