Candi bentar: entrance

 

 

 

 

Entrance to Taman Ayun

  

 

A village temple

 

   

Shrine at Tirta Empul

 

 

   

 

Pagoda at Bedugul

 

 

 

   

Pura Besakib, the holiest 

 

 

After the offering

 

  To Main Page

Travel Page 

  Page 1 Bali   Page 2 Bali   The Residence

Rules for Christian visitors:

First, you should remember that the entrance to temples in Bali typically have a distinctive split as if the masonry was cut vertically into two halves and moved apart. Any unwelcome visitor trying to enter, will be crushed when the two halves slam together. So when you visit, please, be considerate, friendly and graceful.

Second, knees (bare legs) are not to be exposed inside the temple areas. Hence, men and women should wear long pants, a skirt or a sarong. You can bring your own sarong, of course, or rent one at the entrance. Men who think that's silly should also remember not to wear aprons when they want to be macho grillers, blacksmiths, butchers or bakers.

We visited several temples and quickly noticed that they vary in style, age and scenic splendor. One of the most ornate and beautiful was Taman Ayun, in the southwestern part of Bali. The grounds are surrounded by a moat with floating lotus plants. Visitors can walk along a path, but only worshippers are allowed inside the temple area. 

Each of the small buildings and pagodas are shrines to individual gods and may be worshipped specifically by one family. Yet, they all encompass the sacred part of the temple.

  
In Bali villages have their own temples; some are large, others modest. They are all oriented such that you proceed in the kaja direction, the direction of the mountain, where the gods live. So, entering a temple is like climbing towards the dwelling of the gods. Before entering the inter-most sacred area, you will find several functional buildings or bale such as a temple kitchen and storerooms for the offerings.
 
Stone carvings of various Hindu gods such as Genesha, the elephant god, adorn this stairway. Again these are examples of the artistic endeavors of the Bali people.

  

On the way up the mountain slopes our driver took us to this ancient temple, Tirta Empul. Here most of the shrines and chambers were carved out of the soft limestone that formed the walls of this canyon.

   

Lake Bratan is high up in the mountains. It was a bit overcast as the clouds hugged the shoreline. But it was warm and pleasant.

The sacred temple Bedugul, at Lake Bratan, consists of two islands with pagodas and small shrines. People needed small boats to reach them. However, on the day we were there all was quiet with no worshippers in sight.

This was also the area where Jay found a snake.

  
On our last day in Bali we visited Pura Besakib, the mother temple, the most holy and largest Hindu temple in all of Indonesia. It is built on several hill tops each with a different central temple area. Thousands come to worship here every day bringing offerings and receiving blessings. It is the Meca of the Indonesian Hindus.
 
We saw people seated in front of the main meru where they would pray and be blessed. Priests in white would sprinkle holy rice wine, then they would offer a drink poured in the outstretched hands followed by some rice or wafer of some sort. It reminded us of the Christian communion ceremony. One difference was that the men had their heads covered.