Bali Indonesia – an island where culture, arts and religion meet, the Hindu paradise which sets it different from the rest of the Indonesian archipelago and the “Land of Thousand Temples” above anything else. Yes! you read it right! It really is temples everywhere in Bali! So if you have fancy over these structures of faith and arts, then you better take your sarong with you and saunter to your heart’s content! But which temples should you visit first? I guess you better scroll down now!
7. Pura Goa Gajah
A. General Insight
Entrance Fee : IDR 15,000.00 / PHP 70.00 / USD 1.40
Pura Goa Gajah is a temple near Ubud. It is named after a carved face on the cave’s entrance which was first thought to be of an elephant, thus the moniker “Elephant Cave”. The eerie face on the cave with a huge mouth which serves as a doorway is said to be depicting a demon to scare evil spirits. Sadly, contrary to its name, there are no elephants roaming around the complex. An elephant statue at the entrance will probably compensate a little.
The complex is relatively huge. It has the cave, the bathing temples, a Buddhist shrine and covers a little portion of a river.
B. Inside the Cave
The inside structure of the elephant cave is T-shaped, whereas the vertical line of the letter “T” depicts the passageway and the horizontal line the “hallway”. The man-made cave is a little dark inside, it is lit by low voltage bulbs enough to keep the sacred vibe.
Perceiving the cave as a little eerie, I still managed to look around and take pictures. You can witness the face of Ganesha, Lingam and Yoni statues inside. For those who are not familiar with Lingam and Yoni, these are divine procreative energies depicted by the penis and the vagina.
C. Personal Insight
8/10 Score
The whole complex is amusing. At first you will have that thinking like elephants are the major attraction of the place, but upon further reading, it is just all in the name! The cave is very artistic and it is the only temple (that we visited) which has this. A little scary inside, but you will not really stay for a while. 5 to 10 minutes is basically alright unless you will pray like a Balinese follower.
The bathing temples are other attractions and the pouring water contrasts the eerie vibe of the cave. You may also opt to visit the Buddhist shrine passing along the river but for a separate fee. Just saunter around! The place is instagrammable!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYpcVd3F3MW/
6. Pura Taman Ayun
A. General Insight
Entrance Fee : IDR 30,000.00 / PHP 130.00 / USD 2.50
Taman Ayun is a famous spot located in Mengwi, Badung Regency. The name of the temple translates to “Beautiful Garden” and anyone would find it hard to disagree. With its amusingly aligned tiers, ornate gates and structures, gardens and lotus ponds, you will definitely get to witness a temple in a well-maintained religious park.
Pura Taman Ayun was also built to serve as a mother temple for the Mengwi people so they will not need to travel far to visit a major temple like Pura Besakih.
B. Inside the Complex
The temple has three divisions where one division is a level more important or more significant than the other. Each courtyard is surrounded by canals and can only be entered with a short bridge where very ornate gates called Candid Bentar commonly greet guests who visit the temple. It has to be noted that some of the courtyards which are considered very important are closed to tourists. You can only enter if you are to pray with all the proper religious attire and offering.
In the first courtyard, you will get to see a well maintained park with a fountain in the middle. It has nine water jets which symbolize the Dewa Nawa Sanga, the nine main gods of Balinese Hinduism.
Near the fountain, you will find the wooden bell tower. At first, we were not convinced like it could produce the same sound quality as a metal bell, but boy, we were wrong!!!
You can also witness the lifesize cockpit diorama in this division. Just nostalgic because we have the same in the Philippines. It is just that in Bali it is pure amusement and no betting involved.
The second courtyard will not leave you upset with its equally elaborate gates. It encloses the most important courtyard called the Jaba Jero where amusingly aligned Meru’s are located.
C. Personal Insight
8.5/10 Score
Taman Ayun is a very attractive temple. Its astonishingly decorated walls, gates and structures are always picture perfect. Its gardens, ponds and bridges add a distinct touch to the temple which makes it more amusing. The alignment of the meru’s (towers) are also very pleasing to the eyes while passing along to the exit. I actually even wished that we were allowed to enter the most important courtyard, but as mentioned above, it is closed for religious reasons.
The whole complex also being surrounded by a river has this very positive vibe. Really a temple of enclosures within enclosures within enclosures.
Now, what makes this temple score higher than Goa Gajah? – Taman Ayun’s numerous very detailed gates, well maintained gardens and beautifully aligned towers.
5. Pura Besakih
A. General Insight
Entrance Fee : IDR 60,000.00 / PHP 260.00 / USD 5.00
The Besakih Temple or most commonly known as the “Mother Temple” is the most important Balinese Temple of all. Standing 1,000 meters high on the bevel of Mount Agung, it is understandable why it is regarded so supremely.
Pura Besakih is the holiest in the island, so to the Balinese, visiting the temple and paying high respects to the place is a special pilgrimage.
The mother temple comprises several temples which according to my guide were owned by families for generations. The family members gather together regularly for special events where they have the chance to get to know even the most distant relatives! They all need to know their roots! A good practice to keep the whole clan bonded together!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZXPRahlNZ5/
B. Inside the Complex
The Mother temple is the biggest of all Balinese temples. Being the most important and the holiest as mentioned earlier on this write up, you could expect nothing but the best from this place.
Mount Agung serves as a grandeur background of the complex, so just imagine how majestic it is if it is backed up by ornate gates and bright gardens! The first Candid Bentar will greet you after taking the stairway, but like every important temple, no one is allowed to come in unless you are to pray and pay respect with appropriate attire and offerings.
Tourists can however reach the topmost part of the complex by passing the gates located on the sides. These gates just lead to further walkways and will not give access to the main temple.
Passing by the gates on the side, you will see several temples along the walkways owned by families for generations. You can also have a glimpse of what is inside the main temple.
Taking more steps up, you will get to see the viewing deck. A souvenir shop will greet you at the top and be prepared to hear the enchanting music of the chimes. Cool breeze is a regular visitor, so these chimes will amuse you bigtime like there is no tomorrow.
C. Personal Insight
8.8/10 Score
Being the biggest of all the temples, you got to spare energy to saunter around! The stairways are pretty high so you better sweat your thighs a little. I personally did not get too exhausted but you need to bring bottled water to quench that frequent thirst! It is going to be a little work out!
Like most of the temples, lots of tourists flock for a visit. You better be early to get good shots and minimize photobombers on your pictures!
There are not much of activities in the area. Picture taking, shopping and really more of sight seeing activities. The most amusing part though are the stairways and the fact that you get to see an overlooking view of the place! It is very cool at the viewing deck and the chimes add an exotic feel to the visit.
So what makes this place stand out over Pura Taman Ayun? The one and the mighty Mount Agung! The natural background is astounding! You will realize right away that the temple was built in front of the mountain on purpose. The scenery at the top is also something that adds up to the score. The cool breeze that touches your face coupled by the sounding chimes is just a perfect match!
Update as of September 23, 2017 – Indonesian authorities raised the alert status, meaning eruption of Mount Agung could be imminent. Thousands of residents have been evacuated from villages near the volcano.
4. Pura Ulun Danu
A. General Insight
Entrance Fee : IDR 60,000.00 / PHP 260.00 / USD 5.00
Pura Ulun Danu which literally means “The source temple of Lake Beratan” is one of the major Balinese temples located in Bedugul. This place in Bali is comparable to the Philippines’ very own Baguio which is very cool and mountainous.
The temple was built in the 17th century to worship the Hindu trinity and the Lake Goddess Dewi Danu.
B. Inside the Complex
The complex like the other Pura’s is relatively huge. It has colorful gardens and it is like a park more than anything else. The cool climate on this upland is certainly a plus and will make you want to stay and chill all day.
The complex has a slight touch of modern gardening decors that differs it from other Pura’s. It is actually a breath of fresh air especially if you have been visiting several temples prior.
The Beratan Lake is also an added attraction. You can actually rent a boat and explore the lake at your hearts content. An activity that will make your visit more worthwhile.
C. Personal Insight
9/10 Score
I personally like Pura Ulun Danu. Visiting Bali on a summer would make you want to feel a cool breeze. This upland has what it takes to become the summer capital of Bali or even Indonesia. Boating or Kayaking is even allowed but for a fee. The complex somehow has a complete package : cool weather, gardens, mountain view, lake view, Balinese architecture and fun-filled activities!!! It even has a restaurant so no major problem when you get hungry! I could have personally spent more time if we didn’t have so much places to visit that day. I will definitely need to revisit soon!
So what makes this more special than Pura Besakih? – The cool weather and definitely, Lake Beratan. Mount Agung is without a doubt a gorgeous view, but the lake offers more activities like boating and kayaking. Lake Beratan has this impression of positivity and mystery being a lake on an upland.
So there goes my 7th to 4th favorites! Watch out for the 2nd part of my write up! Balinese Temples are the bests! Terima Kasih Indonesia!
-jiyon
jiyon the soloist 