They go to Bali mainly for the sea, sun and spa treatments. But as a rule, tourists are captivated by the spirituality of this "island of a thousand temples." It is worth spending at least a few days in Bali, when you feel that the other world is the same reality as our world.
Indonesia is a Muslim country. But if on other islands tourists see some mosques with minarets, then in Bali - the stronghold of Hinduism in the Islamic state - they are met by various temples.
There are a million gods in the pantheon of this religion. So, there should be no less temples dedicated to them. These shrines are different - from majestic huge religious complexes to small altars in the courtyard of the house.
In this article, we list the temples of Bali that are worth seeing for tourists. In addition to the description of the sanctuaries, we will give practical recommendations and advice regarding visit times, ticket prices and more.
A little bit about Agama Hindu Dharma
Religiosity of the inhabitants of Bali may seem naive and even funny to the tourist, especially when he sees how the locals cook food for spirits and treat them with various delicacies of their dead ancestors. But if you look at the basics of Agam Hindu Dharma, in other words, Balinese Hinduism, you can understand that deep spiritualism is hidden behind external idolatry.
Residents of the island believe that there are three principles in the world: creation, maintaining balance and destruction. Buddhism had a great influence on the Hinduism of the locals.
However, the ancient animism - the belief that objects have a soul - did not disappear, but merged with new religions into an amazing mixture. Everyone knows that Bali is an island of a thousand temples. But few understand that the locals really communicate there with the gods and souls of their ancestors.
They believe that this world is imbued with energy from an otherworldly origin. It can both help people in their endeavors, and destroy their plans.
What are the religious buildings
No one knows how many temples in Bali, even the locals themselves. But in every village, even the smallest, there must certainly be at least three religious buildings.
In the upper part of the village, considered the cleanest, is located Pura Puseh. This temple is dedicated to the keeper of Vishnu and is intended for very important ceremonies.
In the center of the village stands Pura Desa. In this temple, dedicated to the creator of Brahma, ordinary ceremonies take place, the elders gather here for advice.
And finally, at the bottom of the village stands Pura Dahl. The name literally translates as "Temple of the Dead." It is dedicated to the destroyer Shiva. This temple hosts funeral ceremonies.
But destruction is not the ultimate phenomenon for the people of Bali. After all, destruction is inextricably linked with creation, it precedes creation.
In addition to these temples, in each courtyard there are small altars in the form of houses on high stands. In them you can see miniature figurines in black and white or checkered sarongs.
These are images of ancestral spirits. Three times a day - in the morning, at noon and at sunset - the inhabitants present them with baskets of flowers and food, light incense in front of them.
Sanctuary plan
Consistent with this religious hierarchy, the large temples of Bali also consist of three courtyards. Tourists should not be limited to visiting the first of them. This courtyard is dedicated to Shiva.
It is necessary to go through all the zones, since each of them carries its own semantic load. The decor of the buildings and their interior are also deeply symbolic. The temples have high pyramidal roofs. They are covered with palm fiber. This material is not allowed to be used in secular buildings in Bali.
Typically, large temple complexes are located near the water or on high coastal cliffs. This means that shrines protect the island from evil demons.
Temple Visits
The Balinese do not believe that an atheist or a non-believer desecrates a holy place with his visit. However, there are certain clothing requirements. Ideally, this should be a national sarong costume.
But do not make the same long excursion in not very comfortable clothes! At the entrance to all the important temples of Bali, sarongs can be rented.
In some sanctuaries this service is free, in others not, so it is best to be in clothes with your shoulders closed, and take a large scarf with you. Tie it around the waist like a skirt, and you will not have problems with the dress code.
Men in long trousers do not need a scarf, but the rules require a girdle with a special “bulang”. If you do not want to buy or rent it, take the same scarf, fold it in a tourniquet and wrap it around the waist.
Before entering the temple building, you must remove your shoes. Inside, make sure that your head is not higher than the priest conducting the ceremony. It’s better to sit on the tattered floor to shine.
Again, watch your feet. These dirty (from the point of view of the Balinese) body parts should not point to temple sculptures, the priest, and to anyone at all - here it is considered an insult. If you want to take a photo of the temples of Bali, turn off the flash.
When moving around the building, especially during the ceremony, do not go beyond the line of prayer. Blood has no place in the temple. And therefore people with open wounds may not be allowed there. By the way, Balinese do not visit the sanctuary during critical days, as well as during a certain period after childbirth.
Besakih Temple Bali
This most important religious complex is located at an altitude of thousands of meters above sea level, on the slopes of the volcano Agung. The Balinese consider the fire-breathing mountain to be the abode of the destroyer god Shiva.
In 1963, when Agung unexpectedly “woke up” and buried about two thousand people under volcanic ash, lava flows passed a few meters from Pura Besakikh. The name translates as "Mother of all temples." And this is really the most important sanctuary on the island.
The religious complex consists of 23 temples, the main of which is Penataran Agung (Shiva’s altar). To visit the Besakih Temple (Bali) on your own, and not as part of the tour, you should get out of the town of Kintamani.
You can also take a taxi - the distance from Kuta resort to Besakikh is 62 kilometers. Due to the terrain, the road will take an hour and a half in one direction.
This complex is more than a thousand years old. It goes down the terraces of the mountain in terraces, and its structures are made of volcanic lava. Entrance ticket costs 35 thousand Indonesian rupees, or 153 rubles.
Tourist advice: if you want to admire the island of Bali at your feet, come to the Besaki temple complex in the morning. After lunch, clouds gather and visibility worsens.
Pura Luhur Uluwatu
If Besakih is the most important temple in Bali, then Luhur Uluwatu is the most impressive in location. It rises on a coastal cliff that breaks into the ocean with a 70-meter precipice.
This temple is very revered in Bali, because the locals believe that the energy entities of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are united here. Everything in this complex is dedicated to trimurti - the unity of the beginning and end of the Universe.
It is believed that since the rock on which the temple rises, withstands the onslaught of ocean waves and does not crumble, the monastery also protects Bali from evil spirits. To make the defense even more reliable, near the temple in the grove monkeys are fed. Tourists warn: in appearance, cute creatures are very prone to theft. They especially like mobile phones and sunglasses.
According to legends, the Bali Uluwatu Temple was founded a thousand years ago. Indeed, temple gates decorated with elaborate carvings date back to the 10th century. This temple is popular with tourists not only because it offers incredibly beautiful views and you can enjoy the sunset. Every day, the Kecak religious dance is performed at the observation deck. Tourists recommend going here in the evening. Firstly, for the sake of dance, and secondly, for the sake of sunset. There is almost no shade here, so during the day the heat on the rock is out of place.
Entrance to the temple costs 30 thousand rupees (131 rubles), for the ketchak, an additional fee is charged from the audience. Uluwatu is located on the Bukit Peninsula in southern Bali. It takes about an hour to get here from Kuta. But regular buses do not go here.
Pura Tanah Lot
The name of this sanctuary of the 16th century is translated as "Earth in the sea." And for sure: Tanah Lot rises on a small cliff, which can only be approached at low tide.
Tourists recommend visiting the temple of Bali on the water as part of the tour, because otherwise you will have to stray among the deaf villages along the highway without road signs. Removing the temple from a distance is best at high tide. Then the coastal cliff turns into an island.
Tourists warn: for entering the territory of the religious complex they require 30 thousand rupees (131 rubles) per person, but non-Hindus are allowed only to the lower courtyard. But still Pura Tanah Lot is definitely worth a visit. This is the most publicized temple on the island.
Nearby is another religious complex - Pura Batu Bolong, also included in the Top 5 of the most beautiful temples in Bali. It also rises on a coastal cliff. But the latter is connected to the island of Bali by a high passage under which the sea hollowed out an arch. The closest these two sanctuaries to the beach "Legian" (17 kilometers).
Pura Oolong Danu
The best temples of Bali are located not only by the sea, but also in the depths of the island. It is very difficult to get along the mountain serpentine to the village of Bedugul (1300 meters above sea level), which is untouched by civilization, but the impressions of what you see completely pay off the hardships of the path.
Pura Oolong Danu is located on the shore and islands of the crater volcanic lake Bratan. This temple with a multi-tiered pagoda was built in 1633. It is dedicated to the fresh water goddess Virgo Danu. But in this Hindu-Buddhist temple they honor both Shiva and Parvati.
Also in the territory of the sanctuary you can see the statues of the Enlightened One. This temple is so popular in Bali that its image can be seen on a local bill in denominations of 50 thousand rupees (the equivalent of 218 rubles).
Tourists are advised to arrive here early in the morning. At this hour, the temple is shrouded in light fog, but few people. Entrance to the sanctuary is paid.
The distance from the popular resort of Kuta to Oolong Danu is more than 60 kilometers, the road will take about two and a half hours. From Denpasar to get out best.
Lempuyang Temple (Bali)
This sanctuary is located in the east of the island, near the resort of Ameda with paradise beaches. You can get to the temple only by renting a car / scooter or as part of an excursion.
Guides, recruiting a group, often are silent about the fact that "Lempuyang" is translated as "Road to Heaven." In order to get to the temple, tourists will have to climb the path among the jungle to the 800-meter mountain.
To make such a tracking with almost no problems, it is better to get out at dawn, until the heat came. On the way you will need to climb the 1,700 steps, the journey will take four hours.
Lempuyang Temple (Bali) is a huge complex. As befits the “Stairway to Heaven,” each structure in it stands above the previous one. Already from the lower courtyard of the temple, insanely beautiful, dizzying views of the ocean and the Agung volcano open.
But the believers do not stop there, but go to meditate on the highest shaded terrace. Due to the inaccessibility of Lempuyang, tourists rarely visit. Thanks to this circumstance, the authentic atmosphere of the holy place is preserved.
Pura Goa Lavah
Of all the temples of Bali, this is the most unusual. Goa Lavah is located in the southeast of the island. The nearest resort is Ubud. From Kuta, you can take a bus to the village of Padang Bay, but then you have to go 5 kilometers on foot.
The name of the sanctuary is translated as "the temple of the bats." It is located on the shore near a huge cave, which (according to unverified rumors) extends into the island for 30 kilometers up to Pura Besakikh.
The main tourist attraction of the 11th century temple is its inhabitants - hundreds of thousands of fruit bats. And the entire Goa Lavah stone decor is also dedicated to these little creatures.
Like Europeans, in Bali, bats are associated with the afterlife. Therefore, the temple is mainly dedicated to funeral ceremonies. Cremation is performed on the beach. But these terrible ceremonies and hordes of bats hanging from the arch of the cave only add to the temple popularity among tourists.
The gates of the complex symbolize good and evil, split in the form of a pagoda, the vertical halves of which are spread apart in different directions. Nearby are two sacred banyan trees.
In the first courtyard there are altars of the divine triad - Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. Having passed the next gate, the visitor will see a statue of a dragon guarding the monastery from evil spirits. There are religious ceremonies that are accompanied by dancing and music.
And finally, the third courtyard is actually a huge grotto - the entrance to the cave. Thousands of bats hang from the ceiling, there is a pungent smell of droppings in the air, the continuous rustle of wings and a squeak are heard.
Taman Ayun
Christianity knows such a thing as a palace church. There is something similar in Bali. “Island of Temples” has another sanctuary - built in 1634 for the ruler of Mengwi.
The name "Taman Ayun" translates as "charming garden." And this is not just a beautiful metaphor. The temple complex, of course, is dedicated to the gods, but it was conceived as a resting place for the royal family.
The buildings of the pagodas and shrines are made in elaborate Chinese architectural style. Among the statues of deities and mossy stones you can see ponds with lotuses and goldfish. Bridges, bright tropical vegetation, fragrant flowers - architect Hobin Ho was invited to reconstruct the landscape park in 1750.
So that the equatorial sun does not dry out the greens, he came up with a special irrigation system - Subak. It is because of her that the Taman Ayun temple complex is included in the UNESCO list.
Tourists report that, unlike other places of worship in Bali, there are few tourists in this sanctuary, and therefore it is also difficult to find pestering merchants and pseudo-guides. Near the entrance (the payment for it is purely symbolic) there is a small market where you can eat tasty and cheap.
The temple complex traditionally consists of three zones located one above the other. Tourists are not allowed into the highest - it is open only to believers, and even then on the most significant religious holidays. But travelers say that the remaining three courtyards are more than enough for a strong impression.
This beautiful temple is wonderfully organically blended into the surrounding landscape. To get to Taman Ayun, you need to go north from the resort of Denpasar. After 17 kilometers, you will reach the village of Mengwi. Tours rarely come here, so the temple complex is available only for independent tourists.