On the road north from Bedulu towards Tampaksaring you will pass by the Museum Purbakala (worth a visit) on the right-hand side. On the left-hand side not far from there you will see the ‘Mad Buffalo Temple’ or Pura Kebo Edan. Very little is known of this temple. However, Archaeologists have approximately dated the large statue, ‘The Pejeng Giant’, as 700 years old. Urs Ramsayer wrote in his book ‘The Art and Culture of Bali’ that Pura Kebo Edan was most probably a Balinese version of the East Javanese Singosari magic temples. Interestingly these temples were built in the 12th C in Java. Containing some of the oldest statuary in Bali, one amazing and awesome example is that of a giant 3.60-meter tall figure. Quite startling is his huge phallus pierced with four pins, said to increase a woman’s sexual pleasure. Another rather unusual statue is that of a fat, crouching demon. This figure holds an inverted skull to his chest while in his curly hair is an ornament of tiny skulls.
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Bali is renowned worldwide for its beautiful Hindu temples and although the predominant religion is Hindu Dharma, there are other places of worship on the island that are for those of other religions such as the large Chinese community. The Indonesian word for a Chinese temple is klenteng and these you will find scattered around the island, some small and some that are of a more sacred level and importance. These are called viharas. If you go into Denpasar you will find a couple of the smaller klentengs but it is the ones further out across the island that are the most interesting to visit. I have always enjoyed trying to find as many of these temples as I can and over the decades I have come across quite a few. So, I decided to compile a few of my favourite Chinese temples that perhaps you would like to visit whenever you go into the countryside on road trips.
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Not many visitors to Bali know of the existence of a Chinese temple in Kuta. In fact, when you leave Bali to head to the airport, you travel right past it and it is easily unnoticed. There are a couple of Klentengs (Chinese temples) in Denpasar but they are smaller whereas the Vihara Dharmayana on Jalan Tanjung Mekar is a relatively large temple and patronised by the Chinese community in Kuta. Anybody can enter the temple, look around and take photographs (please do it discreetly so as not to disturb those praying). There are several Bhuddist statues and the whole temple is decorated in the lucky Chinese colour of red. Both my wife Candika and I are Bhuddists and regularly visit the temple for prayer. One of the greatest times to visit this temple is during the week of Chinese New Year. It is indeed a pageantry of colour and friendliness, but the best is that you are welcomed heartily to join in on the celebrations even if you are not a practising Bhuddist.
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Today in Bali it is the start of Galungan. Occurring once in every 210 days in the Balinese cycle of days, Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremony that is celebrated by all Balinese at the same time. During the Galungan period the deified ancestors of the family descend to their former homes. They must be suitably entertained and welcomed, and prayers and offerings must be made for them. The families who have ancestors that have not yet been cremated, but are still buried in the village cemetery, must make offerings at the graves.
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Although the predominant religion in Bali is Hindu-Dharma, Christianity has a presence on the island. There are many villages that are Christian enclaves and around the island you will find quite a few churches. Not so long ago I read about a quaint little church that is seldom visited except of course by its parishioners. In fact, you have probably driven right past it on your way to Pura Luhur Batakaru when you visited there. The main road north of Tabanan to Gunung Batakau is a scenic route passing through shrub-lined villages and rice terraces and lined with a mixture of tall trees and coconut palms. Along this stretch of road you will come to the village of Buruan where the road forks to the left leading up to Gunung Batukau. A few kilometres to the north I entered the village of Tengudak and on the right-hand side of the road is located the Catholic church of St Martins de Pons.
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It is a place best visited very early in the morning or late in the afternoon and it is a place that is well cemented on the tourist track, but nonetheless, a place that is so serene it will take your breath away. Of course I am talking about Tirtagangga, the water complex satiated about five kilometres northwest of Amlapura on the east coast of Bali. Tirtagangga would have to be one of the most beautiful places to visit on the island and a definite must-see on your list of places in your itinerary. Built for the people by the King of Karangasem, Anak Agung Anglurah Agung Ketut in 1946, the Tirtagangga water garden is a stunning collection of statues and fountains with large pools with the most spectacular being the eleven tiered fountain. Tirtagangga literally means ‘water that flows from the Ganges’.
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When I visited this temple for the first time well over 25 years ago it was relatively unknown to tourists travelling to Bali. At that time, you could just walk in off the very busy road and into the silence of the forest. There was no hefty entrance fee, only a donations box as you left the peaceful place. And now, the temple of Bukit Sari is inundated daily with busloads of tourists from around the world and travellers in general. I would estimate that 90% of the aforementioned tourists and travellers didn’t even know the temple existed in the forest and if they did, it would have only been graced with a fleeting glance. It was the main attraction within the forest that was the drawcard. Of course I am talking about the monkey forest at Sangeh and its ubiquitous clan of monkeys, and now, the entrance fee is Rp20,000. How times change.
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If you travel up to the north of Bali to Kintamani and see the stunning views of Gunung Batur from any one of the many restaurants situated there, you will also be able to view the expanse of Danau Batur and on its far shores the village of Trunyan. The aforementioned places are on most tourist itineraries as is a visit to the magnificent and sacred Pura Ulu Danau Batur. Penulisan as a village doesn’t really have that much to offer except for the exceptional vistas, but if you travel further north along the road you will come to the small village of Sukawana. Here, the road junctions and to the left is the road to Singaraja. Right on the intersection of this junction you will find the ancient and mysterious temple of Pura Tegeh Koripan. Also known as Pura Puncak Penulisan, if you weren’t looking for it then you would probably drive by as all that is visible from the road is a long flight of steps.
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Most tourists that come to Bali, more often than not, have a temple or two on their itinerary. There are the regular heavily-visited temples such as Pura Besakih, Pura Luhur Ulu Watu and the garden temple of Pura Taman Ayun. There are also several other beautiful and less visited temples on the island that are just as fascinating. The garden temples, in my opinion, are by far the greatest of all to visit. One such garden temple on the outskirts north of the town of Bangli in East Bali is Pura Kehen. When you first visit this grandeur structure it is almost mind-boggling because the temple rises steeply from the edge of the road at the foot of a hill and quite imposing with the multitude of steps leading up to the candi bentar or split gateway that is the entrance. Actually there are two entrances but visitors can only use one of them. Founded in the 11th Century by Sri Brahma Kemuti Ketu, Pura Kehen is the second largest temple on Bali and the most sacred in the region.
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I had heard about it from Balinese friends, read up about it, and finally, went in search of it. The stone pillar of Prasasti Blanjong is one of the oldest man-made objects in Bali dating back to 913AD, and it is the written language on the pillar that I was most keen to observe even though I knew I wouldn’t understand it. After reasonable research I was able to find out the language used on the pillar is most likely old Javanese (kawi), and it tells the story of a king …
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