Palasari

The Palasari Dam

          Palasari, is a beautifully located village, near the West Bali National Park. In the village, Christians, Muslims and Hindu people live peacefully next to each other. Palasari is still quite unknown to tourists, but those who know the town will name the dam, the Maria Cave and the imposing Catholic Cathedral, built in the Dutch colonial times. The cozy village lies between the wooded hills and rice fields, which makes it ideal for hikers. The reservoir provides an opportunity for cooling down after a strenuous walk. Here you can enjoy swimming.
The lake is approximately 100 ha when it is completely filled with water.

The Palasari Dam (reservoir) is very beautiful due to its surroundings. You will find tropical rainforest on the mountains in the north, some large rice fields in the south. A quiet blue river coming from the mountains feeds the lake. Villages like Palasari, Sari Perwata and Sari Sari are located in the west. The surroundings provide peace and quiet. The lake was built on behalf of President Suharto. The lake provides the surrounding area with water for the people who live in the villages and it provides the irrigation canals of rice fields with water. The beautiful surroundings of the Palasari Dam are used by locals and the few tourists for relaxation: cycling, jungle trekking, hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing to explore the tropical rainforest from the water.

The Cathedral

The Sacred Heart Cathedral with an area of approximately 3 hectares is located in the center of the village. This Cathedral is a central point of the village. All festivals are concentrated here. The cathedral is approximately 3 hectares.
The stimulating power behind the construction of the Cathedral was Simon Buis. He introduced catholicism in this region. The Cathedral was completed in 1955 and was initiated in 1958. The Cathedral has an interesting architecture that combines gothic style with a Balinesestyle.
A place other than the Cathedral to pray at short distance is 100 meters away from the Cathedral. It's the Cave of Maria. The cave is relatively small, but attracts many people who pray for blessings. Especially at Christmas there is a great crowd.
The nearby Maria Cave and Via Dolorosa are popular pilgrimage sites for Catholics in Indonesia.

The Maria Cave

A look in the imposing catholic cathedral is worth the effort. It is the largest eastern Indonesia cathedral. There are stone sculptures and a massive cathedral tower with multiple staircase roofs. Inside it is very impressive, with the huge wooden beams and a picturesque lightning. You can attend a miss, something that is a special experience especially on Catholic holidays.
Five kilometers further is the town of Blimbingsari. This small town has also a church, but belongs to the Protestant church community there.

In the Cathedral