A pair of giant-shaped statues on Gajah Mada Street, near the Tukad Badung bridge and in front of Badung Market, are visualizations of Sang Kala Tri Semaya. The 3-meter-high statue weighing 3.3 tons was completed on November 29, 2021, and installed on the night of November 30, 2021, and ceremoniously inaugurated in mid-December 2021, coinciding with the Denpasar Festival. This piece of art is the work of Denpasar city artist, I Nyoman Gede Sentana Putra, or familiarly called Kedux, who completed the statue in three months, assisted by his colleagues from Tabanan and Gianyar.
The mastermind behind these artistic marvels is none other than a distinguished artist of Denpasar, I Nyoman Gede Sentana Putra, affectionately known as Kedux. This monumental project, realized over three painstaking months, was a collaborative effort, aided by Kedux's talented associates hailing from Tabanan and Gianyar.
The Kala Trisemaya statues represent more than mere stone and skill; they serve as a three-dimensional manifestation of the narrative spun in the ancient Siwagama palm leaf manuscript. Embodying a guardian of the earth, the Kala Trisemaya are respected as discerning sentinels, sensitive to human actions, be it misconduct, falsehoods, or ill-chosen words.
The Siwagama palm leaf manuscript unfurls the tale of Hyang Batara Guru, who, through profound meditation, birthed a young priest named Sanghyang Dharmajaya, also known as Sang Resi Sidhiwasitadewa. Empowered by his deep spiritual practices, Dharmajaya acquired extraordinary energy, becoming a devout disciple of the Fire God, unaffected by the cycle of day and night, and free from the need for sustenance.
However, Dharmajaya's unprecedented power unnerved the divine trinity, Sanghyang Trisemaya, comprising Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Anticipating a potential apocalypse, they morphed into formidable figures, the Kala Tiga: Sang Kalarudra (Brahma), Sang Kalasambhu (Vishnu), and Sang Kalamaya (Shiva), to neutralize Dharmajaya.
Despite their relentless assaults, the Kala Tiga, as well as Trisemaya, proved incapable of vanquishing Dharmajaya. When confronted with this revelation, Batara Guru enlightened Trisemaya that Dharmajaya was his embodiment, and therefore, indestructible. Yet, to assuage Trisemaya, Batara Guru attenuated Dharmajaya's powers, enabling the Kala Tiga to defeat him. In a twist of fate, Tri Semaya then vanquished the Kala Tiga, their remains forming Mount Wiyanggama, thereby restoring tranquility to the world.
The tale culminates in the spirit (atma) of the defeated Kala Tiga emerging from the mountain, seeking an audience with Bhatara Guru. They humbly requested dominion over the world. Bhatara Guru, in his wisdom, granted them this power, ordained to take effect during the Kali era, the age of destruction, with the prophesy that they would sire 108 offspring.