Hi everyone, I would like to share about a temple tour that I joined in my island, Bali. I joined the tour with a group of travelers to visit three ancient temples in the Manukaya village, Gianyar regency. I myself have never visited these temples before. So, this was my chance to explore my island. Even though I live in Bali, there are a lot of interesting places I haven’t visited.
The local tour who was in charge in the tour is called Gede Arya. He greeted the travelers by introducing his name and explaining the route we would take on this temple tour. We were just entered Manukaya village, and Gede Arya met us by the village road.
He lead us to the village road where majority of the people work as farmers. The first temple which we would visit was located in the middle of rice fields area. During the way, he showed us some people who were planting rice plants on wet muddy farm.
After saying hello and chitchatting with the farmers, we continued walking to an open building in the middle of the farm. The temple was called Pegulingan temple. The tour guide explained that temple is an ancient temple from the IX century. He went on explaining that this is a Buddhist, Hindu, ancestor worship temple.
This temple was once destroyed by earth quake, but the Bali museum or the Bali government has rebuilt the temple. Some of the statues and carving were the original part of the building from the IX century, but many was rebuilt based on its original form.
There was a bell-shaped building in the middle of temple yard, this is a clear indication of a Buddhist temple. Still in the same yard, there were few shrines that you could usually find in Hindu temple in Bali.
When we finish, we continued to other area, still in the same region to visit a temple called Mengening temple. The word Mengening means to make it clean or clear such as in clean in water. The temple of Mengening hence is a place for Balinese people to conduct a spiritual cleansing ritual. There was a spring which local people believed to be holy water.
The water flow from underneath a banyan tree which then contained in a few pools, which then directed to water sprouts This where people go to for spiritual cleansing ritual. There were few places where people can soak into the water, also as a part of the cleansing ritual. I saw some people stepped down into the pool to in front of water sprouts.
I think this is a serene place with peaceful atmosphere. It is a great place and suitable for doing the spiritual trip or cleansing ritual.
There was the third temple, but I did not take photos there. But the temple is similar to the temples that I shared here. Thanks for reading.