Garuda Wisnu Kencana
Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) statue is a masterpiece by a Balinese sculpture maestro called I Nyoman Nuarta.
The aim of building the GWK Statue by I Nyoman Nuarta is to create an area as a new tourist destination in Bali.
According to him, the location must be strategic which will become a center for introducing Indonesian and Balinese culture in particular to the world.
Even though the idea of building the GWK Statue has been around since the 80s, this idea was not immediately accepted by the public due to the opinion of the majority of people who thought that this project would only cost a lot of money without the results being according to plan.
It took Nyoman Nuarta 8 years to introduce his idea to the public and in the end he submitted a proposal to build the GWK Statue which was then approved by President Soeharto in 1990.
Construction of the statue began 7 years later, on June 8 1997. Furthermore, construction stopped temporarily in 1997-1998 due to the monetary crisis.
Construction finally continued in 2013 until it was finally inaugurated by President Jokowi in 2018 so historically, the construction of the GWK Statue took up to 28 years until it was finally realized.
The Meaning of GWK Statue
In general, the GWK statue depicts the statue of Lord Vishnu with a gold crown and riding an Garuda bird.
This GWK statue is very rich in Balinese cultural philosophy and Hindu religion. In Balinese mythology, the GWK statue symbolizes love, responsibility and courage.
Apart from that, the GWK Statue is also considered a symbol of the mission to save the environment and the world. In Hindu mythology, God Vishnu is believed to be the guardian of the universe. Meanwhile, the Garuda bird is a symbol of loyalty and selfless devotion. Then, golden means gold, which is like the original crown worn by Lord Vishnu or Wisnu in Balinese.
Big hall underneath the statue as an area to show some photos of GWK masterplan, etc.
Buggy service start from ticket counter to the main GWK statue. cost 40.000 idr/ person. Check further information things to do in this area Contact
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The GWK statue stands on a limestone hill 263 meters above sea level in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park area covering an area of around 250 hectares. This magnificent statue of Bali’s mascot was inaugurated by President Jokowi on September 22 2018.
The height of the GWK statue reaches 121 meters and weighs 4,000 tons, made of copper, steel and brass.
The GWK statue is a statue of Lord Vishnu riding the Garuda bird. Built 75 meters high, with a foundation 70 meters high, the wings of the Garuda bird stretch 66 meters wide.