What is the meaning behind this gandik type?

[drdavid]

They were using the harbour at Kuta in those days as the point of entry to South Bali, and the rhino was brought to Kuta and then gifted to the Raja in 1839. This was not an early effort to save the rhino, because a few years later in 1841 or 1842 the rhino was sacrificed as a part of a cremation ceremony.That's as much as I can remember, but somebody may be able to find more on this, and there might be some connection with the use of a rhino as keris motif.

In 'Visible and Invisible Realms' by Wiener the rhinocerous makes a few appearances but all are related to the gifting of a rhinocerous for the reasons Alan mentions. According to Wiener the dutchman involved was Schuurman and the rhino was given to the ruler/s of Klungkung (at that stage Dewa Agung Putra II and his sister Dewa Agung Isteri Kania were joint rulers). The rhino was sacrificed at a great maligia (purification) ceremony for the establishment of the temple complex at Sengguan.
drd