After visiting Ulun Danu Keberatan Temple in the morning, where we also witnessed a ceremonial procession, we savoured a nasi padang lunch in a small little shop in a nearby market. Despite the light rain, I browsed among the colourful stalls and bought cinnamon powder for my culinary and baking pursuits.
Thereafter, we headed to Taman Ayun Temple, which was a landmark located 17km northwest of Denpasar.
The main temple entrance, a large candi bentar
Built circa 1634 by the then ruler of the Mengwi kingdom, the temple is situated in the village of Mengwi, Badung regency. Taman Ayun Temple was restored in 1937.
Inside the temple grounds
Inside the temple grounds
Considered the ‘mother temple’ of Mengwi, this temple complex is famous for its wonderful traditional architectural features, including expansive green gardens with lotus and fish ponds. The name ‘Taman Ayun’ means ‘beautiful garden’. It is considered to be one of the most attractive temples of Bali.
The beautiful gardens of the Taman Ayun Temple
Inside the temple grounds
Inside the temple grounds
Besides being well-known for its beautifully landscaped gardens, the hallmark of the Taman Ayun Temple is the series of Pelinggih Meru with towering tiers. The pagoda-like Pelinggih Meru shrine is a distinctive feature of Balinese temples.
The towering shrines of Taman Ayun Temple
Balinese temple architecture is significantly different from Indian Hindu temple architecture. Within each Balinese temple, there are some common distinctive features, which are the bale, meru, kulkul and shrines. The bale are pavilions in the courtyards, each with its own specific function. The meru is a multi-tiered structure, and it is usually dedicated to a god or goddess. The number of tiers must always be odd, and the highest number must not exceed 11, which symbolises the highest respect. The kulkul is a hollow log which functions is similar to that of a church bell. It is used to call the community to come to the temple. Lastly, each temple will have a number of shrines. Each shrine will be dedicated to a god or goddess. Women will present the offerings to them.
11-tiered Pelinggih Meru in the inner sanctum of the Taman Ayun Temple. The highest level allowed is 11 tiers, denoting the utmost respect for the god or goddess revered.
The Taman Ayun Temple served as a main site of worship among the Mengwi people so they did not have to travel far to the main large temples, the likes of the Besakih ‘mother temple’ in Karangasem, Batukaru Temple in Tabanan, or Batur Temple in Kintamani.
Within the utama mandala (jero), the holiest and the most sacred zone within the pura
Within the utama mandala (jero), the holiest and the most sacred zone within the pura
Taman Ayun Templeis a pura tirta, or a water temple. Besides their religious function, the water temples also serve a water management function as a part of the irrigation system. Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, which I had visited in the morning, also belonged to this category.
The towering tiers of Taman Ayun Temple
Inside the temple grounds
Inside the temple grounds
Within the utama mandala (jero), which is the holiest and the most sacred zone within the pura
Skilled craftsmen constructing galungan or penjor kuningan by hand.The penjor, which are bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end, are the most obvious sign of the Galungan festival. These penjor are installed along roads, and at the entrances to temples.A paduraksa or kori agung gate marks the entrance into the main sanctum of the temple
I was at Ulun Danu Keberatan Temple between noon and 1.30pm on 24 September 2016. First of all, I was happy that I was lucky enough to visit Bali during the tail-end of the Galungan Festival, one of the most important festivals in Bali. You can read more about the Galungan Festival in an earlier blog post of mine about visiting Uluwatu on my first day in Bali.
Just before we left the temple, we saw a long procession of Balinese ladies and men in their traditional attire, walking towards the paduraksa or kori agung, the roofed tower gate that opened into the inner sanctum of the temple complex, the utama mandala (jero). I thought we were really lucky, because we did not know there was going to be a procession at 1.00pm, but there it was, coming towards us!
The lady at the head of the procession was dressed in a white Balinese kebaya embroidered with beautiful multi-coloured flowers. She balanced a tall package of boxes tied up in a plastic bag on her head with ease, and held an umbrella in one hand.
The lady at the head of the procession was dressed in a white Balinese kebaya embroidered with beautiful multi-coloured flowers.
In fact, all the ladies had mastered the art of balancing various objects on their head, and could walk gracefully without holding the things with their hands. They were carrying stuff hands-free! 🙂
The ladies had mastered the art of balancing various objects on their head
The procession was complete with musicians wearing matching outfits. They were beating drums of various sizes and shapes. There was even the Balinese version of cymbals.
Musicians wearing matching outfits and beating drums of various sizes and shapes
Next, a grand Balinese procession would not be complete without an assortment of flags, spears and poles with ornaments.
Balinese carrying an assortment of flags, spears and poles with ornaments
Groups of ladies in colour-coordinated matching Balinese kebayas carried offerings already arranged on trays on their heads.
Ladies in colour-coordinated matching kebayas carried offerings
Some of the offerings were quite fancy-looking, with tassels and all.
Ladies wearing matching bright pink kebaya tops
Some of the ceremonial offerings were quite elaborate, requiring two to four people to carry them on small litters or mini ‘sedan chairs’.
Elaborate ceremonial offerings that require two persons to transport
A few groups of musicians were interspersed with the people carrying offerings.
More musicians with drums and cymbals
This particular group of musicians seemed to be a complete traditional gamelan group, and they were actually playing their music while walking! Each gong was transported on a pole carried by two people.
The musicians even carried the largest gong. Wow, it looked very heavy!
All in all, it was wonderful being able to see the beauty of Balinese culture in action, and we had a blast the whole time we were there.
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is a postcard-perfect-looking water temple located on the shore of Lake Beratan, near Bedugul, 1,200 m above sea level. As it is located at a high altitude, it has a cool and invigorating climate. Lake Beratan is known as the Holy MountainLake due to the fertility of the area.
Ulun Danu Beratan Lake
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is a major Shivaite and water temple of Bali, built in 1633. This temple is used for offering ceremonies to Dewi Danu, the Balinese goddess of water, lake and river.
The main temple entrance, a large candi bentar
The temple was built on the shore of Lake Beratan due to the lake being a main source of water for irrigation in central Bali. An 11-storey pelinggih meru was dedicated to Shiva and his consort Parvathi.
The pagoda-like 11-storey Pelinggih Meru shrine of Pura Ulun Danu Beratan is a distinctive feature of a Balinese temple.
The Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is also featured on the 50,000-rupiah banknote. A definite icon of Bali, this place. 🙂
A part of the temple complex, at the edge of Lake Beratan, which is featured in postcards
There are several types of temple or pura in Bali. They each serve certain functions in Balinese rituals according to the Balinese calendar. The temples are arranged according to the physical and spiritual realm of Balinese people, from the mountain tops, which are the realms of gods, to the middle fertile plains, which are the realm of humans, and the beaches and oceans, which are the realm of sea deities and demons.
Beautiful carved ornamented atop one of the temple roofs
The various types of temples are as follows (source: Wikipedia & Indo.com):
Pura kahyangan jagad are built high up upon mountain or volcano slopes. The mountains are considered as the sacred realm, the abode of gods or hyang spirits.
Pura tirta are the water temples. Besides their religious function, they also serve a water management function as a part of the irrigation system. Pura Ulun Danu Beratan and Pura Taman Ayun (which I also visited) belong to this category.
Pura desa are located within villages or cities. They are dedicated to the worship of Brahma. They are used for the official celebrations of the village community.
Pura puseh are dedicated to the worship of Vishnu, and the ancestors of the village.
Pura dalem are dedicated to the worship of Shiva, and the place of cremation.
Pura mrajapati is dedicated to the worship of prajapati (the lord of people) or the cosmic might. Usually, Shiva is worshipped in his form as prajapati in this temple.
Pura segara are located by the sea to appease the sea deities. Pura Tanah Lot and Pura Uluwatu belong in this category. I visited both during this trip. 😀
A beautifully carved door
Balinese temple architecture is significantly different from Indian Hindu temple architecture. Within each Balinese temple, there are some common distinctive features, which are the bale, meru, kulkul and shrines. The bale are pavilions in the courtyards, each with its own specific function. The meru is a multi-tiered structure, and it is usually dedicated to a god or goddess. The number of tiers must always be odd, and the highest number must not exceed 11, which symbolises the highest respect. The kulkul is a hollow log which functions is similar to that of a church bell. It is used to call the community to come to the temple. Lastly, each temple will have a number of shrines. Each shrine will be dedicated to a god or goddess. Women will present the offerings to them.
A decorative item made from dried leaves hanging at one of the pavilions or baleA part of the temple complex, at the edge of Lake Beratan
There are two types of temple gates in Balinese architecture. The first type is the candi bentar or split gate, and the second type is the paduraksa or kori agung, which is a roofed tower gate.
A candi bentar or split gate which separates two different compounds in the temple grounds
The two types of gates have different roles. Candi bentar is the gate used in the nista mandala, while the kori agung is used as the gate between the madya mandala and utama mandala inner compounds. These types of gates can also be used for non-religious compounds such as puri, nobles’ and kings’ residences.
A paduraksa or kori agung marks the entrance into the main sanctum of the temple
A close-up shot of the intricate carvings on the door of the kori agung is shown below.
Beautifully carved and decorated doors
The Balinese temple or pura is designed as a place of worship in an open-air space within enclosed walls, unlike the typical Indian Hindu temple, which has an indoor worship space. The Balinese temple is divided into three mandala zones or compounds, arranged according to a hierarchy, and connected by a series of beautifully decorated gates (source: Wikipedia):
Nista mandala (jaba pisan) is the outer zone. It is usually an open field or a garden that can be used for religious dance performances, or preparations during religious festivals. It directly connects the temple compound with the outer realm, and the entrance to the temple.
Madya mandala (jaba tengah) is the middle zone of the temple. It is the area where pavilions, such as the bale kulkul (wooden slit drum tower), bale gong (gamelan pavilion), wantilan (meeting pavilion), bale pesandekan, and bale perantenan, the temple’s kitchen, are located. It is where the activity of adherents takes place, and also the location for supporting facilities of the temple.
Utama mandala (jero) is the holiest and the most sacred zone within the pura. This enclosed and typically highest of the compounds usually contains a padmasana, the towering lotus throne of the highest god, Acintya (the Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, or ‘All-in-one God’, in modern Balinese), the pelinggih meru (a multi-tiered tower-shrine), and several pavilions, such as bale pawedan (vedic chanting pavilion), bale piyasan, bale pepelik (offering pavilion), bale panggungan, bale murda, and gedong penyimpenan (storehouse of the temple’s relics).
The pagoda-like Pelinggih Meru within the Utama Mandala (jero) of Pura Ulun Danu BeratanA part of the temple complex, at the edge of Lake BeratanBuddha statueAt the shore of the lakeMy father, Khor Seow Hooi, did a sketch at the temple
My father, Khor Seow Hooi, drew a watercolour painting of the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. You can see it in a post on his blog about the paintings he produced in July to October 2016.
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple – website and contact infoEye-catching decorative item hung on a motorbike
With the coming of sunset at Uluwatu, a crowd starts to gather at the open theatre near the temple or pura at the peak. It is time to find a good spot to sit, in order to view the highlight of the evening – the famous Tari Kecak and fire dance of Uluwatu.
A prayer before the Tari Kecak starts
The exact origin and development of Tari Kecak is not known, but there is some agreement that it was a song or music produced by a series of sounds, combined to form a melody, used to accompany the sacred dance Sanghyang, and first developed into a performance in the village of Bona, Gianyar. Historically, Sanghyang could only be staged in a temple.
The kecak ‘musicians’ enter the open theatre
In the 1930s, artists in Bona developed a kecak dance based on the Ramayana, focusing on the part of the story where the Goddess Sita was abducted by King Rahwana. This dance was eventually staged for the general public.
The kecak ‘musicians’ form a circle around the centre of the theatre
By the 1970s, other villages had also developed their own tari kecak, and the dance groups congregate at kecak dance festivals.
The kecak ‘musicians’ sit down
In tari kecak, the music is generated from a combination of ‘cak’ sounds from about 50-70 people in a cappella, which is choral music sung without accompaniment from musical instruments.
The kecak ‘musicians’
A person will act as a leader who gives the leading tone early, while another person will be in charge of changing the tone to high or low. Someone else might act as a solo singer, while another will be in charge of delivering the story.
The kecak ‘musicians’ making their music solely with their voices
The dancers in the kecak dance do not have to follow the beat of the accompanying ‘cak’ music strictly. Therefore, the dancers are more relaxed, because the main priority is the telling of the story and the choral sound mix.
Tari kecak just started. The ‘musicians’ are doing their intro before the dancers appear
The story told by the tari kecak
The story from the Ramayana featured in the tari kecak goes like this:
Prince Rama, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Ayodya, and his wife Sita, were banished from the kingdom by King Dasarata. The story started with the arrival of Rama and Sita in the forest of Dandaka. They were accompanied by Rama’s brother, Laksmana.
Unbeknown to them, they were being observed by the demon Rahwana, King of Alengka, who wanted the beautiful Sita for himself.
The heroine of the story, Goddess Sita
Rahwana sent his prime minister Marica to try to isolate Sita to enable Rahwana to kidnap her. With his magical power, Marica turned himself into a golden deer. When Sita saw the golden deer running in the forest, she was so enchanted by it that she asked Rama to capture it for her. Rama chased after the deer, leaving his brother Laksamana behind to protect Sita. Then, Sita thinks she hears a cry for help from Rama. She forced Laksamana to go after Rama by accusing him of cowardice. Reluctantly, he goes off after drawing a magic circle on the ground around Sita. He told her not to step outside the circle for her own safety.
The story unfolds
Sita, left alone in the forest, becomes vulnerable. Rahwana disguised himself has an old priest, who was cold and hungry. He begged Sita for some food. Sita fell for his trick, and stepped outside the circle to give him some food. Rahwana kidnaps her and takes her to his palace. Back in his palace in Alengka, the demon Rahwana tried all kinds of tricks to seduce Sita without any luck.
The demon Rahwana disguised himself as a beggar, and begged Sita for some food
In the palace of Alengka, Hanuman appears to Sita, telling her that he is Rama’s envoy and proved it to her by showing her Rama’s ring. Sita gives Hanuman a hairpin to show she was still alive and sent him back to Rama with a message to rescue her.
the demon Rahwana, King of Alengka
Meanwhile, Rama and Laksamana are searching the forest for Sita when Meganada, Rahwana’s son, appeares and starts a fight with them.
The Goddess Sita
The giant bird Garuda, king of all birds, a good friend of King Dasarata, observed Rama was in trouble from high up in the sky, and came to the rescue.
A prayer before the fire dance starts
Rama and Laksamana continue on their way to rescue Sita. They are joined by the Monkey King and his monkey army.
The sunset in all its glory
The story comes to a climax with the battle between the Monkey King and his monkey army, and Meganada and his demon Army, which ends with the defeat of Meganada.
The Monkey King prepares for warThe Monkey King doing the fire dance
I went to Bali in September 2016. However, for this second trip, I brought my parents and brother with me. Bali is one of my favourite places, and I was sure they would like it there too.
Since we touched down in the afternoon, Kadek brought us to the Uluwatu temple complex, because then we could stay till sunset to watch the Tari Kecak, and it was all good. Tari Kecak will be featured in my next blog post. 😉
I took over 600 photos over three days, and here are some of the photos I finally selected from our visit to Uluwatu.
My favourite photo of Uluwatu 🙂
Uluwatu is such a breathtakingly beautiful place that I just could not stop taking photos. There was a pathway all along the cliff, linking the various temples in the complex, and I walked a long stretch of it. Since our visit coincided with Galungan, the temple complex had more visitors than usual, and was beautifully decorated.
Up the pathway to the peak in the Uluwatu templex complex
There is a signboard outside the temple complex that says visitors should keep their spectables and other shiny objects such as mobile phones hidden, because the monkeys will steal them. This warning should not be taken lightly. I was wearing my specs while walking near a place where people engaging in ceremonies walked down a tiny steep flight of stairs down the cliff to the beach below. There were a few monkeys there, and one particularly big and fat male just walked towards me on the stone wall and grabbed my specs off my face! There was a large group of caucasians there. Although they were not speaking in English among themselves, they understood me, and started to throw food items at the monkey perched on the wall, until he threw my specs into the bushes behind the wall. Thankfully, my specs were not broken, and I thanked all the people who helped me retrieve it.
Down the pathway, all along the cliff of Uluwatu
Our trip to Bali conincided with Galungan, which celebrates the victory of dharma over adharma. The festival period stretches over a 10-day period, where a series of Hindu religious ceremonies are performed. Galungan is considered to be a very important festival in Hindu Bali. To read more about the series of Hindu ceremonies performed during Galungan, visit the Galungan ceremonies page of Wonderful Bali.
At Uluwatu temple complex
The specific ceremonial days of the festival start with Tumpek Uduh and end with Tumpek Kuningan. Here is the list of specific ceremonies of Galungan:
Tumpek Uduh
Sugian Pengenten
Sugian Jawa
Sugian Bali
Penyekeban
Penyajaan Galungan
Penampahan Galungan
Galungan Day
Umanis Galungan
Ulihan
Pemacakan Agung
Tumpek Kuningan
Galungan or penjor kuningan at Uluwatu temple complex
The most obvious sign of the Galungan festival are the penjor – bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end. These penjor are installed along roads, and at the entrances to temples. Penjor are also called galungan.
Galungan or penjor kuningan at Uluwatu temple complex
Preparations start at Tumpek Uduh, which is 25 days before Galungan Day, at the Saturday of the 7th week of the Balinese Pawukon calendar, Wariga. Thus, the total length of the ceremony period of Galungan is actually 35 days. This is equivalent to 5 weeks, which is one Balinese month.
Elephant statue at Uluwatu temple complex
There are often two Galungan celebrations per solar year. The Galungan dates for 2015-2017 (as listed in Wikipedia) are as follows:
2015
July 15
July 25
2016
February 10
February 20
2016
September 7
September 17
2017
April 5
April 15
2017
November 1
November 11
A Caucasian couple dressed in traditional Balinese garb on their way to participate in a ceremony in Uluwatu
To see more 2016-2017 events in Bali, visit Bali Spirit.
For this week’s Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge #40, the word prompts are ‘time’ and ‘new’. I decided to write something on hopefulness and optimism. 🙂
Tanah Lot Temple Complex, Bali. Photo taken on 15 June 2012.
New & Time
Now, the time is right
To explore new horizons
Adventure awaits!
Today, I wrote my second post for the A-to-Z Challenge. In this challenge, bloggers from all over the world have pledged to write one post every day for 26 days in April, except on Sundays. Such commitment! 😉 The topics to write on will follow the letters of the alphabet, starting with ‘A’ on 1 April, followed by ‘B’ on 2 April, and so forth…
B is for BALI
Enchanting Bali
It was one of those places that featured prominently in posters and travel magazines. I have wanted to go to Bali since before there was Air Asia, when I was a research assistant at the Institute of Oceanography, UPM Terengganu and doing my Masters in 2000. Somebody put up a poster of an International Coral Reef Conference on the wall right in front of my desk, which got me interested in going to the mystical and enchanted island.
An island and province of Indonesia, Bali is the No.1 tourist destination in the country. It has its own unique blend of culture and architecture, and over 80% of its inhabitants are Balinese Hindu. The island is renowned for its highly developed arts, dance, painting, sculpture, metalwork, leather and music. I love Balinese gamelan music.
The best time to visit Bali is during the dry season, from April to October. Please take note that visitors should not go during the Balinese new year in March, because all shops and businesses will be closed on the third day. Called Nyepi, this day is a religious event. Nyepi actually means ‘to keep silent’. So, please do not expect dynamic and exciting activities on this day.
Tanah Lot
I travelled to Bali over a decade later, in 2012. My favourite place in Bali was Tanah Lot. The landscape was just breathtakingly surreal. If there was a signature location that represented Bali, this was it.
Tanah Lot temple complex, one of the most beautiful places on Bali Island.Tanah Lot temple complex is one of the icons of the island.One of the small shrines located on an outcrop of rocky cliff at Tanah Lot temple complex.
Kintamani
The journey to Kintamani took a few hours of travel by car. From the little town, one can see Mount Batur, an active volcano. The blackish lava field from the 1968 eruption is still visible today.
Beautiful view of the volcano on a sunny day
Beside Mount Batur is Lake Batur, a scenic lake where locals rear fish. They also plant vegetables and other agricultural produce in the lush volcanic soil next to the lake.
Lake Batur on a sunny day
Plants and animals
The locals like to use leaves and flowers as decorations. These are placed outside restaurants as well as used as offerings for prayers.
Bamboo used as decoration outside a restaurant next to the Tanah Lot temple complex. And nope, the seafood restaurant was not open for lunch.
The people of Bali are very religious. Early every the morning, offerings are made in front of their houses and shop lots. Unlike most of Muslim-majority Indonesia, the locals practise a combination of local beliefs and Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. Gods and demigods are worshipped together with Buddhist heroes, the spirits of ancestors, indigenous agricultural deities and sacred places.
Natural plant-based offerings to deities at the roadside in front of shop lots.
Greenery abounds everywhere in Bali, and flowers and trees feature very prominently in gardens. One of the most common flowering trees in Bali is the frangipani, available in a profusion of colours. Ladies put the flowers in their hair and offer them with their prayers.
Frangipani trees are everywhere
Rice is a staple diet of Indonesians, and the people of Bali plant it on hilly ground, in tiers. The landscape covered with rice fields also attracts visitors because of its scenic beauty.
Paddy fields are everywhere on Bali Island. The rice is very good and tasty here.Tiered paddy fields on Bali Island
While exploring the little lanes of Legian, I saw this little rooster with upright tail, sitting on its bamboo enclosure, in a garden outside some houses.
Little rooster sitting atop its bamboo container in a house’s compound.
Architecture
I love the unique blend of architectural elements in Balinese buildings. Best of all, houses are still constructed by hand, as can be seen in Legian. The details are elaborate, with a story waiting to be told at every carved panel and stone statue.
Narrow ornate gates with two deities standing guard on the left and right
Elaborate and beautifully artistic architecture is the hallmark of Bali. Every house features such decorative elements and it is part of what attracts tourists to visit the island every year.
Classic Balinese architecture
Stone statues and reliefs are prominent in house compounds as well as public spaces. Some of the town streets are literally lined with shops selling sculptures and statues, ready to be packed and transported to any location in Indonesia or overseas.
A statue outside a house
One particularly memorable statue was a gigantic Garuda at Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park. The Garuda is a large bird-like creature or humanoid bird that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. The Garuda is the fabled mount of Lord Vishnu. It is the national symbol of Indonesia, and the country styles its image as a Javanese eagle.
Garuda Plaza at at GWK Cultural Park, Jalan Raya Uluwatu – Jimbaran Badung 80364, Bali, Indonesia.
Barong dance
The Barong is a mythical lion-like creature in the legends of Bali. He is the king of the spirits and leader of the good. His enemy is Rangda, the demon queen, who is said to be the mother of all spirit guarders. The Barong dance is a depiction of the battle between good and evil, represented by Barong and Rangda, respectively.
The Barong in the Barong dance at GWK Cultural Park.Rangda, the demon queen in the Barong dance, at GWK Cultural Park.One of the performers at GWK Cultural Park, Jalan Raya Uluwatu – Jimbaran Badung 80364, Bali, Indonesia.
Bali is fantastic and beautiful and four days is definitely not enough to see most of the island. I hope to go there again one day, to visit Tanah Lot at sunset, and all the places I did not go to, such as Pura Ulun Danu Bratan and Pura Luhur Uluwatu.
Project Prose 