Bagiarta: Sustainable Tourism Depends on the Attention to Panca Maha Bhuta Elements

Buleleng, 1/7(Atnews) – Tourism practitioner Nyoman Bagiarta expected the tourism sustainability of Bali and Indonesia should pay attention to the five elements forming the universe (Panca Maha Bhuta).

“The five elements consisting of pertiwi (land), apah (water), teja (sun), bayu (air) and akasa (space) are significant for attracting tourists as tourism objects and building culture,” said Bagiarta having a wealth of experience in tourism industry of more than half a century.

According to him, the damage to the five elements will affect the culture in the environment. For this reason, he asked the government to assert in implementing a development vision that is in favor of preserving and maintaining the harmonization of the five elements.

This can be implemented in the form of Tri Hita Karana (harmonious human relations with God, others and the environment). Human beings play an important role in advancing or impacting the decline in the quality of the Panca Maha Bhuta.

This former Director of the Nusa Dua Tourism Education and Training Center (BPLP), now renamed into the Nusa Dua Tourism Institute (STPND) Bali, assessed that cultural tourism is feared to exploit Balinese ancestral heritage in particular.

On that account, sacred things that must be carefully guarded with full purity may not be neglected. Accordingly, it will affect the destruction of nature and the lack of harmonization that can triggers a disaster.

The shrines (temples) duly intended for the place of worship of God and discussion on the majesty of God is even taken advantage to tourist objects without strict control. Righteously, tourism development is managed seriously based on physical (sekala) and psychical (niskala) orientation, not only based on cultural orientation. “These limits should be given attention in maintaining taksu (divine vibration) of Bali known as the Island of the Gods,” he affirmed.

Therefore, he manages Puri Lumbung Cottage at Munduk village by implementing Responsible Management by involving farmers as shareholders. At the same time, they are still managing their agricultural area. To that end, the cottage remains green, beautiful and elegant, and even repeatedly achieved the Tri Hita Karana Awards.

Many in-house foreign guests of the cottage feel the five elements, namely the sunlight, fresh air, mountains, rice fields and the water in the river are still clear because the surrounding forest is well maintained. (ART/02)