Tirtagangga

Tirtagangga
Originally uploaded by L'chayim.

From here there are a number of excellent treks through the surrounding countryside. One of the most spectacular begins to the north in the village of Tanaharon, quite high on the slopes of Mt Agung. One may reach it on foot or by car. To get there, follow the main road north from Tirtagangga in the direction of Singaraja for several kilometers, then turn left at Abang and follow a small climbing road up to the end. From here one may continue on foot, enjoying the broad panoramas in all directions and the thick, tree-fern vegetation. There is no short-cut back to Tirtagangga, and it is best not to get too far off the main path, as the ravines are quite steep and dangerous.

Another, less taxing trek begins in Ababi, just 2 km north of Tirtagangga on the main road. Turn left in this village and follow the road through Tanah Lengis to Budakling. On foot one can also reach this road by climbing the low hill behind the Tirtagangga spring.

Ababi is an old-fashioned village, and in the fourth Balinese month (around October) a major ritual is held in the village temple an agricultural ceremony marking the end of the dry season. In Tanah Lengis, which closely linked to Ababi, are several unusual music clubs. One is an angk1ung orchestra and the other is a so-called cekepung group.

Cekepung is a form of music known only in Karangasem and on Lombok, from where it originates. It is performed by a group of men. The leader begins by singing a text in Sasak (the language of Lombok); this is then paraphrased by another man in Balinese. After a while the other men join in, and perform a very rhythmic, interlocking song without words - imitating the interplay, rhythm and punctuation of a gamelan orchestra with their voices. Villagers drink palm-wine during and in between the singing. Both groups perform commercially, and will sometimes play for visitors in Tirtagangga.

One enters Budakling just after crossing a broad river, which is almost completely dry during the dry season. This village is well known for its Buddhist brahman priests, of whom there are only a dozen or so left in Bali (whereas their Sivaite colleagues number the hundreds). It is also a famous center for gold and silver smiting. Here are produced jewelry pieces of very high quality, which are occasionally offered for sale in Tirtagangga. It is possible to obtain or order pieces in the village, and Budakling also has several ironsmiths who produce household and agriculture tools.

To go back to Tirtagangga. from here, turn left at the first crossroads in Budakling and ask for Padangkerta, a few km south on main Amlapura-Tirtagangga road. For a longer trip, continue on to the important market village of Bebandem. Entering from this direction, the traveler encounters ironsmiths by the side of the road, which usually work in the mornings on market day (every three days), producing cheap knives keris daggers and cock fighting spurs. There is also an important cattle market here, and once back on the main road one has the choice of going back toward Tirtagangga, south to Candi Dasa, east to Amlapura or west to Besakih and Rendang.

A walk due east from Tirtagangga through the rice fields brings you to Pura Lempuyang, one of the Sad Kahyangan or six main temples of the whole of Bali, perched at the summit of Mt Lempuyang (1058 in). Pass the villages of Kuhum and Tihingtali and continue on to Basangalas. From here, it is a strenuous climb up to the temple. Basangalas can also be reached by car from a turn-off to the north of Tirtagangga at Abang.

A large temple festival takes place at Lempuyang every 210 days on Thursday of the week Dungulan. Ten days later, on Sunday of the week Kuningan, there are festivals in the temples of origin (pura puseh) in many villages around Basangalas, including Lempuyang. These feature fine rejang dances by the unmarried girls of the village accompanied by various orchestras.

Refreshing pools at Tirtagangga

The cool, spring-fed pools at Tirtagangga which literally means "Ganges Water" and refers to the sacred river of the Hindus - are located some 15 km northwest of Amlapura along the main road toward Singaraja. A dip in the pools is deliciously refreshing after a long drive, and they are surrounded by a captivating landscape of terraced rice fields. The village itself is small and quiet, and is a good place to pause and rest for several hours or even several days - to take advantage of the many delightful walks from here.

One can stay overnight inside the pool complex itself, known officially as Tirta Ayu ("lovely waters"), where a son of the last king of Karangasem operates a small home stay. Another exciting possibility is to stay in a small lodging on a nearby hill with a view over the famous Tirtagangga rice terraces.

Bedugul

Pura Bedugul Lake
Originally uploaded by jazzwave.

A pleasant climate, splendid views, water sports on scenic Lake Bratan, botanical gardens, fresh tropical fruits and vegetables-these are but a few of the things Bedugul offers. Located 1,500 m above sea level, it gets chilly by late afternoon, so bring your sweater. This is a favorite weekend retreat for Jakartans and the local Balinese bourgeoisie.

Bedugul's layout can be somewhat confusing, especially if you arrive in late afternoon after the clouds have descended. Coming from the south, there are two signposts to watch out for: "Bedugul 0.2 km" and "Bedugul." One might expect to find the village here, but instead the road turns sharply to the left, with a smaller road leading off to the right. The latter leads to the Bedugul Hotel on the southwestern shore of the lake.

The main road continues past a number of hotels on the left until it reaches the village of Bedugul proper. Here you find shops, a few restaurants, a bank, telephone office (wartel, a market selling local produce (including flowers, coffee and vanilla) and a lane leading up to the botanical gardens (Kebun Raya).

Beyond the village the road descends towards the lake, turning left at the Ashram Hotel. The road then continues north to Candi Kuning. On the right hand side is the entrance to the Pura Ulun Danu and other temples. A line of souvenir shops indicates the way. A fee of Rpl,000 is required to enter the temple.

The walk from Bedugul market to the Ashram Hotel takes about 10 minutes. The temples on the shore are another 10 minutes further on. From the market to the entrance of the botanical gardens takes about 15 minutes on foot.

Getting Around
Bedugul is situated on the main road connecting north and south Bali. It is the perfect place to stop for a night on an island tour. Rent a car and explore the area at you own pace.

If you are going by public transport, catch a bemo from Ubung terminal in Denpasar to Bedugul for Rp3,000. The fare is the same from Singaraja. The nicest way to get around Bedugul is on foot in the invigorating mountain air. Or charter a bemo, carrying up to seven persons, for about $10-$20 a day.

Most people traveling between the highland resorts of Kintamani and Bedugul travel the circuitous route via Singaraja and the north coast to get from one to another. An alternative route, used by very few people, leads south through the mountains, offering spectacular scenery and a close look at the vanilla and coffee producing area of the island.

The road is good enough for cars or motorbikes, although there are several places where deep potholes make driving fast a big risk. It's best is to allow half a day for the route between Kintamani and Luwus, where you meet the main road between Denpasar and Bedugul. This way you can stop along the way, have a coffee in one of the villages and enjoy a leisurely ride.

From Kintamani, follow the main road north until just beyond Penulisan and the Tegeh Koripan temple. Take the small road that branches off to the left towards Belantih village. Continue west past Belantih to Lampu and the neighboring village of Catur, where the road bends south. Lawak village marks the beginning of the vanilla-growing region where the harvest can often be seen drying in shelters.

After Belok (keep right) head for Pelaga. Just before the village there's a sharp right turn which leads to a shortcut west to Lake Bratan. Not many Balinese expose their vehicles to this road though, as chances of ruining them or at least getting stuck are pretty high. Another reason to avoid the shortcut and continue south is that the best has yet to come.

Beyond Pelaga and Kiadan, the elevated area around Nungkung and Sandakan is extremely beautiful. A bit further ahead lies the Islamic village of Angan Tiga with it's small mosque. The next village, Kerta, has a police post and even a bank. Past the bank take the right turn to Bedugul (the road continues straight to Denpasar which is only 32 km away). The stretch of road between Kerta and Luwus via Peria is extremely bad. In Luwus you reach the main road. Turn right for Bedugul or left for Mengwi and Denpasar.

Besakih temple

Besakih temple, Bali, Indonesia
Originally uploaded by Miek37.

High on the slopes of Bali's Mount Agung sits Pura Besakih, widely referred to as the "Mother Temple" of Hinduism in Bali. Pura Besakih, or Besakih Temple in English, is the largest of the island's 11,000 or so Hindu temples; its 35 shrines and halls draw devotees from all over Bali in massive numbers each year.

The world is lucky to have Besakih. In 1963 Mount Agung, a volcano, erupted and destroyed several nearby villages. Besakih was untouched.

The temple is generally agreed to date back to prehistoric times in Bali. It is named for Naga Besukian -- the dragon-god thought by pre-Hindu Balinese to inhabit this, the highest mountain in Bali. But at the beginning of the 11th Century Besakih became the state temple at a time when Bali was no mean kingdom. It has remained the state temple in some form or another ever since and is state supported today.

Like most Balinese temples, Besakih is not a closed building but a mostly open-air affair. It is made up of courtyards with altars and shrines devoted to a number of gods. And those gods have better things to do than just hang around a temple; the Balinese believe that the gods visit a temple on particular dates -- and on those dates the Balinese hold festivals to honor (or placate) the gods. Of all the temples on Bali six are "supremely holy:" Pura Besakih, Pura Lempuyang Luhur, Pura Gua Lawah, Pura Batukaru, Pura Pusering Jagat, and Pura Uluwatu. Of these, Besakih stands higher than the others -- not because it sits some 3000 or so feet above the ocean on the mountain's side, but because it is more sacred to the Balinese. It is said to be the only classless, casteless temple on the island where any Balinese Hindu can come to worship.

Bali's Hinduism is unique. Many scholars believe it gives us a view of Hindu beliefs much as they existed 1500 to 2000 years ago. Hinduism was once the dominant religion in much of Southeast Asia and empires in the region where ruled by god-kings -- empires like Funan, Sri Vijaya, Angkor, and Bali.

The Hinduism of Bali is less fragmented than that of modern India. Balinese are generally said to worship one god, Brahman, who manifests himself in various forms or personalities.

Lee Arnold, in his article on The Temples of Bali, quotes an anonymous Balinese who explains their views: "I am just one person; someday I might be a farmer, another a driver, yet another a cook, but I am still only one person." In the same way the Hindu "gods" Siva and Vishnu (Siwa and Visnu in Balinese) are really just different manifestations of the one god, Brahman, in Balinese theology. While this may be true, temples generally end up serving as places where one of Brahman's manifestations is worshipped; and Besakih is dedicated largely to Siva worship.

While the Hinduism of Bali may provide a glimpse into the religion's past it is by no means pure. Balinese religion has kept Islam at bay, but has absorbed aboriginal animism and Malay cultic ancestor worship along with aspects of Mahayana Buddhism.

The temple's anniversary, Odalan, is an excellent day to visit if you are looking for pageantry. But you should expect a crowd of several thousand people. That ceremony comes in the tenth month of the Balinese calendar, usually in April.

Gunung Kawi

Gunung Kawi
Originally uploaded by paddysat.

Just a short way north of Ubud is Gunung Kawi, a group of large stone memorials carved into the cliffs on either side of the picturesque river Pakrisan.

To reach it you have to walk through the main street of Tampaksiring until you reach a lookout at the end of the road.

This affords you an impressive view of the river valley below with what appear to be its guardians hewn into the rock. From here you can take a long stairway cut into the rock which takes you down into the valley itself winding past a beautiful patchwork of rice paddies cascading down the sides of the hills on either side of you.

As you reach the rivers edge, you can see a row of five of the 7 metre high memorials on the other side of the river and you have a choice to cross a stone bridge to the other side, or on your left is a path that takes you to another row of four memorials that face the others across the small gorge cut by the river, and a complex of monk's cells cut into the rock nearby.

On crossing the river, you find that as well as the memorials on the other side there is also a large temple complex which stands eerily empty...

There is a legend that a gigantic strongman named Kebo lwa carved out all of the monuments one night with his fingernails.

Short inscriptions on some of the memorials have enabled archaeologists to date them to the end of the 11th century, soon after the death of Anak Wungsu in about 1077, and that they served as memorials to deified royalty.

The identity of those honoured has not been determined with certainty, however one theory says the main group of five memorials honoured Udayana, his queen, his concubine, and his two sons, Marakata and Anak Wungsu. Another theory suggests they honored Anak Wungsu and his royal wives and that the other group of four honours his concubines.

Given that they are almost a thousand years old they are remarkably preserved and well worth what is the modern day equivalent of a pilgrimage to see them. It was a magical setting and a memorable trip...