“Look, that’s the ship from Lombok unloading its cargo at the dock,” said Bu Kadek, pointing to the vessel slowly approaching Padang Bai Harbour in Karangasem, East Bali. The ship gently reversed into the dock where the unloading process began. Nearby, several other cargo and passenger ships were also moored.
The sight of the bustling activity at Padang Bai evokes memories of the harbour’s long history as one of the key ports in Karangasem, alongside Tulamben. It once played an essential role in Bali’s trade routes and was a central hub along the Indonesian Spice Route. While Bali does not produce its own spices, the island’s strategic location for the spice trade has historically connected it to India, China, and the Mediterranean, bringing new flavours, goods, and cultural exchanges to the region.
A Harbour with Historical Depth
The name “Padang Bai” was likely given by the Dutch during their colonial period. Originally called Padang, the village was strategically located in a shallow bay with calm waters, making it ideal for a military post and port. The Dutch referred to the bay as “Padang Baai” (“Baai” meaning bay in Dutch), and the name eventually evolved into Padang Bai. After Indonesia’s independence, the village’s name changed to Teluk Padang. However, many tourists and travel writers still refer to it as Padang Bay.
Historically, Padang Bai also appears in ancient texts such as the Kehen B Inscription, which mentions: “Mpu Kuturan followed his brother to Bali in the year Caka 923 (1001 AD), arriving by boat made from kapu-kapu leaves and with a boat made from bende leaves, landing at the ‘Padang’ beach.” The beach mentioned in the inscription is believed to be Padang Bai, as evidenced by the presence of Pura Silayukti, a temple dedicated to Mpu Kuturan in the area.
The ongoing trade activities at Padang Bai have fostered a rich blend of cultures, seen in the use of coins as currency, the distinctive Balinese satay lilit seasoning believed to be a mix of various spices, and the Gringsing textiles from Tenganan Village, whose weaving techniques are believed to have roots in India.
In their book “Spices, Spice Routes, and the Dynamics of the Nusantara Society”, Djoko Marihandono and Bondan Kanumoyoso explain that Indian traders, to obtain large quantities of spices, brought textiles that could be produced cheaply and in large quantities. These Indian textiles thus became a form of currency for acquiring spices.
The expansion of Indian trade in the Nusantara (a historical term referring to the archipelago we know today as Indonesia) not only facilitated international trade between the archipelago and the rest of the world but also nurtured the growth of inter-island and inter-regional trade within the Nusantara and Asia. Textiles from India weren’t the only “currency” for acquiring spices—rice also played an important role in these exchanges, shaping the patterns of trade and navigation in the region.
From Padang Bai to Tenganan Village
About 16 kilometres from Padang Bai Harbour, the people of Tenganan Village have been weaving Gringsing textiles for generations. The Gringsing weaving tradition in Tenganan is believed to have been brought to the area by Indian immigrants. In his paper, “Clothing, Ritual, and Society in Tenganan Pegeringsingan” (1984), Urs Ramseyer suggested that the people of Tenganan, followers of the god Indra, were immigrants from ancient India who introduced the double ikat weaving technique from Orissa or Andhra Pradesh, developing it independently in Tenganan.
According to textile experts, the double ikat weaving technique used for Gringsing fabric is found in only three places worldwide: Tenganan, India, and Japan. Completing one piece of Gringsing fabric can take anywhere from two to five years.
The entire process of making Gringsing fabric, from start to finish, is done entirely by hand, using traditional spinning tools rather than machines. “On a good day, we can weave for about eight hours,” said Bu Ayu, one of Tenganan’s weavers, during a break in mid-August.
The cotton yarn used for weaving is sourced from Nusa Penida and is spun and soaked in candlenut oil before undergoing the binding and dyeing process. The soaking process can take anywhere from 40 days to a year, with the soaking water being replaced every 25 to 49 days. The longer the yarn soaks, the stronger and softer it becomes.
The candlenuts used in the weaving process are collected from the forests of Tenganan, but only fully ripe candlenuts that have fallen naturally from the tree are used. This follows a traditional rule that certain trees, like the candlenut tree, cannot be picked while still on the ground; they must be left to ripen and fall naturally.
During the weaving process, the yarn is spun into fabric of specific length (weft) and width (warp). To firm up the weave, the yarn is pressed using a bat bone. Once the fabric is woven, it is tied by a master binder following a predetermined pattern. The binding process uses two colours of raffia thread—pink and light green. Each knot is untied and dyed to create motifs and colour patterns.
The process of arranging the yarn, binding, and dyeing is done on both the warp and weft, resulting in the double ikat technique. In regular ikat weaving, only the weft is patterned, while the warp remains plain, or vice versa. The motifs woven into the fabric are done with such precision that the colours on the warp and weft meet perfectly, creating a sharp, clear design.
“It’s crucial to get it right, as it takes a lot of time to fix any mistakes,” added Bu Ayu.
The Living Legacy of the Spice Route
What’s fascinating is that centuries after the spice trade along the Spice Route, Gringsing textiles—made with yarn sourced from Nusa Penida—still follow a similar process, brought in through the sea by ships docking at Padang Bai, a harbour with a long history of trade.
The two locations in eastern Bali—Padang Bai and Tenganan Village—highlight the historical significance of the Nusantara Spice Route, which remains relevant today. While modernisation has changed certain aspects of life in Padang Bai, the harbour’s activity still reflects its historical importance. Meanwhile, the people of Tenganan continue to preserve their Gringsing weaving tradition, which remains indirectly connected to and influenced by Indian culture. As such, both areas deserve greater attention and appreciation for their cultural and historical heritage.
