The Flower Cyclist in Meduwe Karang Temple

Famous for the floral motifs and carved figures on the walls, Pura Maduwe Karang is a beautiful complex dedicated to the earth and fertility gods. Built in 1890, the temple and shrines are decorated with floral motifs typical of North Bali and numerous stone figures representing characters from the Indian epic Ramayana. At the entrance the sculptures are arranged over three levels, 13 figures in the lower row, ten in the middle row and 13 in the higher back row which is flanked by two entrance stairways. But it is a curiosity that makes this sacred place even more attractive, the depiction on the side of the main sanctuary of a man on a bicycle, whose wheels are flowers. It is probably the portrait of the Dutch artist, lithographer and ethnologist Wijnand Otto Jan Nieuwenkamp, who is also considered the first European artist to visit the island between 1904 and 1906. He spent a lot of time in Bali, cycling around, studying art and local culture. He inspired the locals who carved him and his bicycle into the sandstone walls. A strong earthquake caused numerous damages in 1917 and the subsequent restoration added some floral decorations that make it even more an inevitable sight.