Desa Nagasepaha, Buleleng: Birthplace of Balinese Glass Painting

About nine kilometres from Singaraja, Desa Nagasepaha looks like any other Buleleng village: rice fields, narrow lanes, small warung. Yet inside a few of its houses lives a tradition no other village in Bali has — wayang kaca, puppet paintings worked in reverse behind a sheet of glass. It began in 1927 with Jro Dalang Diah, a shadow-puppet carver, and is now listed as Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage.

How Wayang Kaca Began

The story starts with a Japanese glass painting brought home by a local merchant. Jro Dalang Diah studied it, scraped away the paint to work out the order of the layers, then applied the method to figures from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Painted from behind, the colours go on in reverse: the frontmost details come first. The figures have their own look too — shorter and sturdier than the South Balinese style.

What to Do Here

• Visit an artisan’s house, several of them in Dusun Delod Margi, and watch the painting up close.
• Try a few lines yourself on glass, if the artisan is not rushing an order.
• See the other crafts: woven cloth, wood carving, bamboo flutes, even gamelan components.
• Buy straight from the maker, from small panels to framed paintings.

Route and Best Timing

It is roughly 15–20 minutes from Singaraja and 25–30 minutes from Lovina. Morning to early afternoon is best: artisans usually work then, and natural light makes the detail behind the glass far easier to read. Coming from the south, pair it with Gitgit Waterfall or Lake Buyan.

Practical Info & Visiting

• Location: Desa Nagasepaha, Buleleng District — View on Google Maps
• Opening hours: the village is open any time; artisan houses are usually active from morning to late afternoon, and the village office runs Monday–Friday 08.00–15.00 — best to confirm first
• Tickets: no entrance fee; bring cash for artwork, with prices varying by size
• How to visit: contact the village office in advance, or hire a local guide from Singaraja to take you to an artisan at work
• Instagram: search on Instagram

Dress modestly — this is a residential village, not a tourist site — ask before taking photos, and never touch glass whose paint is still wet. Buying one piece is the most concrete support an artisan can get. Stay a night around Lovina or Singaraja and book your room with AccessiaPass hotel vouchers, so the rest of your budget can go towards taking an original home from the village.