oh the mighty temples of bali. i'm afraid i didn't get to see as many as i would have liked to but a full day tour of central showcased some amazing temples. my three favorites were goa gajah, gunung kawi and pura tirtha empul.
1. GOA GAJAH
otherwise known as elephant cave, goa gajah is located near ubud.
it is famous for its entrance, the mouth of the cave.
the carvings on the rock at the entrance feature scary demons and
creatures that are to ward off evil spirits from entering the temple.
the biggest figure on the relief is an elephant, hence the name.
photo credit: ostarmenia.com
inside, there is a beautiful bathing temple with 6 female statues spouting water
into the two large baths. the water is used for purification and considered to be holy.
goa gajah is a place of meditation and worship of Ganesha, the hindu god of knowledge and wisdom. Ganesha is represented by an elephant head and 4 arms.
2. GUNUNG KAWI
it stands for carving in the mount.
it is a 10th century hindu temple with 300 stone stairs leading to a beautiful lush valley.
down the stairs you will find 10 tall memorials carved into the rock, supposedly
memorial shrines of the royal family and king's concubines.
3. PURA TIRTHA EMPUL
the place of holy waters.
within the walls of the temple lies a holy spring.
the water boils up through black sand and the surface of the water produces no bubbles.
the waters are believed to have restorative powers and hindus travel far and wide to bathe in these pools.
the fountains of pura tirtha empul source the holy water that the hindu god, Indra, created to provide prosperity and happiness to the community. many bathers jump in to pray to Indra, give thanks, and restore health and happiness.
tiptoeing through bali
xoxo
s
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