Cultural Representation on Temples Signage in Kuta (A Case Study of Linguistics Landscapes)

Abstract

Material culture in the Linguistic Landscape (LL) perspective is a public concrete visualisation of a certain culture in a certain society in a given territory. Balinese Hindu culture is one of a kind practice of Hinduism in the world. Balinese Hindus can unite three supreme deities of Hinduism (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) into one supreme trinity known as Trimurti. This study aims to analyse the representation of Balinese Hindu material culture in the temple signage of Trimurti in Kuta village. The data was collected by observation using a photographic technique in January 2024 in Kuta village. The findings showed three temple signages of Trimurti found in Kuta village: Pura Desa, Pura Puseh, and Pura Dalem. The result showed that Balinese Hindu’s material culture is significantly represented in all temple signages. Culturally available resources such as local stone are used as sign material in all signage. The local carving pattern of ‘karang boma’ is vigorously used in all signages. In terms of the language used, all signages use Balinese language with Balinese script. Besides material culture representation, the analysis also showed non-material culture representation, such as the philosophical meaning of Trimurti is represented by the spatial location of the signage: the sign of Pura Desa is located in the northern part of the village; the sign of Pura Puseh is situated in the eastern part of the village; and the sign of Pura Dalem is located in the western part of the village.