About The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue
The statue was built to be the tallest in Indonesia and stands 122 meters (400 feet) above the ground, including the pedestal at the base (which is 46 meters tall in its own right!).
It began construction in 1990 but wasn’t finished until 2018. It was completed in July of that year, but in September, Joko Widodo (the Indonesian President) formally inaugurated it.
It is also the tallest statue of a Hindu God anywhere in the world! (It is the Hindu God Wisnu or Hindu God Vishnu, depending on how you transliterate it and his Garuda).
The History Of The GWK Statue
The Vishnu statue broke ground at Plaza Garuda in 1990. However, due to the economic crisis triggered by the collapse of the Tiger economies of Asia, work ground to a halt in 1997.
It only resumed again in 2013 after a property developer bought the site and agreed to finish it.
However, religious authorities were not exactly ecstatic about this news and instead felt that it was too big and might interfere with the spiritual nature of Bali.
The Symbolism Of The GWK Statue
The statue in Plaza Wisnu draws on Hindu folklore to tell the story of Lord Vishnu (Lord Wisnu) riding a Garuda to liberate the elixir of life (Amrita) to save his mother who had been enslaved.
Construction Of The GWK Statue
The project originally began as 754 modules (made from massive quarried limestone blocks) that would be assembled on-site.
They had to be cut up to enable the local cranes to lift them into place and there are now more than 1,500 separate pieces in the statue.
It was built to last 100 years and the structure had to be specially reinforced to keep it in place without collapsing. It weighs 4,000 tonnes!
Events & Festivals At GWK
There are regular events at festivals at this site and Iron Maiden and Paramore have both played gigs here.
The G20 Summit was held at GWK in 2022 and this year, it will host Bali’s Biggest Penjor Festival!
Traditional Balinese Dance At GWK
There are regular performances of local dances at the Plaza Wisnu and the occasional Balinese parade takes place here too.
It’s always worth checking their website to see what’s happening at GWK during your holiday.
What Else Is At GWK?
There is a large car park, a GWK souvenir shop or two, nail painting and street food stalls.
You may also want to check out the attractive Lotus Pond on the premises.
It’s no wonder the park draws visitors from all over the island, particularly those intent on visiting Dreamland Beach (as the park is on the road to the beach).
