Temples of Bali

Bali, the smallest island province of Indonesia, is predominantly Hindu but the rituals and religious practices are very different from those of current day India which also has majority of population following that faith. Every place has temples but what is so special about the temples in Bali?
I was fascinated when I saw their temples or Puras as they are called there which are so different from the temples of India, not only in their architecture but also in their beliefs.

Whatever may be the physical differences in architecture, all Hindu temples are made under the same principle.

In the construction of a Hindu temple, after a detailed study of the site following Vastushastra, a pot made of panchdhaatu ( five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass and lead) is placed just under the sanctum sanctorum along with other things. Sometimes iron is also put in place of brass.
Similarly, in the construction of a Balinese temple, the meru which forms the path through which God enters the temple is very special. A pripih which is a metal plate made of panchdhaatu wrapped in grass, flowers and cloth is placed to the base of the temple.
This place is the area of maximum electromagnetic waves on top of which the garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum is built.

A North Indian temple                                      A South Indian temple                                   A Bali temple

I do not know what I am writing is correct but what I gathered from talking to people is what I write. Proper and full knowledge would need a very long time and a longer stay in that beautiful island. Maybe, I will make another visit only to study the  temples in depth.

You see multi tiered roofs covered by black palm fiber from sugar palm (Arenga pinnata) which is in stark contrast to an Indian temple where the roofs are sloping and made of stone or concrete. The black thatch from sugar palm is resistant to sea water having a life of 10 to 15 years. This black thatch can only be used on top of temples and is forbidden to be used on houses. Once worn out they are replaced by new one and the old ones are thrown away into the sea so that they do not get reused or even misused.

roof of a temple

The architecture of temples in India reflect the different periods in which they were built so we find a variety of architecture in temples. There is also a difference in style between a North Indian and a South Indian temple.

Pura as I mentioned earlier is a temple complex in Bali. It is derived from the Sanskrit word Pur which means a walled city or place.  A Balinese temple has a wall surrounding the complex. Most Balinese have a family temple and outsiders are not permitted to enter the main temple. Some idol less temples are used for ceremonies and festivals where offerings are carried by women folk on gebogan. On the other hand, a Hindu temple in India always has an idol inside and is used for worship or other religious ceremonies.

A typical Balinese temple follows trimandala or the three mandala architectural pattern.

The candi bentar is the outermost gate, kori agung follows next which opens only on special days and then the paduraksha gate. No one is permitted to enter through the innermost gate.

entrance to temple

An entrance to a temple may have candi bentar, in which the gate is split like in the picture above. The word "candi" has been adopted from Javanese word for temples. The gate is guarded by temple guardians in Saput Poleng, the white and black checkered cloth which is tied at the waist.

kori agung entrance

Then there is other style called kori agung gate, in which the gate is covered.

Paduraksha gate

Paduraksha is the last gate or entrance to the main temple. The gates are guarded by guardians in Sabuk Polenta. The gate opens only on special occassion but no one is permitted to pass through it.

Paduraksha gate is the last area which contains the padmasana or the lotus throne.

throne of Acintya on padmasana

Empty throne of the Supreme God with Acintya and under that is AUM, Balinese style

Hinduism was initiated in Bali by Rhrishi Markandaya in 500 CE. People worshiped the many forms of God namely Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. But in the 16th century, religious reformer Dang Hyang Dwijendra and Gelgel King Batu Renggong, a priest introduced San Hyang Widhi Wasa or Sanghyang Widi Wasa.

This movement started when Islam started spreading in Java. Dang Hyang from east Java started building temples throughout Bali and propounding the "All-In-One God" concept to be at par with the Islam and Christian philosophy of one God.

Acintya which is derived from Sanskrit word Achintya (अचिन्त्य), which means something which is beyond contemplation, thought and imagination or  cannot be conceived.
It is depicted with a naked human form of sun god with radiating flames all around. He sits on an empty throne with the base of lotus. The throne is empty to represent that the Almighty who is "All in One" is something which is the one and only one and does not have a form.

The Acintya form signifies the monotheistic concept, that is belief in One God.
A three tiered meru temple is dedicated to him here at Pura Uluwatu where Dang Hyang is said to have attained moksha or enlightenment.

Without going into too much detail about the architecture and layout of a typical Balinese temple, I shall proceed to the tiered roofs called Merus. Gods enter temples through merus. The Indian temples also follow this belief. In Nepal they are called pataka.

The number of  tiers in Meru vary from one to eleven but always odd in number. The size of the tiers keep on decreasing in size as they go up. Also, the more the number of merus in a temple, more important is the temple it is dedicated to. Odd numbers- why? An even number is in pairs and complete in itself  whereas an odd number means an even number plus one which represents the Almighty.

Acintya in a temple in Denpasar

The Hindu gods as Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are manifestation of the one and the only One God--- Acintya. This point is also expounded in Tulsi Ramayana where Hanuman tells Ravana that Ram is that supreme entity by whose strength Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva create, nurture and destroy (Sundarkand 20:2).

11-tiered roof of a temple

Unlike the old Hindu temples in Central Java where there is just a pinnacle, a Bali temple has merus numbering from 1 to 11.

The number of tiers in a meru is always odd starting from one to eleven. That means a temple will have 3, 5, 7, 9 or 11. The size of tiers become smaller as they go up. Higher the meru, higher is the status of God inside the temple. Since, Shiva has always been held at high esteem, his temple always has 11 merus.

But does the number of merus have any meaning or are dedicated to any God?

temple tiers

I was told by a priest in Bali that:

1 tier meru is dedicated to Gunung Batur, a sacred mountain in Northern Bangli Regency or to a local deity

3---- to sages, priests who are venerated

5---- Panchamahabhoot, the five elements that  make up the universe. They being Prithvi (earth), Jal (water), Tej (fire), Vaayu (air) and Akaash (space)

7----- Saptarishi or the 7 sages in Indian mythology. The sages are Kashyap(कश्यप), Bhardwaj (भरद्वाज), Vashishtha(वशिष्ट), Atri(अत्रि), Gautam(गौतम), Vishwamitra(विश्वामित्र) and Jamadagni (जमदग्नि)

9----- for Brahma and Vishnu. Brahma being the creator and Vishnu, the preserver.

11--- Mount Maha Meru, the peak of Gods, that is Shiva. In many temples it also represents the main deity inside.

There are different types of pura, depending on the place and rituals attached to where they are located.

Pura segara or the temples of sea. Segara comes from the word Saagar which means ocean. These are meant to please the sea deities and are situated by the sea. Appeasing sea deities? Nature can bring both wrath and glory to a place. In order to calm the water deities, temples were constructed close to all water bodies.
Tanah lot, Ulluwatu are such examples. Uluwatu guards the Indian ocean while Tanah lot protect the huge waves from entering the land. 

Tanah Lot temple

Uluwatu temple

Ulu meaning an edge and watu a cliff. The temple stands on a cliff edge.

Kechak dance in Uluwatu temple

Kechak dance is a dance dramatization of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

Pura Kahyangan Jagad or the temples situated on mountains, or their foot or slopes. Mountains are said to be abode of Gods. Pura Besakih is one of the most revered temples in Bali. It is situated at the base of Mount Agung, an active volcano. Here, again as Balinese worship nature, in which they worship mountains, trees, water etc. as manifestations of the supreme entity which created everything.

Besakih temple

Pura Tirtha are situated beside lakes. Pura Ulun Danu is one such example.

This temple is dedicated to Devi Danu, the goddess of lake.
Balinese believe in harmony with nature and believe that since they are giving so much to us, we should be indebted to them and give something back to nature. Subak, which is the irrigation system rests on this belief. Temples are the center of this system and the temple priest or Pedanda, the supreme authority.
The water which is allocated from the lakes enters the irrigation system and supplied to paddy fields.

water supply to paddy fields in Ubud

terrace farming

Some temples are considered sacred and bathing in such water is said to be holy.
Pura desa situated within a city for religious activities.

a temple in Denpasar

discussion area in temple

Discussion hall or bale agung has wooden columns and does not have any wall surrounding it. I was told that discussions and meetings pertaining to religious beliefs are held here.

Apart from these, every family or clan has their own temples. So every family would be a part of one or other temple.

A religious practice which is followed in Bali is Nyepi or the silent day. It is a 24 hour period starting from 6 am until 6 am the next morning. It falls on the same day as Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Ugadi in Andhra Pradesh and Chaitra Navratris in Northern India. these festivals are the beginning of a new lunar year. Since these festivals follow the lunar calendar, the dates are not fixed and change every year.

It is day of silence with no fire and no light in the house. The offices and even the airport is shut down that day.
It is a day of contemplation, of introspection, thinking of any bad things people might have done in that year. They ask for forgiveness from their family members the next day. It is turning your negative energy into a positive one and start of a new year fresh.

Punjung is offering of fruits, cut fruits to god before eating.

Candi Pawon, Yogakarta, Indonesia

A very small but impressive temple is Candi Pawon between Borobudur and Candi Mendut. Some may not find it worth visiting as well.  The temple originally was not this small, it was damaged badly in an earthquake and was renovated finally in 1904.

Built during the 8th-9th century during the reign of Sailendra dyansty, the temple is located in Bajranalan village in Central Java Province.

Etymology of the temple name:
Pawon came from Per-awu-an, meaning a place where dust or ash is kept. It generally means kitchen which comes from the word awu or dust in Javanese so a place where dust or ash was kept. It also points to a place which served as a tomb or mortuary where the ashes of cremated king were kept. I might not be right but maybe that is the reason it faces west direction.

The temple base is square and has eight corners.

source: Wikipedia

The three Buddhist temples, Borobudur, Mendut and Pawon are all in a straight line. This temple is in the center with Borobudur in the east and Mendut on its west.

Candi Mendut

I passed through this temple while going to Borobudur and thought of doing it while coming back but got delayed and hence missed the chance of seeing Mendut from inside :(

The fact that these three Buddhist temples are aligned in a straight line suggests that it was supposedly a holy route with a pilgrim starting his journey towards Borobudur from west would first visit Mendut then Pawon and then pay visit to Borobudur.

 sign board outside the temple

The information board mentions that a statue of Bodhisattva was placed inside the central cell of the temple for honoring King Indra of Sailendra dynasty. Based on Karangtengah (a district) inscription of 824 AD, the statue emitted "vajra" or light so it is presumed that it was made of bronze.

According to Poerbatjaraka who was a Javanese philogist, Pawon is a part of Borobudur as there is a lot of similarity between Pawon, Mendut and Borobudur scriptures.

 west facing entrance of temple

Kaal and makar above the entrance

The kaalmukh is without any jaws.

The stairs on either side again have a kaalmukh on either side and makar in the bottom. There must have been one more makar on the other side but that too seems to have been damaged.

kaalmukh with jaws just near the entrance to temple room

makar, close up

Kubera

Kubera( God of wealth) stands in a niche on the north of entrance. There must have been one on the south of entrance which probably got damaged.

The temple walls on outside have bas reliefs.

bas relief on south of temple

bas relief on the north side of temple

back of temple

The bas reliefs are the same all around with a Kalpavriksh or Kalpataru (कल्पतरु), (wish yielding tree) flanked by Kinnar and Kinnaris (half bird and half human). Near the tree are two flying celestial beings.

On top of the tree is a pitcher containing the elixir of life with supposedly green leaves in it.
On the sides are Boddhisattava and Tara.

There are two vents above the bas relief, probably meant for ventilation of inner chamber.
The inner chamber contains absolutely nothing so can it also be hypothesized that the central chamber served as a place for exhuming of the King and the vents served as an outlet for smoke?

The roof of the temple has five dagobas or stupas. A large dagoba with four small ones around. As with other temples of the area, this temple too is made with the black volcanic rocks.

The temple does not attract a lot of tourists but if you have time, it is worth a visit.

Entrance ticket:
3,500 IDR (Indonesian Rupiah)

Budhaneelkantha, Kathmandu, Nepal

Approximately half an hour drive from Kathmandu at the foothills of Shivpuri lies the relaxed form of Vishnu called the Budhaneelkanth (बूढ़ानीलकण्ठ)

Lord Vishnu at entrance

main door to the temple complex

Here, old does not reflect to the chronological age but refers to ancient. How and when did the idol come here is not clearly known.
It was built during the seventh or eighth century during the reign of Vishnugupt of Licchavi period. It was brought and located here.
There is another famous legend which mentions that a farmer while tilling his land accidentally struck the deity. Blood started coming out from the ground. The idol was then relocated to its present location.

The moment you set your eyes on the deity, a sense of peace fills you. A five meter Vishnu reclines cross legged peacefully on the coils of the King of serpents, Shesh Naag (शेषनाग ), in a thirteen meter water body. Sheshnaag's 11 hoods form a canopy over Vishnu's head.
He is also referred as Jalakshayana (जलक्षयन ), jal water and shayana sleeping. So, Vishnu sleeping in anantsagar (अनन्तसागर  ) or the cosmic ocean.

close up of reclining Lord Vishnu with silver crown

The name Budhaneelkantha has no association with Buddha. Let me dissect the word and tell you the meanings. Budha (बूढ़ा) means ancient and neelkantha (नीलकण्ठ ) means "blue throat". So it comes out to be "ancient blue throat".

However, "Blue throat" god refers to Lord Shiva. According to the legend, during the cosmic churning of ocean, many things came out along with nectar of gods and poison. Everyone wanted to have the nectar but no one wanted to have the poison. Lord Shiva obliged by drinking that poison. As soon as the poison touched his throat it started burning.

With burning throat, Shiva went to the north of Kathmandu and struck his trident on the ground. As soon as the trident hit the ground, water started coming out. Shiva drank the water to calm the burning. The lake came to be known as Gosaikund. The water in this pond is said to be the water of Gosaikund.

On the right side, Lord Vishnu holds Sudarshan Chakra and a lotus.

On the other side mace and conch can be seen.

Lord Vishnu's feet

Everyone can see from above but only Hindus are permitted to go down to touch the deity's feet. King Pratap Malla, one of the famous rulers of Kathmandu had a prophetic vision. According to it, death would come to any King immediately after he visits this temple.

All successors to the throne refrained from paying homage at this temple. However, it is said that King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev defied this convention and paid a visit to this temple. He and his entire family were soon assasinated, thus ending his lineage. Thanks to Mr. Kumar who updated me on this incident.
A replica of this temple also exists in the Royal Palace which is not open to public viewing. Another sleeping Vishnu resides at Balaju Gardens, in Kathmandu.

Lord Ganesha temple

Shivalinga and yoni just outside Ganesha temple

On the side sits Nandi facing a golden entrance door to Vishnu's temple.

Lord Vishnu on the side of main entrance door

Nandi sitting outside, facing the entrance to Lord Vishnu's door.

Nandi is the mount and devotee of Lord Shiva and this is a Vishnu temple!

It is of course known that Lord Vishnu was worshipped in the 6th and 7th century but then Shaivism took over till the 12th and 13th century.  Vaishnavism was revived during the rule of King Jayasthi Malla in the 14th century.
Was the idol of deity lost during the brief period and later found in a field?

Lord Vishnu rests on Sheshnaag whereas Naag encircles Lord Shiva's neck. Some Shaivites claim that they see a replica of Shiva under Vishnu. Is there a meshing of the two forms?

According to the holy scripture, Ramayana, the major temple at Rameshwaram has been dedicated to Shiva by Lord Ram who was the incarnation of Vishnu.

Even, Tulsi Ramayana is said to have been narrated by Lord Shiva to his consort Parvati.
In that context, do we really find any difference between Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu? The debate can be unending, but for me I am happy to pay obeisance to both in the same way.

Sulfur Springs, St. Lucia

A pleasant one and a half hour drive from Castries on the winding road past banana plantations and mango trees laden with mangoes via Anse La Raye gets one to the only drive-in volcano in the world. Past Soufriere, the drive takes us to the drive-in volcano crater.

From a short distance away, from the road itself, one can see steam coming out from the mountain . The distance was so great that taking a picture was futile.

boiling and steaming pits

 ticket counter

entrance ticket, mud bath not included in this one

The moment you get out of vehicle, the air smells of sulphur. St. Lucia has changed its governance between the English and the French many a times over the last century. It was under French control for quite some time so the French named the nearby city Soufriere, meaning "sulphur in the air".

The last volcanic eruption was in 1766 but it was more steam and ash and was considered  a minor one. The major one occurred 32-39,000 years back when it formed the Pitons and the sulfur springs. At that time the mountain was said to be higher than the Pitons! The eruption was massive and it formed a huge crater after it subsided. The underground geothermal activity is still there as it continuously vents steam and the water bubbles in the pits.

These sulphur springs are located in the Qualibou Caldera or Soufriere Volcanic Center (SVC) which is 5 X 3.5 Kms. It is surrounded by Morne Soufriere and Rabot Ridge.  After the magma is removed from its place, a cauldron like structure is formed. This is called the caldera.

In the center of this caldera are the sulphur springs which is an active geothermal region. So this place is almost the center of Qualibou caldera. The caldera is said to be 32 to 39, 000 years old (the time when the massive volcano erupted) and is 305 meters above sea level.

Past the souvenir shops, wooden steps lead to the closest spot for best viewing.

One could go right upto the volcano earlier but because of an accident in which a guide fell into one of the boiling pits sustaining second degree burns, the area has now been cordoned off.

Now one only gets to see these boiling and steaming pits from a distance.

As you descend the stairs, a small stream of water runs down the mountains. The water gets heated by the steam and is quite hot, around 77 degrees F.

water flowing in a stream

In 1786, during King Louis XVI's reign, this hot water was used for therapeutic use on the advice of doctor of the French army. The water came from Diamond estate, another hot spring in the area.
But later in 1900, a businessman, Charles Gabriel constructed these hot water tubs in the sulphur springs. These baths were called Ventine Baths. People came to soak in hot water and take advantage of the medicinal water.

 remains of bathing tubs

The walls have turned orange-brown due to the massive amount of iron oxide in the water. The water coming out of the spout was still quite hot. I am sure the hot water tubs must have been very relaxing.

cashew tree very closing to the viewing area

cashew laden tree

Very close to the cashew tree is the best place to see the water bubbling in pits and steam coming out of vents. The land is so hot that nothing grows or can live there. The area of springs is 100 X 250 meters.

The phenomenon of spewing hot steam and boiling pits occurs all the time and throughout the year. 

There are rocks that are being heated by the underlying magma. There are many geographical faults in the mountain surrounding the spring. When the rainwater seeping through them comes in contact with these hot rocks, it forms steam. This steam is released  from openings in the area.

But from where does the sulfur come? The mountain has huge deposits of sulfur. When the water from above flows down, it carries the sulfur along with it. Moreover there are underground deposits of sulfur as well. The water combines with sulfur and is released as Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)

The color of bubbling black water is due to the presence hydrogen sulphide. At this time, the temperature of water is between 97- 100 degree Celsius.

road seen on right hand side

hot water coming from the springs

The hot water laden with sulphur and iron finds its way to the hot mud bath area. In 2004, the facility was introduced for tourists in which they first put the medicinal pack, let it dry and then soak themselves in the rejuvenating hot water which collects in a pool.

entrance to the mud baths

changing room

brackish looking water!

The soft black mud is a mixture of iron sulfide, sulphur and gypsum. It is a soft pack which the guide gets in a bucket from the source. No one is permitted to go further into the prohibited area. Because of presence of iron sulfide, there are orange-brown patches.

waiting for the pack to dry

A soak in hot water to wash off the mud

Tapping geothermal energy is one of the aims and there have been many attempts to do that for the past 70 years. Most of the Caribbean countries rely on oil for their power production. The fuel is imported which obviously is very expensive.

The drilling at places revealed the underground temperature of 455 degrees F and this could be enough to produce substantial energy. Lack of adequate finances and geophysical problems have made it impossible till now.  Let us hope that the St.Lucia is able to tap the geothermal energy and not let it all go waste.

Is there a danger of another volcanic eruption?
Well, the danger is the same as any other place lying above a volcanic belt. There are many countries throughout the world which might be sitting on such a spot. The fact that the underground energy is released continuously in the form of steam or boiling water reduces the threat a little. Saint Augustin campus in the University of West Indies in Trinidad continuously monitors the seismological activities of the Caribbean countries.