UBUD'S ROYAL PALACE Ubud has been a "royal town" for over a hundred years. Its princes, who bear the title "Tjokorda" or "Agung" still live in traditional palaces, called "Puris". Be aware, however, that every place called "Puri" is not a royal palace. The word has been used quite liberally of late. Also be aware that there is not one palace in Ubud, but many, most of them clustered around the main cross-roads near the Bud market.

There are several other "royal" towns in the Bud area, too, with their own palaces, most of which have close family ties to the Bud Tjokordas. A web of connections is maintained by incidental and arranged marriages among the respective offspring of princes in Sayan, Pejeng, Singapadu, Peliatan, and Payangan's Puris.

Although the old Balinese feudal system was superseded by the Dutch colonial government more that eighty years ago, the Tjokordas still retain a special role in Ubud society.

Many leadership roles, both sacred and secular are held by Tjokordas. They also figure prominently in the local business community, arts institutions, and professional circles.

While no formal power is automatically granted to someone because they come from a Puri, the Ubud royals still command respect solely on the basis of their heredity. They also command respect from some quarters on the basis of their rather disproportionate wealth.

The palaces have long been the largest landholders in the area. They used to manifest this role in a largely "custodial" way, managing vast tracts of rice-growing land for the benefit of the community and the temples.

In recent times, however, with the advent of western models of land ownership, many palaces have developed or sold landholdings to augment their personal wealth sometimes conspicuously.