Anak Agung Pandji Tisna was the 11th descendant of the Pandji Sakti dynasty of Buleleng, Singaraja, which is in the northern part of Bali, Indonesia. He succeeded his father, Anak Agung Putu Djelantik, as king in 1944.
He was a writer and a novelist. He refused to be the king of Buleleng, but being the eldest son, the Japanese occupancy troops forced him to be “syucho” after the death of his father in 1944.
During his reign, he became the leader of the Council of Kings of all of Bali from 1946 to 1947 (Paruman Agung) and the Regent of Buleleng. In 1947, because his uniquely Christian faith did not fit in with the predominant Hindu religion, Pandji Tisna surrendered the throne to his younger brother, Anak Agung Ngurah Ketut Djelantik.
Pandji Tisna is also remembered as a pioneer of Balinese tourism, especially in the northern beach district.
A member of the Provisional Parliament of the State of East Indonesia from 1946-1948, in 1953, Tisna chose Desa Tukad Cebol (now Desa Kaliasem [Kaliasem Village]) as his holiday home. There he wrote and received both local and foreign guests. He named his holiday home Lovina, which is an abbreviation of words Love Indonesia. He then built several guest houses in the western coast in Buleleng. The whole area then became known as Pantai Lovina, or Lovina Beach in English. For this reason, he is accredited as “The Father of Balinese Tourism”. In 2003, the Balinese government posthumously awarded him the Karya Karana Award in recognition of his services to the development of Balinese tourism.
