BALINESE TRADITIONAL HOUSE

Each Balinese household consist of several structures all built within a confining wall, with variations depending on the caste and wealth of the family. When a son of the family marries, his wife will usually move into his compound, so there are frequently several generations living within the same area, each with their own sleeping quarters, but otherwise sharing the facilities. Given the climate, most domestic  take place outside or in the partial shelter of Bale, raised platforms supported by wooden pillars, with a roof traditionally thatched with local grass ( alang - alang ). Outside the kelod ( South ) wall,  families have their garbage tip and pig pens. The different structures of the compound are believed to reflect the human body _ the family shrine is the head, the bale are the arm, the courtyard is the navel, the kitchen and the rice barn are the legs and feet and the garbage tip is the anus.
            When designing and building a compound, a set of rules laid down in ancient texts must be adhered to. The architect or the master builder ( Undagi ) take a series of Measurements from the body of the head of the household. For the walls of the compound he needs to measure the distance between the tips of the middle fingers with the arms stretched out sideways, the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, and the width of the fist with the thumb strectched out. All these measurements are added together to give a unit length, the depa asti musti, and the texts specify how many of these lengths are suitable for different types of compound, location for which caste. The Bale daja, the sleeping quarters of thehead of the household, are sited first, in relation to  the kaja wall, and then the other structures positioned in relation to this.
        Prior to calling the undagi, the prospective householder also consults an expert in the Balinese calendar, as an auspicious day must be chosen for buying land and beginning construction. Before building starts, a ceremony takes place in which an offering, usually a brick wrapped in white cloth sprinkled with holy water, is placed in the foundation of each buildingso that work will proceed smoothly. When the building waork is finished, a series of ceremonies must take place before the compound can be occupied. The final ceremony is the melaspas, an inauguration ritual which brings the building to life.

House Compound Parts

1. Tugu / Pengijeng : Small shrines
2. Bale Daja : Pavilion of the head of the household and storehouse for family heirlooms, often completely walled in without windows
3. Sanggah Kemulan : Family temple, always in the kaja kangin corner with the main shrine dedicated to the souls of the ancestors, several small god houses, shrines for Gunung Agung and Batur and a Bale for the offerings.
4. Natah : opencourtyard
5. Bale Dauh : Guest Pavilion, parallel to the kauh wall.
6. Bale Dangin : Used for ceremonies such as marriage and tooth filling
7. Apit lawang : Gate Shrines.
8. Lawang Entrance, ideally situated in the kauh wall towards the kelod end.
9. Aling -aling : Short wall inside the entrance to prevent evil spirits from entering.
10. Paon : Kitchen, usually towards the kelod kauh corner
11. Lumbung : Rice Storage barn, next to the kicthen.