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It is a dream to be here. Come and visit the island of the gods - spend your holidays with us. Fill out the form and send us your request, we will get back to you as soon as possible. We can only promise you great moments and unforgettable holidays with us.
Nobody knows exactly how many temples there actually are in Bali. If you travel with your eyes open, you will find that each village even has 3 temples: one belonging to the creator god Bramah, facing Besakih. A temple in the middle of each settlement, dedicated to Vishnu as the Preserver, with an adjoining assembly hall. The energies of Shiva, creator as well as destroyer, and the wrathful Durga characterise the sea-facing temples of the dead.
There are probably more than 20,000 temples, not counting the family temples that always face the Gunung Agung, which corresponds to the Balinese cosmos and the mythical world mountain Meru.
The Temple Birthdays
The annual temple ceremonies, called Odalan, are certainly among the most beautiful events in the Balinese festive calendar. The preparations often take weeks: the entire village is busy weaving palm leaves, preparing offerings of dyed rice flour and rehearsing ritual dances.
On the day of the ceremony, Penjors (metre-high bamboo canes from which the most elaborate handmade palm leaf decorations hang) decorate the streets. Yellow and pink rice is formed into pyramids, mangosteens and snake fruits are artfully piled up into pyramids.
Priests dressed all in white - both men and women - bless the countless offerings with holy, consecrated water called Tirta. Women recite traditional prayers for the presentation of all offerings. Every thought of everyday life loses significance, in a common spiritual practice the Balinese approach a spiritual dimension and feel the presence of their invited deities. Gamelan orchestras work their instruments for hours, again and again the performing dancers fall into a deep trance. For the Balinese, this is a sign that the connection with the gods has taken place - that they are now among them in the flesh and that they are receiving their blessing.
Never forget - where there is light, there is also shadow. It is a universal realisation that is constantly and everywhere present in Bali. This universal realisation is always present in Bali, also in the knowledge that besides the gods there are also demons, the hostile forces. In tremendous mask dances and mask plays, people on the island awaken this dimension of being from the invisible world (Niskala) into the tangible, visible everyday reality (Sekala), thus creating harmony between the two forces.
At the end of the ceremony, the priest presses consecrated grains of rice on the meditators' foreheads. As protection against obstacles in life and against bad influences.
Visitors are very welcome at these ceremonies. However, please show respect to the Balinese, dress appropriately for the occasion and stay in the background. Such a temple ceremony is a truly unique experience - you will never forget it.
