The Kerte Gosa stands in the north - east corner of the Taman Gili, a marked contrast to the busy intersection and modern ton. The Kerta Gosa is the open pavilion on the corner of the complex, and a superb example of Klungkung architecture the roof is completely painted inside with fine paintings in the Klungkung style, The paintings, done on asbestos sheeting, were installed in the 1940s, replacing the cloth paintings which had deteriorated. Futher repainting and restoration took place in the 60s and 80s but the style of the paintings appears to have been fairly consisten, Virtually the only record of the earlier paintings was a photograph of the ceiling taken by Walter Spies in the 30s. Given Bali's humid climate there is, of course, rapid deterioration and already the current paintings are looking very second hand.

This was effectively the supreme court of the Klungkung kingdom, where disputes and cases which could not be settled at the village level were eventually brought. The defendant, standing before the three priests who acted as judges (kerthas),could gaze up at the ceiling and see wrongdoers being tortured by demons and the innocent enjoying the pleasures of Balinese heaven. In the colonial period, the court was used to deal with questions of traditional law ( adat ) while colonial law was handled by dutch courts.

Bale Kambang adjoining the Kerta Gosa in the Taman Gili is the beautiful Bale Kambang ( Floating Pavilion ), Though much of what you see today is the result of rebuilding this century. its ceiling is painted in Klungkung style, having been repainted in 1945. Around the Kerta Gosa and the Bale Kambang note the statues of top hatted European figures, an amusing departure from the normal statues you'll see of entrance guardians.

Across the courtyard to the west of the Bale Kambang is a new museum. It exhibits paintings and handcrafts of Klungkung, and might give you a good introduction to the wayang and Kamasan styles. All exhibits are labelled in English.