Gedong Kirtya, on Jl. Veteran in Singaraja, Buleleng Regency’s capital, is Bali’s oldest library dedicated to lontar, the palm-leaf manuscripts that record the island’s religion, law, medicine, and literature. Dutch colonial officials founded it in 1928, and researchers and culture-minded travelers come to see texts few visitors to Bali ever encounter (source: CHO).
The collection includes thousands of lontar bundles, prasasti (copper-plate inscriptions), and paper manuscripts in Balinese and Roman script. Its founding drew on the earlier research of Dutch scholars F.A. Liefrinck and Herman Neubronner van der Tuuk (source: UPTD Gedong Kirtya). The reading rooms are quiet and modest. Staff will often unwrap a bundle to show the incised script blackened with candlenut soot, and you may see archivists copying or treating fragile leaves by hand.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
The library runs on government office hours, typically weekday mornings into mid-afternoon, with shorter Friday hours. It closes on weekends and public holidays, so confirm the schedule locally before you go. Entry is usually by donation. Arrive in the morning for the best chance of a guided explanation. Researchers who want to study specific texts should contact the office in advance. Gedong Kirtya shares its grounds with Museum Buleleng, and Puri Agung Buleleng palace is next door, so you can see all three in one visit. The beach town of Lovina is about 10 km west.
