After the first Bali Bombing in 2002 at Kuta, a permanent memorial
was built on the site of the destroyed Paddy's Pub on Legian Street. (A
new bar, named "Paddy's: Reloaded", was reopened further along Legian
Street.) The memorial is made of intricately carved stone, set with a
large marble plaque, which bears the names and nationalities of each of
those killed. It is flanked by the national flags of the victims. The
monument is well-maintained and illuminated at night.
The memorial was dedicated on 12 October 2004, the second anniversary
of the attack. The dedication included a Balinese Hindu ceremony and
the opportunity for mourners to lay flowers and other offerings. The
Australian ambassador and Indonesian officials attended the ceremony as
most of the victims were Australians.
The Balinese mark their commitment in a nine-day long event. After
major cleansing ceremonies, establishing a memorial for the lost lives,
and paying respect to those who left loved ones behind, the people of
Kuta look forward to restoring Bali’s image through an event named "Kuta
Karnival — A Celebration of Life”. The community event consists of
traditional art performances such as Balinese Sunset Dances, sports on
the beach as well as in the water for young and old plus rows and rows
of culinary displays along the one kilometre of sandy beach.
In line with the return of tourism to Kuta, Kuta Karnival has grown
into a tourism promotional event with major coverage from television and
newspapers from across the globe. Companies, embassies, Non-Government
Organizations, associations and even individuals come forth to get
involved in the various events such as a Balinese dance competition
presented by a surf-wear company, an environment exhibition presented by
an embassy, a fun cycle presented by a group of individuals, a seminar
presented by an association and a parade on the streets presented by an
NGO. Tourists and locals alike, more than ninety thousand people
participates in the numerous events, year after year.
A repeated tragedy in Bali in 2005 did not reduce the Kuta
community’s determination to carry out this annual event. Kuta Karnival
is conducted to commemorate and give respect to the victims of human
violence and show the world the true spirit of local community survival
despite terrorism attacks.
