Gedong Kirtya Singaraja: The World's Only Lontar Manuscript Museum

In quiet Singaraja stands a low colonial building holding something without equal anywhere on earth: Gedong Kirtya, the world's only library and museum dedicated specifically to collecting and conserving lontar palm-leaf manuscripts. Founded on 2 June 1928 and opened to the public on 14 September 1928 through the initiative of L.J.J. Caron together with Balinese nobility, it holds more than 2,000 bundles of lontar. On an ordinary weekday you may be the only guest — an intellectual hidden gem of North Bali that tour groups have barely discovered.

What Sits Behind the Glass Cabinets

• Weda and tutur — religious texts and ancient Balinese philosophy.
• Usada — traditional medical manuscripts: herbal remedies, massage, and how to read illness.
• Babad and copper inscriptions — royal genealogies and documents of ancient Balinese governance.
• Literature — kakawin, kidung, geguritan, and prasi, the illustrated lontar.
• Old Dutch-language books left from the colonial era.

Watching a Lontar Being Made

Young rontal palm leaves are picked, boiled, dried, then pressed for months until perfectly flat. The text is incised with a small knife called a pengrupak — never ink. Afterwards the surface is rubbed with burnt candlenut so the soot settles into the grooves and the Balinese script appears deep black. Staff are usually glad to explain the process, demonstrate the writing, and even take requests for copies of manuscripts for ceremonies or research.

Combine It with Singaraja's Heritage

• Puri Buleleng — the former palace of the Buleleng kings, a few minutes on foot.
• Museum Buleleng — the kingdom's history and the writer Anak Agung Panji Tisna.
• The old Buleleng harbour — the historic pier and Yudha Mandala Tama Monument, loveliest in late afternoon.
• Lovina — about 30 minutes west to end the day by the sea.

Practical Info & Reservations

• Location: Jl. Veteran No. 20, Paket Agung, Buleleng — View on Google Maps
• Getting there: roughly 3 hours by car from Ngurah Rai Airport via the Bedugul route; just minutes from central Singaraja.
• Hours: approximately Monday–Thursday 08:00–16:00 and Friday–Sunday 09:00–16:00; some sources list Monday–Friday 08:00–15:30. Confirm first, as schedules change, especially around religious holidays.
• Tickets: around Rp25,000 (foreign visitors), Rp10,000 (domestic adults), Rp5,000 (students).
• Reservations: none needed — walk in and pay at the desk. Groups and researchers should contact the UPTD Gedong Kirtya office via the Buleleng Regency Culture Office in advance.
• Instagram: search on Instagram

Give North Bali an overnight so the day never feels rushed — compare rates and book your Lovina or Singaraja hotel voucher first on AccessiaPass.