CategoriesBadung Area By administrator

Taman Ayun Temple

Taman Ayun Temple Located in Mengwi, Badung, away from the hustle bustle of the city center, this temple is nestled in lush, greenery surrounding with trees and ponds – about 18 km northwest of Denpasar and about 8 km southwest of Ubud. Taman Ayun Temple is one of the most attractive and most visited temples in Bali. This 17th century creation was built as a family temple of Mengwi Empire and was only accessible for the royals. This temple is declared as part of the world cultural tourism site by UNESCO as it holds a very strong and sophisticated architectural design.

The Taman Ayun Temple complex occupies an area of 100 x 250 m2, comprising four different courts. The first one is called ‘Jaba’ or outer court – it is only accessible through one single entrance through a bridge over the ponds. In the first inner court, there is a small guardian shrine and a large ‘wantilan’ hall that the local communities usually use for gatherings.

Then, you will be welcomed by a tall fountain and a big shelter with ornamental features and reliefs depicting the 9 Gods guarding the cardinal directions in the second inner court. Lastly, the third inner court of the complex is the highest court and is considered the most sacred place. It is referred to as the Utama Mandala – the “gelung door” or the intricately ornamented gate that is only open during certain ceremonies only.

Taman Ayun literally means “A Beautiful Garden”, which strongly represents the situation of the temple that is super beautiful – surrounded by many tiered shrines dedicated to different gods, lovely manicured foliage garden, thatched-roofed prayer hut, and canals. No wonder, this is the ultimate place that people usually flock to get peace and serenity.

How To Get There
Taman Ayun Temple is located in Jalan Ayodya. No 10. Mengwi village, Mengwi sub district, Badung regency, Bali. If you travel directly from Ngurah Rai International Airport, the trip will take approximately 29.3 km with an estimated time of about 1-hour drive away. It is recommended to head to the temple by private vehicle, either by motorbike or by car. It isn’t hard to find motorbike and car rental in Bali! Just do not forget to show your motorbike driving licence and stay safe.

Things to do Nearby
While you are in Badung and are traveling with your family and kids, paying a visit to Alas Kedaton is an alternative option to the more popular Ubud Monkey Forest. It is a 7-hectares protected forest area that serves as a temple as well as animal sanctuary for the grey long-tailed macaques. This is a perfect opportunity to learn about Balinese cultural traditions while getting to interact and play with the monkeys. It only takes around a 20-minute drive away from Pura Taman Ayun.

a row of traditional houses with red roofs in Indonesia
Another historical landmark that is located nearby the Pura Taman Ayun that you may want to visit to dig more about the history of Bali, and Indonesia as a whole, is Monumen Nasional Taman Pujaan Bangsa Margarana. This 17-meters height monument was built in 1954 to commemorate the Puputan War Margarana – the war between the Dutch and Ciung Wanara Battalion led by the National Hero I Gusti Ngurah Rai. There is also a building inside the complex that serves as a museum storing various historical relics, from weapons, communication tools, to medical devices.

Pura Taman Ayun is the utmost option for all the culture vultures out there who are keen to explore the strong, cultural and religious tradition of Balinese people. However, while we are still in a pandemic situation, be sure to follow health and safety protocols to avoid the spread of Covid-19 by keeping your mask on, keeping physical distance, and regularly washing your hands with soap or hand sanitizer!

CategoriesTabanan Area By administrator

Tanah Lot Temple

Tanah Lot (Balinese) is a rock formation off the Indonesian island of Bali. It is home to the ancient Hindu pilgrimage temple Pura Tanah Lot (literally “Tanah Lot temple”), a popular tourist and cultural icon for photography.

Tanah Lot temple
Tanah Lot means “Land [in the] Sea” in the Balinese language.Located in Tabanan, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Denpasar, the temple sits on a large offshore rock which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide.

Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of the 16th-century Dang Hyang Nirartha. During his travels along the south coast he saw the rock-island’s beautiful setting and decided to rest there. Some fishermen saw him, and bought him gifts. Nirartha then spent the night on the little island. Later he spoke to the fishermen and told them to build a shrine on the rock, for he felt it to be a holy place to worship the Balinese sea gods. The main deity of the temple is Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, who is the sea god or sea power and these days, Nirartha is also worshipped here.

The Tanah Lot temple was built and has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries. The temple is one of seven sea temples around the Balinese coast. Each of the sea temples was established within eyesight of the next to form a chain along the south-western coast. In addition to Balinese mythology, the temple was significantly influenced by Hinduism.

At the base of the rocky island, venomous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders. The temple is purportedly protected by a giant snake, which was created from Nirartha’s selendang (a type of sash) when he established the island.

Restoration
In 1980, the temple’s rock face was starting to crumble and the area around and inside the temple started to become dangerous. The Japanese government then provided a loan to the Indonesian government of Rp 800 billion (approximately US$480 million to conserve the historic temple and other significant locations around Bali. As a result, over one-third of Tanah Lot’s “rock” is actually cleverly disguised artificial rock created during the Japanese-funded and supervised renovation and stabilization program.

Tourism
Tanah Lot Temple
Sacred water at Tanah Lot temple
Entrance tickets cost 20,000 rupiah for Indonesian nationals (Rp 15,000 for children), but foreigners have to pay three times the price, or Rp 60,000 (Rp 30,000 for children). To reach the temple, visitors must walk through a set of Balinese market-format souvenir shops which cover each side of the path down to the sea. On the mainland clifftops, restaurants have also been provided for tourists.

Location
This tourist attraction is located in Beraban, Kediri, Tabanan, approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles) south of Tabanan.

CategoriesTabanan Area By administrator

Ulundanu Beratan Temple

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, or Pura Bratan, is a major Hindu Shaivite temple in Bali, Indonesia. The temple complex is on the shores of Lake Bratan in the mountains near Bedugul. The water from the lake serves the entire region in the outflow area; downstream there are many smaller water temples that are specific to each irrigation association (subak).

The temple complex
In Bali, Hindu temples are known as “pura”, being designed as open-air places of worship in walled compounds. The compound walls have a series of intricately decorated gates without doors for the devotee to enter. The design and plan of the holy pura follows a square layout. A typical temple is laid out according to ancient Lontar texts with three courtyards separated by low walls pierced by ornate gateways. The outer courtyard is for secular pursuits, with pavilions used for meetings, resting performers and musicians at festivals. Food stalls are set up here during festivals. The middle courtyard is a transition zone between the human and divine sections; here offerings are prepared and temple paraphernalia are stored. The inner courtyard is the site of the shrines and religious ceremonies. The shrines are known as merus and are square structures with brick bases and multiple pagoda-style thatched roofs; the number of roofs reflects the status of the deity, and is always an odd number. Pura Ulun Danu Beratan is one of the nine ‘Kahyangan Jagat’ temples on Bali. The temple complex consists of five various shrines dedicated to other Hindu gods as well.

Built in 1633, the temple is used for offerings and ceremonies dedicated to the Balinese water, lake and river goddess Dewi Danu, due to the importance of Lake Bratan as a main source of irrigation in central Bali. The 11-storey pelinggih meru in the complex is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Parvathi. Buddha’s statue is also enshrined in this temple. This temple is also called the “Bali temple on the Lake” because it looks as if it is floating when the Bratan River rises.

The Buddhist stupa

The Buddhist stupa in Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
The Buddhist stupa of Beratan is a place of worship for Buddhists located at the tourist complex of Pura Ulun Danu Beratan. Its existence is quite unique and interesting considering its location in close proximity to the sites of worship belonging to Hindus.

This stupa signifies religious harmony. It faces south and is located outside the main area of the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple complex.