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According to the teachings of Agama Hindu Dharma, the religion of the Balinese, human beings and the universe stand in an antagonistic relationship to each other. The human being lives in a cosmos of opposites such as heaven and earth, life and death, good and evil.
The syncretic religion of Bali combines elements of Hinduism, Buddhism and ancient beliefs in spirits. One of its principles is that one force is as good as the opposite force - man must strive to satisfy the universal law of dharma through his deeds, known as karma. This regulates how harmony between opposites is to be established. That is why the Balinese pay homage to the gods as well as the demons with offerings. And since the pantheon of gods and demons on Bali is huge, the daily life of the Balinese is largely determined by sacrificial rites and ceremonies.
Faith is life, Life is faith
The whole life on Bali is permeated by faith. Even in tourist centres, one has to be careful not to step on offerings: baskets woven from banana leaves with rice and fruit pyramids, which are placed in front of room and house doors, in front of boutiques, restaurants and discos, at bus stops and crossroads. Incense sticks are supposed to keep away evil and attract good, almost every rice field and every bridge has a shrine, every family and every farm a temple, every village at least three of them. And so it is not surprising that Bali is also known as "Island of ten thousand temples".
Temporary seats of the gods
Balinese temples (pura) should not be imagined as pompous buildings with ornate halls and towers, with golden flashing statues of gods in imposing vaults. Rather, at first glance, they are rather inconspicuous buildings that were erected in order to be associated with them by means of certain rituals to make contact with them. They always present themselves as open places, enclosed by walls for protection against demons and divided into courtyards, which are aligned in the axes mountain-sea (for good and evil) and east-west (for the rising and setting sun). In accordance with the cosmic order, they are divided into three zones whose ground plan follows a fixed scheme.
Temple prototype
Admission is granted only through a single gate, the candi bentar, which is oriented towards the sea, open at the top and thus split, and is intended to express the recognition of the complementary forces of the cosmos. Beyond it is the jaba sisi, the first temple courtyard, which represents the earthly world, contains several resting pavilions for worshippers (bale) and a cockfighting arena (wantilan), and serves as a preparation site for dance rehearsals, festivals and rituals.
The adjoining jaba tengah, the middle courtyard, is dominated by a large, open assembly hall (bale agung) and the large signal drum kulkul, which is beaten to summon the faithful to the temple. The kori agung, a gate decorated with stone carvings and closed at the top, is flanked by two powerful guardian figures (raksasa) and symbolises the transition of man from one existence to another and thus the belief in rebirth. It leads - after bypassing the demon protective wall aling aling - to the highest, third temple courtyard, the jeroan.
This holy of holies, which is not accessible to tourists, houses the shrines that serve as abodes for the gods during their sojourn on earth. These merus consist of stone pedestals that symbolise the foundation on which the world rests. This is followed by a pagoda-style structure, with the number of staggered roofs expressing the rank of a deity in the Balinese pantheon (the maximum number eleven representss Shiva).
Bali's Top 10 Temples
Pura Tanah Lot
The sunset at Bali's most famous sea temple is perhaps the island's most popular postcard motif (read our article here)
Pura Besakih
Bali's largest and holiest temple is worth a visit for the atmosphere alone
Pura Luhur Uluwatu
High above the sea, this temple is enthroned spectacularly on a cliff
Pura Luhur Batukau
Surrounded by jungle and often shrouded in mist, this temple is perhaps the one with the most magical aura on Bali
Pura Kehen
The Mountain Temple is one of Bali's most important temples. And probably also one of the most beautiful
Pura Taman Ayun
Surrounded by a lotus pond and an exotically beautiful park, the temple is a "must" on Bali
Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
Partly situated on artificial islands in Lake Bratan, the temple is surrounded by a flowery park. Especially in the early morning hours it exerts a mystical charm
Pura Ulun Danu Batur
A very special temple on the island, not least because of its location above Lake Batur with a view of the volcano.
Brahma Vihara Arama
Buddha statues and gleaming golden buildings characterise Bali's only Buddhist monastery complex
Pura Meduwe Karang
Thanks to its exceptional reliefs and statues, this temple in Kubutambahan is unique island-wide
