Balinese temple

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Richly adorned kori agung gate and pavilions within Pura Dalem Agung Padantegal compounds in Bali.

A Pura is a Balinese Hindu temple[1] and the place of worship for adherents of Balinese Hinduism in Indonesia. Puras are built following rules, style, guidance, and rituals found in Balinese architecture. Most puras are found on the island of Bali, where Hinduism is the predominant religion; however many puras exist in other parts of Indonesia where significant numbers of Balinese people reside. Mother Temple of Besakih is the most important, largest, and holiest temple in Bali.[2] Many Puras have been built in Bali, leading it to be titled "the Island of a Thousand Puras".

Etymology[edit]

The pagoda-like Pelinggih Meru shrine of Pura Ulun Danu Bratan is a distinctive feature of a Balinese temple.

The term pura originates from the Sanskrit word (-pur, -puri, -pura, -puram, -pore), meaning "city", "walled city", "towered city", or "palace", which was adopted with the Indianization of Southeast Asia and the spread of Hinduism, especially in the Indosphere. During the development of the Balinese language, the term pura came to refer to a religious temple complex, while the term puri came to refer to a palace, the residence of kings and nobles, similar to Javanese kratons.

Design and layout[edit]

Balinese temple layout, arranged in three zones (mandalas)

Unlike the common towering indoor Hindu temples of the Indian Subcontinent, puras are designed as open-air places of worship within enclosed walls, connected with a series of intricately decorated gates between their compounds. These walled compounds contain several shrines, meru (towers), and bale (pavilions). The design, plan, and layout of the pura follow the trimandala concept of Balinese space allocation.[3] Three mandala zones are arranged according to a sacred hierarchy:

  1. Nista mandala (jaba pisan): the outer zone, which directly connects the pura compound with the outer realm and the entrance to the temple. This zone usually takes the form of an open field or a garden that can be used for religious dance performances, or as an additional space for preparations during religious festivals.
  2. Madya mandala (jaba tengah): the middle zone of the temple, where the activity of adherents takes place, and also the location for supporting facilities of the temple. In this zone usually, several pavilions are built, 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.
  3. Utama mandala (jero): the holiest and the most sacred zone within the pura. This enclosed compound, and typically the highest, usually contains a padmasana, the towering lotus throne of the highest god, Acintya (the Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in modern Balinese, or "All-in-one God"); 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).

However, the layout rules for arrangements of the facilities of the two outer zones, nista mandala and madya mandala, are somewhat flexible. Several structures, such as the bale kulkul, could be built as outer corner tower; also, the perantenan (temple kitchen) could be located in the Nista mandala.

Gates[edit]

There are two types of gates within Balinese architecture: the split gate, known as candi bentar,[4] and the roofed tower gate known as paduraksa or kori agung. Both types of gates have specific roles in Balinese architectural design. Candi bentar is the gate used in the nista mandala, while the kori agung is employed as the gate between the madya mandala and Utama mandala inner compounds. The rules for gate types are also valid for non-religious compounds such as puri, nobles' and kings' residences.

Types of pura[edit]

There are several types of pura, each serving certain functions of Balinese rituals throughout the Balinese calendar. The Balinese temples are arranged according to the physical and spiritual realm of Balinese people, which corresponds to kaja-kelod sacred axis, from mountain tops to the realms of gods, hyang spirits, the middle fertile plain the realm of humans, and other beings, all the way to the beach and ocean, and the many realms in Indonesia.

Pura Kahyangan Jagad
Puras Kahyangan Jagad, or “palaces of the gods”, are the nine temples on Bali that are built at the cardinal points, including one at the centre[5] (see “Nine directional temples” further down).
Pura Tirta
"Water temples", a type of pura that associates religious function and water management function as part of the subak irrigation system. Each of these temples corresponds to a drainage basin. The priests in these temples have the authority to manage the water allocation among rice paddies in the villages surrounding the temple. Some tirta temples are noted for their sacred water and for having petirtaan or sacred bathing pools for cleansing rituals. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, built on the edge of an important lake, is considered as the primary source of water for all agricultural activities in Bali and the feminine equivalent to Pura Besakih; it is as important as the latter. Pura Tirta Empul is another important water temple.
Pura Desa
A type of pura dedicated to the worship of Brahma the gods and deities, that are located within villages or cities, serving as the center of Balinese people's religious activities.
Pura Puseh
A type of pura dedicated to the worship of Vishnu.
Pura Dalem
A type of pura dedicated to the worship of Shiva, Durga, Mother nature, Banaspatiraja (barong), Sang Bhuta Diyu, Sang Bhuta Garwa, and other deities, usually Shiva's shakti, Durga, is venerated in this temple. In the human life cycle, the temple is connected to rituals concerning death. It is also common for a pura dalem to have a big tree like a banyan tree or a kepuh which is usually also used as a shrine. The pura dalem is typically located next to the graveyard of the deceased before ngaben (cremation) ceremony.
Pura Mrajapati
A type of pura to worship prajapati (the lord of people) or the cosmic might. Most often, in this temple, Shiva is worshipped in his form as prajapati.
Pura Segara
"Sea temples", are pura that are located by the sea to appease the sea gods and deities. It is usually important during the Melasti ritual. Example of this type of temple are the Tanah Lot Temple and Uluwatu Temple.

Nine directional temples[edit]

The nine directional temples (Pura Kahyangan Jagat[5] or Pura Kahyangan Padma Bhuwana[6]) of Bali mark the eight cardinal directions,[6] to which is added the center point. They are the nine holiest places of worship on the island. Built at strategic locations, they are meant to protect the island and its people from evil spirits. These temples belong to every Balinese on the island (as opposite to the other temples, which are the property of the village or town in which they sit).[7] They are:

Six sanctuaries of the world[edit]

The "six sanctuaries of the world" (Sad Kahyangan Jagad,[18] with Sad meaning "six"[19]) are the six holiest places of worship in Bali.[18] According to Balinese beliefs, they are the pivotal points of the island and are meant to provide spiritual balance to Bali.[6] The number of these most sacred sanctuaries always adds up to six, but depending on the region, the specific temples that are listed may vary.[20] A list of the Sad Kahyangan may include:[21]

Sea Temples[edit]

Pura Tanah Lot

Bali has several important "sea temples" (Balinese: pura segara), which were founded in the 16th century by a Majapahit sage from Java named Nirartha, to honour the gods of the sea.[22] Each of the temples is traditionally said to be visible from the next, forming a 'chain' around the coast of Bali. Many of the most important sea temples are located along the south-west coast of the island. The temples' positions were meant to provide a chain of spiritual protection for the island.[7]

Listed counterclockwise from Nirartha's legendary point of arrival in Bali, the seven most prominent Balinese sea temples are:[23]

Dang Kahyangan[edit]

Dang Hyang Nirartha's history, which in Bali is commonly called the History of Gede and recals his Dharmayatra (religious holy journey), is written in a lontar called Dwijendra Tatwa.[26] 34 temples are mentioned in this document; they are called Dang Kahyangan Temples, as well as those built to honour Nirartha.[27]Some of them are:

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ "Temples in Bali". Bali Directory. Archived from the original on 2010-05-11. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
  2. ^ "Mount Agung and Pura Besakih". Sacred Destinations. Archived from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  3. ^ "Traditional Balinese Architecture". School of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Udayana University. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  4. ^ "Bali:The Land of Temples". Indo.com. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  5. ^ a b c Hernanto, Namhar (August 1, 2019). "Pura Kahyangan Jagat: Nine Temples of Auspicious Locations". nowbali.co.id. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  6. ^ a b c d "The most sacred Hindu places of worship in Bali". hinducouncil.com.au. 2018. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Temples In Bali Explained -The Guide For Beginners". greenerbali.com. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
  8. ^ "Pura Besakih, map". openstreetmap.org.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "The Nine Directional Temples of Bali". bali.com. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
  10. ^ "Pura Lempuyang Luhur, map". openstreetmap.org.
  11. ^ "Pura Goa Lawah, map". openstreetmap.org.
  12. ^ "Pura Luhur Andakasa, map". openstreetmap.org.
  13. ^ "Pura Luhur Uluwatu, map". openstreetmap.org.
  14. ^ "Pura Luhur Batukaru, map". openstreetmap.org.
  15. ^ "Pura Pucak Mangu, map". openstreetmap.org.
  16. ^ "Pura Ulundanu Batur, map". openstreetmap.org.
  17. ^ "Pura Pusering Jagat, map". openstreetmap.org.
  18. ^ a b "Sacred Sites of Bali". sacredsites.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  19. ^ "Balinese Temples, Pura's and Sacred Sites". ausindobaligroup.com. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  20. ^ "Balinese temples". balix.com. Retrieved 2024-05-20.
  21. ^ Nopen Sugiarta (April 16, 2016). "Sad Kahyangan Jagat di Pulau Dewata". mantrahindu.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  22. ^ "Important Balinese temples | Bali Blog". Archived from the original on 2015-01-21. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
  23. ^ Dougherty, Margaret (Fall 2018). "How the Balinese see the sea: interpretations of oceanic power". Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection (2934). Retrieved 2024-05-27. p. 7
  24. ^ Rubinstein, Rachelle (2000). "Appendix A. Episodic structure of the Dwijendratattwa". Beyond the Realm of the Senses (Series: Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, vol. 181). Brill. pp. 229–232. ISBN 978-90-67-18133-4.
  25. ^ "Bali Hotel Villa Blog Culture Travel Guide Indonesia – BALIwww.COM » Pura Rambut Siwi". Archived from the original on 2013-09-07. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
  26. ^ Putra, Ida Bagus Rai; Kesuma, I Nyoman Weda; Cika, I Wayan; Suastika, I Made (January 2011). "Dharmayatra in the Dwijendra Tattwa text analysis of reception". e-Journal of Linguistics. 5 (2). Retrieved 2024-05-24. The has been digitized and put online : "Dwijendra Tatwa". archive.org.
  27. ^ "Pura-Pura Dang Kayangan Warisan Dang Hyang Dwijendra" (in Indonesian). Dharmopadesa. Archived from the original on 30 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.

References[edit]

  • Sudharta, Tjok. Rai. Beda Sadkahyangan dengan Sadwinayaka, Kolom Tatwa. Majalah Sarad Bali, Ed. No. 69/Tahun VII, Januari 2006.

External links[edit]

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