SINGARAJA – 18 October 2023 | The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue also known as the GWK statue is a 122 meter tall statue located in the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park in Bali, Indonesia. Designed by I Nyoman Nuarta and inaugurated in September 2018. The total height of the statue including the 46-meter-high base is 122 m (400 ft). This statue was designed to be the tallest statue in Indonesia and was inspired by an event rooted in Hinduism about Garuda searching for Tirta Amerta, the elixir of life. According to this story, Garuda agreed to be ridden by Vishnu in exchange for the right to use a potion to free his enslaved mother. The monument was completed on 31 July 2018 and inaugurated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo on 22 September 2018. It is the tallest statue of a Hindu god and the tallest statue in Indonesia.

This statue is projected to bind the spatial layout with a visibility distance of up to 20 km so that it can be seen from Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua to Tanah Lot. The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is a symbol of the mission to save the environment and the world. This statue is made of a mixture of copper and steel weighing 4,000 tons, with a height of 76 meters and a width of 66 meters.

This activity involved the archipelago module lecturer, namely Prof. Dr. Dewa Gede Sudika Mangku, S.H., LL.M., and students exploring the area around GWK (Garuda Wisnu Kencana) in Bali. They took advantage of this opportunity to watch several typical Balinese dances and the Kecak Dance an iconic dance in Bali, which enriched their cultural experience. At the end of the activity, the lecturer summarizes the lessons learned during the exploration, providing an opportunity for reflection and increased understanding of Balinese culture and the artistic heritage there.