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Thursday, July 24, 2008

Balinese Hindu Temples


Hi, I am Daniel Kong and here is a write-up on Balinese Hindu Temples.
Hinduism is practised by 93% of the population of Bali. There are 2 basic kinds of Hindu temples.The house temple attached to every living compound is called 'sanggah' or 'merajan'. A temple in the public domain is called 'pura'. Temples are grouped into 3 important groups: kin group temples; agricultural and irrigation temples; and village and regional temples. These temples are associated with the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.

Temple structure: comprises a number of shrines and subsidiary pavilions, surrounded by an enclosing wall cut by a gateway, which is an imposing brick or stone structure. There are a few courtyards within, depending on size.


Pura Besakih, on the slopes of Mt Agung, is the 'mother temple'of Bali. In 1963, the volcano erupted and destroyed several nearby villages but Bersakih was untouched. Bersakih has a large number of 'merus'(wooden structures with pagoda-like roofs covered in palm fibres piled up on top of each other). These symbolise the seat of the Gods. The number of roofs is an od number from 3 to 11. The temple site is divided into 3, symbolising the trinity of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu.


Another 'supremely holy' temple in Bali is the Pura Luhur Uluwatu, which I visited during my Bali holiday in June 2008.It is majestically located on a raised seabed called the Bukit, which is connected to the main island by a narrow stretch of land. Uluwatu is dedicated to the spirits of the sea and it sticks out like a finger 250 feet above the crashing waves.



[10:31 PM]


Posted at 10:31 PM, 2 Comment(s)


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