Lontar
"Lontar" is derived from "rontal", which is composed of two Old Javanese word, "ron" and "tal". Ron means "leaf" and tal means "rontal tree", member of the palm family (Borassus flabellifer) which is also widely called "siwalan" tree. Rontal tree grows slowly compared to coconut tree.

Historical Background
Gedong Kirtya was established on June 2, 1928 by L.J.J. Caron, then the "Resident" (the Resident was a government official during the Dutch colonial era) of Bali and Lombok w

Paper Made Of Rontal Leaves
In order to be used as paper, rontal leaves must first be carefully selected, the preffered size being a dried leaf approximately 25 cm in length.

Inscribing Tools
To inscribing a lontar a special tool must be used which in Balinese is called "pengutik" or "pengrupak". It is a device made of iron, with the tip sharpened in ttringular shape for the purpose of making  the scatch thick or thin.

Prasi
Prasi" is an illustrated lontar and the drawings are derived from shadow puppet plays (wayang). Based on its stories, wayang drawings on these lontars can be grouped into 4 kinds of stories, namely:

How To Draw a Prasi
Drawing a prasi requires a great deal of preseverance. It must not be done n a hurry. Every scratch and line must be engraved deliberately in such a way   to create an image.

Gedong Kirtya Today
At the moment, Gedong Kirtya has a library in Dutch, English and Germand containing research on Balinese culture and 2000 lontars. In addition, Gedong Kirtya also