GOA LAWAH

Goa Lawah ( Bat cave temple ). The Cave in the cliff face is jam-packed with bats. In Bali there are many Lontar scrolls that are properly collected in some cultural and tourism department offices.

The major temples in Bali were mostly built by Mpu Kuturan. In the 10th century Mpu Kuturan came to Bali at which time Bali was under the rule of Anak Wungsu. When he arrived, he found many beliefs in Bali. Then he developed the Tri Murti concept to unite all the beliefs. The arrival of Mpu Kuturan brought some changes in Bali.

He particularly taught the people “ how to make the ceremony to God “. Besides it, he reconstructed the “ Kayangan Tiga “ ( three major temples ) at the villages throughout Bali, and also strengthened the existence of Kahayangan Jagat ( public temple ) including the Goa Lawah temple.

The History :

In 1460-1550, Danghyang Nirarta came to Bali during the time of Raja Dalem Waturenggong. Nirarta came to Bali with a purpose of conducting “ Tirtayatra “. On his pilgrimage to the east, he stopped at Goa Lawah temple. In this temple he saw the beauty of a mountain range and the beautiful flowers that decorated the cave. He walked into the cave which was inhabited by a thousand of bats and the single shrine of Padmasana that was also built by Danghyang Nirarta.

The temple used to be guarded by Gusti Batan Waringin. It has a strong connection to the Besakih temple because the Goa Lawah temple is the way out of Ida Bhatara Hyang Basukih from Agung Mountain at Goa Raja temple. The inscription of Sidhimantra tatwa says that there was a meeting story of sanghyang Basukih and Danghyang Sidhimantra. It is said that this cave has a channel that goes up to Goa Raja temple at Gunung Agung.

KEHEN

Pura Kehen is a state temple of the Bangli Kingdom. It is one of the finest temples in east Bali, a little like a miniature version of Pura Besakih. It is terraced up the hillside, with a great flight of steps leading to the beautifully decorated entrance.

The first courtyard has a huge Banyan tree with a kul-kul entwined in its branches. The inner courtyard has an 11 roofed meru ( multi-roofed shrine ), and a shrine with thrones for the three figures of the Hindu trinity-Brahma, shiva and Vishnu. The carvings are particularly intricate.

In this Penyimpenan temple there are three inscriptions :

• Date back to the 9th century and mentions Lord of fire, Lord of Karimana, Lord of Tanda and Manks, It’s in Sanskrit script.
• Date back to the 11th century in ancient Javanese word mentioning Prime Minister Mpu Kuturan who lived in that century.
• It’s said Lord Kehen/ Lord of fire in ancient Javanese word. The king who reined Bali in that time named Cri Adhikunti Ketana.

Mentioning to all inscriptions, mean the temple had been built in 9th century and had been enlarge in 11th century and at the beginning of 13th century.

view of mount batur

Kintamani is a little town which has very nice view of mount and Lake Batur, and also there are many restaurant around the crater rim Penelokan village.

Batur at glance, the village of batur used to be down in the crater after eruption in 1917 that killed thousand of people and destroy more than 60.000 houses and 2000 temples.

In 1926 it erupted again, so the village and Ulun Danu temple were moved up to the crater rim.

tirta empul spring

The name Tirta Empul is derives from the large spring in the centre of the temple. “ Tirta “ means holy water and “ Empul “ means spring so Tirta Empul is holy water spring.

The temple was built around 960 AD during the rule of Candra bayasinga king from the Warmadewa dynasty.

It is divided into three main courtyards those are : the front yard, the middle yard and the inner sanctum.

At the outer courtyard can be found two rectangular pools, each fed by a line of some fountains that stretching from the east to the west and facing to the south. Each fountain has its own name and function. According to tradition there is a fountain for spiritual purification, another for cleansing from evils, another supposed to be an antidote for poison.

The Pancoran cetik or fountain for poison is connected to the mythological battle between Mayadinawa king, he is a king of Batu anyar Bedaulu and Bhatara Indra.

In the ancient tale the Mayadinawa King was such a tyrant, he forbade the people to carry out their religions to request the blessing of God, the God heard a bout this tyranny and lead by Indra, they attacked Mayadinawa, in the end he lost the battle and run a way to hide in the forest to the north of the village of Tampak siring.

With his magic powers, he created a spring of poison which caused many deaths among Indra’s troops who drank from the spring.

In fury Bhatara Indra drove his spear into the ground at the point where the spring was bubbling up, then his holy water was used to splash upon the afflicted troops and revive them from the grasps of death.

GUNUNG KAWI TEMPLE

Consists of 10 rock-cut candi, cut into the rock face. Each candi is believed to be a memorial to a member of the 11 century Balinese royalty. There are four on the west side of the river and five on the east side. Each of the sets of memorials has a group of monks’ cells associated with it.

Legend relates that the group of memorials was carved out of the rock face in one hard working night by the mighty fingernails of Kebo Iwa. It’s uncertain who the real builders were but they may date back from the Udayana dynasty of the 10th and 11th centuries.

It’s said that the five monuments on the eastern bank are to King Udayana, queen Mahendradata, their son Airlangga and his brothers Anak Wungsu and Marakata. While Airlangga ruled eastern Java, Anak Wungsu ruled Bali.

The four monuments on the west side are to Anak Wungsu’s chief concubines. Another theory is that the whole complex is dedicated to Anak Wungsu, his wives, concubines and to royal minister.