Sidemen · Culture

Kerta Gosa, Klungkung: Bali’s Royal Hall of Justice

A painted court of heaven and hell, a floating pavilion and the gate where Klungkung fell.

By The Bali Guideline Editorial TeamUpdated 11 November 2026

Overview

Kerta Gosa, Klungkung, before you go.

Kerta Gosa is the royal hall of justice of the old Klungkung kingdom, in the center of Semarapura, about 14 km south of Sidemen. Its ceiling is covered in Kamasan-style paintings of heaven, hell and karma, and the floating pavilion of Bale Kambang stands beside it. It is worth an hour for anyone curious about Balinese history and art.

Kerta Gosa, also spelled Kertha Gosa, is what survives of the palace of the Klungkung kings, nominally the senior royal house of Bali. Dewa Agung Jambe I took power in 1686 after the fall of nearby Gelgel and built a new palace, Semarapura. The hall of justice was added at the northeast corner of the compound toward the end of the 18th century. The name joins kerta, peace and prosperity, with gosa, from a word for announcing: a place where the king deliberated on security and justice. Three Brahmana priests sat as judges, and unresolved cases from across Bali were sent here.

The reason to visit is above your head. The ceiling of the open pavilion is covered in panels painted in the Kamasan wayang style, the flat, shadow-puppet manner of the painters’ village 2 km to the south. The main story, Bhima Swarga, follows the hero Bhima through hell and heaven to save his parents’ souls, and shows in plain detail the punishments that await wrongdoers. The accused waiting for judgment could look up and see it. The panels were repainted in 1918, 1933 and 1963 and have been repaired since, much of the work done by Kamasan artists.

The palace did not survive the Dutch. On 28 April 1908, after a week of fighting, Dutch troops broke into Semarapura, and the king, his family and followers came out in front of the main gate and fought to the death, a puputan. The surviving royals were exiled and most of the palace was razed. The gate, Kerta Gosa and Bale Kambang were left standing, and the Dutch used the hall as a court until 1942. The royal family returned in 1929 and still lives in Puri Agung nearby. In 2023 the king who died in 1908, Dewa Agung Jambe II, was named a national hero of Indonesia.

Today the complex, often called Taman Gili, is a quiet stop. The Klungkung tourism office counted 37,664 visitors in 2024, a fraction of the crowds at Besakih or Tanah Lot, and most of them were Europeans on a guided day out. The ticket includes a sarong and sash and the Semarajaya museum in the old Dutch school building on the west side.

The catches are small. The paintings are high and hard to read without a guide or a zoom lens, and midday in the lowland town is hot. Come in the morning and give it an hour.

Opening hours: Daily 8 AM–5 PM; a 2023 report said 6 PM (checked Nov 2026)
Ticket: IDR 50,000 foreign adults, IDR 25,000 children (checked Nov 2026)
Time needed: 1–1.5 hours with the museum; half a day with Kamasan
Best time: Before 10 AM, ahead of the heat and the tour groups
Dress code: Sarong and sash required; both included with the ticket
Location: Central Semarapura (Klungkung), about 14 km south of Sidemen

Today at Kerta Gosa, Klungkung

Thursday 12 November

Daylight: 5:48 AM to 6:17 PM
Hours of light: 12 hr 29 min of light

Checking the weather in Ubud…

Times for this spot, in Bali time (WITA).

Kertha Gosa (Taman Gili), Semarapura Kelod, Klungkung, Klungkung Regency, Bali 80716, Indonesia

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What to See

What to see at Kerta Gosa, Klungkung.

01
The painted ceiling of Bale Kerta Gosa
Hundreds of panels cover the ceiling of the court pavilion. The Bhima Swarga story fills five rows and is read clockwise from the northeast corner, from punishments in hell to rewards in heaven. Other panels show the Tantri animal fables, the Garuda story and Palelindon, omens read from earthquakes. At the center a lotus is ringed by four doves. Stand under each corner in turn and look up slowly.
02
The hall as a court
Kerta Gosa is an open pavilion on a raised base, where the king and three Brahmana priest-judges heard cases. A replica of the judges’ table stands in place; the original is in the museum. Under Dutch rule from 1908 the hall kept working as a court until 1942. The idea is simple and still striking: the accused sat beneath pictures of what karma does to the guilty.
03
Bale Kambang, the floating pavilion
Next to the court, a larger wall-less pavilion stands in a moat with lotus and fish, so it seems to float. Its ceiling has six levels of painting: astrological charts at the bottom, the folk tale of Men Brayut and her many children above them, and the Sutasoma story on the top four. Historians still debate whether it was a guardhouse, a royal pleasure pavilion or a place for meditation.
04
Pemedal Agung, the palace gate
The tall carved gate of the complex was the main entrance to the palace. Its carved chronogram gives Saka 1622, or AD 1700. On 28 April 1908 the royal family and their followers came out in front of it to face the Dutch guns. The palace behind it was razed, and the gate is now the main reminder of how large the compound once was.
05
Museum Semarajaya
The museum on the west side of the complex occupies a 1925 Dutch school building that mixes colonial and Balinese styles. It opened on 28 April 1992 to mark the puputan and holds weapons from the 1908 battle, photographs of the kings, household and ceremonial objects and prehistoric finds. Entry is included in the Kerta Gosa ticket. Allow 20 to 30 minutes.
06
The Puputan Klungkung Monument
Across the crossroads north of the complex, a tall monument commemorates the 1908 puputan, with dioramas of the war inside. Every 28 April, the anniversary of the battle and of the town, Klungkung holds official ceremonies here. Opening hours for the interior are not well published, so check at the door. The exterior is visible from Kerta Gosa’s gate.
07
Kamasan, the painters’ village
The ceiling’s style takes its name from Kamasan, a village about 2 km south, where families still paint wayang scenes on cloth and canvas. Kamasan painters, among them Nyoman Mandra, repainted the Kerta Gosa panels in the 20th century. Visit a family studio to watch the line work and natural colors being applied, and expect to be offered paintings: browsing is fine, but buy only what you want.

Seasons

Best time to visit Kerta Gosa, Klungkung.

Come before 10 AM. Semarapura sits in the lowlands, and by midday the open courtyard is hot with little shade. The site is open year-round and makes a good wet-season stop, since the pavilions are roofed, though rain can make the courtyard paths slippery.

Visitor numbers peak from June to September, when most of the European tour groups come, but even then the complex rarely feels crowded: the tourism office counts fewer than 40,000 visitors a year.

Every 28 April, Puputan Day, Klungkung holds ceremonies at the monument opposite and the town is busy with official events. Nyepi, on 8 March 2027, closes everything on the island for 24 hours from 6 AM. Galungan, next on 13 January and 11 August 2027, fills the town with bamboo penjor poles and temple processions.

Coming between November and March? Read our Bali rainy season guide →

Getting There

How to get to Kerta Gosa, Klungkung.

Travel times to Kerta Gosa, Klungkung
From	Time	How
Sidemen	20–30 min	About 14 km south by car or scooter on the valley road to Semarapura. Pair it with Besakih or Goa Lawah on a driver day.
Ubud	45–60 min	About 22 km by car via Gianyar. Many East Bali day tours from Ubud stop here on the way to Besakih or Padang Bai.
Bali airport (DPS)	1–1.5 hours	About 44 km by car on the coast bypass past Sanur, turning inland at Klungkung.
Sanur	45–60 min	About 28 km by car on the coast bypass.
Seminyak or Canggu	1.25–2 hours	About 39 km by car. Leave early to clear south Bali’s traffic.
Padang Bai or Candidasa	25–45 min	About 17 km from Padang Bai and 25 km from Candidasa by car, on the coast road past Goa Lawah.
Besakih	35–45 min	About 22 km south by car down the slopes of Mount Agung.

Getting around Kerta Gosa, Klungkung

Kerta Gosa sits at the main crossroads of Semarapura, opposite the regent’s office, with parking beside the complex; carry small bills for the attendant. The ticket counter is at the entrance. Inside, the paths are flat and short, and the pavilions are a few steps up, so the site is one of the easier historic places in Bali to walk around.

Most visitors come with a hired driver, which makes it easy to combine Kerta Gosa with Besakih, Goa Lawah or Sidemen in one day. Grab and Gojek are patchy this far east, so arrange your ride back before you go in. Guides wait at the site and can read the ceiling panels for you. Agree on a price first.

On foot, the Puputan monument is across the crossroads and the town market is about 1.25 km south, 15 to 20 minutes away. Kamasan is about 2 km south, but the walk follows busy roads, so a 5- to 10-minute ride is easier.

Know Before You Go

Kerta Gosa, Klungkung tips that save time and trouble.

01Look up from the northeast corner of the court pavilion and follow the Bhima Swarga panels clockwise. That is the order they were painted to be read in.
02Bring binoculars or a phone with a good zoom. The top rows of panels are high and the details are small.
03A guide adds a lot here: the scenes are dense and full of stories that are hard to follow alone. Agree on the fee before you start.
04Wear the sarong and sash given with your ticket for the whole visit, not only inside the pavilions.
05Do not climb on the pavilion bases or the moat walls around Bale Kambang to get a photo.
06Puri Agung, where the royal family lives, is a private home. Do not walk in unless you are invited.
07Pair Kerta Gosa with a Kamasan painter’s studio 2 km south to see the same style made by hand today.
08Carry small cash for parking, a guide and the souvenir kiosks.

FAQ

Kerta Gosa, Klungkung questions, answered.

Is Kerta Gosa worth visiting?

Yes, if you like history or art. The painted ceiling is one of the best surviving examples of classical Kamasan painting, and the story of the 1908 puputan gives the site real weight. It takes about an hour and is rarely crowded. It is less worth a long detour if you only want photos: the complex is small, and the paintings need a guide or some reading to make sense.

How much is the Kerta Gosa entrance fee?

IDR 50,000 for foreign adults and IDR 25,000 for foreign children. Indonesians pay IDR 25,000 and IDR 15,000 (checked Nov 2026). The ticket includes the sarong and sash you must wear and entry to the Semarajaya museum on the same grounds. Carry small cash for parking and for a guide if you hire one.

What are Kerta Gosa’s opening hours?

Daily from 8 AM to 5 PM, according to a 2026 report (checked Nov 2026). A 2023 report gave 8 AM to 6 PM, so arrive before 5 PM to be safe. The best time is before 10 AM, when it is cooler and the light under the pavilion roofs is better.

What do the Kerta Gosa paintings show?

Mainly the Bhima Swarga story, in which the hero Bhima travels through hell and heaven to save his parents’ souls, with graphic punishments for each kind of wrongdoing. Other panels show the Tantri fables, the Garuda story and earthquake omens. Bale Kambang next door shows astrological charts, the Men Brayut folk tale and the Sutasoma story. All are painted in the Kamasan wayang style.

What was Kerta Gosa used for?

It was the royal court of the Klungkung kingdom. The king and three Brahmana priests heard legal cases there, including unresolved cases sent from other Balinese kingdoms. After the Dutch took Klungkung in 1908, the hall stayed in use as a court until 1942. The name means roughly a place where peace and justice are deliberated and announced.

What is Bale Kambang?

The “floating pavilion” beside Kerta Gosa, an open hall in a lotus moat, so it appears to float on the water. Its painted ceiling has six levels: astrology at the bottom, the Men Brayut folk tale, then the Sutasoma story. Its original use is debated: a guardhouse, a royal pleasure pavilion or a place for meditation.

Do you need a sarong at Kerta Gosa?

Yes. Visitors must wear a sarong and a sash, and both are included in the ticket and handed out at the entrance. Covered shoulders and knees are the polite standard in the complex. You do not need to bring your own, though a light scarf helps if you plan to visit temples later the same day.

Is Kerta Gosa the same as Klungkung Palace?

It is part of it. Kerta Gosa, Bale Kambang and the Pemedal Agung gate are what remain of the Semarapura palace after the Dutch razed most of it in 1908. The royal family returned in 1929 and lives in Puri Agung nearby, which is a private home, not part of the visit.

What happened in the Puputan Klungkung?

On 28 April 1908, after about a week of fighting, Dutch troops broke into the palace. The king, Dewa Agung Jambe II, with his family and followers, came out in front of the main gate and fought to the death rather than surrender. It ended Bali’s last independent kingdom. The town marks the date every year, and the king was named a national hero in 2023.

How do you get to Kerta Gosa from Ubud?

By car, about 22 km via Gianyar, in 45 to 60 minutes. Most people come with a driver and combine it with Besakih, Goa Lawah or Sidemen, which are all within about 45 minutes. Grab and Gojek can be hard to find for the return trip from Semarapura, so book the ride back in advance.

Nearby

Where to go after Kerta Gosa, Klungkung.

Places close by that fit into the same trip, with realistic travel times.

About 5–10 min by road (2.5 km)
Kamasan painters’ village
The village that gave its name to the Kerta Gosa painting style, where families still paint wayang scenes.
About 15–20 min by road (9 km)
Goa Lawah Temple
A sea temple in the mouth of a bat cave, on the coast road toward Padang Bai.
Visitor guide
About 35–45 min by road (22 km)
Besakih Temple
Bali’s mother temple on the slopes of Mount Agung, the classic pairing on an East Bali day.
Visitor guide
About 25–35 min by road (17 km)
Blue Lagoon Beach, Padang Bai
A small cove with reef close to shore, for a swim after the morning’s history.
Visitor guide
About 10 min by road (3 km)
Tukad Unda weir
A wide colonial-era weir on the Unda River on the east side of town, where local families swim in the dry season.

Plan the rest of your time in Sidemen.

Area guide

Sidemen travel guide

Read the guide

Temple

Pura Besakih

Visitor guide

Adventure

Mount Agung Trek

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How we researched this

Sources and fact checks.

Prices, opening hours, show times and travel times in this Kerta Gosa, Klungkung guide were checked against official sites, government tourism pages and recent reporting on 11 November 2026. Where sources disagreed, we give the official figure and say so. Rankings are our editorial judgment, set out in our editorial policy.

We re-check the guide at least every three months and whenever we hear about a change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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Kerta Gosa, Klungkung: Bali’s Royal Hall of Justice

Kerta Gosa, Klungkung, before you go.

Today at Kerta Gosa, Klungkung

What to see at Kerta Gosa, Klungkung.

The painted ceiling of Bale Kerta Gosa

The hall as a court

Bale Kambang, the floating pavilion

Pemedal Agung, the palace gate

Museum Semarajaya

The Puputan Klungkung Monument

Kamasan, the painters’ village