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A Glorious Hindu Legacy: Indic influence in Southeast Asia.
Bali,
Indonesia -
Hindu Temple - Goa Gajah
The
Balinese practice Hinduism with great pride. It
might not even be too way off the mark to say that in today’s
age, Bali is probably the only place where Hinduism is closest
to being practiced in its true form. Bali has been given many
other names like, The Island of Peace, Island of Gods, The
Morning of the World and so on. Perhaps to this list should be
added The Island where Hindu Sacred stories and Legends are
Reality. Every part of Bali’s
panorama is infused with stories from Hindu epics
- The Ramayana and
The Mahabharat. For example, almost
everywhere one goes in Bali one would see a statue of some
character from either of these two epics. The one that easily
come to mind is the depiction of the fight between
Rama
and Ravana at the roundabout just outside of Ngurah
Rai International Airport. The Goa Gajah,
also
known as the Elephant caves, which dates back to at
least the 11th century, was excavated in 1922. Not
far from the central Bali town of Ubud is Goa Gajah, popularly
known as the Elephant Cave. The cave is a former
hermitage for the eleventh century Hindu priests.
Goa Gajah, which dates back to at least the 11th
century, was excavated in 1922. A huge face at the entrance of
the cave for ascetics. All around are fantastically carved
leaves, animals, waves and humans running from mouth in fear.
(For
more refer to chapter on Greater
India: Suvarnabhumi and
Sacred
Angkor).
***
A
huge face at the entrance of the cave for ascetics. All around
are fantastically carved leaves, animals, waves and humans
running from mouth in fear. Inside is a 43 ft long passage,
which stops at a T-junction, 49 ft wide. The inner sanctum
contains several niches, which could have served as sleeping
compartments for ascetics. At
the one end of the passage is a statue of Ganesha.
Statue of Lord Ganesha and three
Shiv linga
(Images
and text contributed to this site by
Vikneswaran
Shunmugam,
Indonesia).
***
Village
of Yeh Pulu
The picture on the left has small pond which
in ancient times used by the Kings wives and princess as
playground. Picture on the right - The relief carving in Yeh Pulu depicts
the daily life of island people its fully chiselled on rock wall
for about 25 meters and some parts depicts Krishna’s
manifestations. Dating 14th Century.
Buddha statue missing which is found in the forest behind Goa
Gajah.
(Images
and text contributed to this site by
Vikneswaran
Shunmugam,
Indonesia).
***
Other
Hindu temples in Bali, Indonesia
Gunung
Kawi
After Goa Gajah, this
Vishnu
Temple
is said to be the second oldest temple in
Bali
built around 11th century.
Lord
Vishnu's footsteps in Bali.
***
Much of the place still intact except the entrance part
which in ruins due to earth quake. The rock cut and chiselled
shrines are of rock mountain. There are so many alters but all
the statues are gone, either kept in secret by villagers and
some in
Bali
museum.
Vishnu
Temple
is said to be the second oldest temple in
Bali
built around 11th century.
(Images
and text contributed to this site by
Vikneswaran
Shunmugam,
Indonesia).
***
Legend
says that temple is built for king Udayana, his Javanese queen
Guna Pria Dharma Patni, his concubine, his oldest son Airlangga
who ruled
East Java
, and his youngest son Anak Wungsu. Anak Wungsu ruled on
Bali
from 1050 to 1077. The four temples on the west side of the
river should then have been built for the chief concubines of
Anak Wungsu.
Tirtha
Empul –
is revered by all Balinese. They
say that it was created by the god Indra when he pierced the
earth to create a spring of amrita, the elixir of immortality,
with which he revived his forces who were poisoned by the evil
king, Mayadnawa. The bathing place was built under the rule of
Sri Candrabhaya Singha Warmadewa in the 10th century.
 The
waters are believed to have magical curative powers.
Every year people journey from all over Bali to purify
themselves in the clear pools. After leaving a small offering of
thanks to the deity of the spring, men and women go to opposite
sides to bathe.
Pura
Arjuna Metapa –
Temple where Arjuna meditated
is just south of the Pura Pusering
Jagat – Temple of the Navel of the World. Arjuna is
the hero in the epic of Mahabharata. In this story, Arjuna is
meditating on a mountain top, gathering his energies for an
upcoming battle with the evil demon Niwata Kawaca.
Pura
Bukit Dharma –
Found
here is the famous 7 ft high statue of the Goddess
Durga
in the act of killing a bull possessed by a demon under her
feet. In a fighting attitude, her four arms hold a spear, an
arrow, a cakra, a shield, a bow and a winged conch shell.
Goddess Durga is the wrathful aspect of Siva’s wife or Shakti.
Pura
samuan Tiga
– which means the temple “of a meeting of three parties.”
During the reign of Queen Gunapriya
Dharmapatni and King Udayana (988-1011), Balinese
religion had no cohesiveness, no basic tenets which everyone
followed. Therefore six holy men gathered at Pura Samuan Tiga to
try and simplify the existing religion. Out of this meeting
emerged the key tenets of Balinese Hinduism today a) the three
elements of manifestation of Sanghyang Widhi, or the Absolute
God, being Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu 2) the triune temple system
in each village 3) the concept of desa adapt.
Pura
Jagatnatha
– Every full moon, young people pay homage at this
temple. Dedicated to the Supreme God – Sandhyang Widi Wasa.
The tall padmasana, constructed of white coral, symbolizes
universal order. The turtle Bedawangnala and two naga serpents
represent the foundation of the world; the towering throne
signifies the receding heavens. This design, so prevalent on the
island, relates to the Hindu myth of the churning of the ocean
of milk, when the gods and demons stirred the cosmic ocean to
create the nectar of immortality.
The Catuh Mukha, Lord Shiva
in his four faced emanation, overseas traffic in the city of
Denpasar main intersection.
Sangeh
– Ravana, the villainous giant of the Ramayana epic, could die
neither on earth nor in air. To kill him, the monkey general
Hanuman devised a plan to suffocate the giant by pressing him
between two halves of the holy mountain Mahameru – a
destruction between the earth and air. When Hanuman took
Mahameru, part of the mountain fell to the earth in Sangeh,
along with a group of monkeys from his army, whose descendents
stayed to this day.
Such
is the legendary origin of Bukit Sari, or The Monkey Forest, a
cluster of towering trees and home of hundreds of spritely
monkeys. The forest is sacred and for many years no one has been
permitted to chop wood here. A moss covered temple lies in the
heart of the woods. The temple, Pura Bukit Sari, has a large
statue of Garuda in the central courtyard.
Pura
Besakih – Mother Temple called thus, as it houses
ancestral shrines for all Hindu Balinese. A cluster of temples,
Pura Besakih is the pinnacle of the sacred to all Balinese. It
has 86 temples with 22 main temple complexes. It was built in
the 8th century, some of the structures were added later in 14th
to the 18th century. Today it is the state temple for the
provincial and national governments which meet all the expenses.
Within the Besakih complex, the paramount sanctuary is the Pura
Panataran Agung with its lofty merus on a high bank of terraces.
Steps ascend in a long perspective to the austere split gate,
Inside the main courtyard stands the three seated shrine
enthroning the three aspects of God: Shiva, God as creation;
Pramashiva, god without form and Sadashiva, God as half male and
half female. Many interpret this trinity to be Brahma, Vishnu
and Shiva. There are three colors associated with the shrine:
red, black and white. Red symbolizes the earth as lava and is
associated with Shiva, and black is both water and outer space
and associated with Vishnu.
Temple
is dedicated to the Goddess of the Lake, Devi Danu, and her
consort Vishnu, who rules over water.
(image
source: Insight Guides – Bali –
created by Hans Hofer and Eyewitness
Travel Guide to Bali & Lombok0
(For
more refer to chapter on Greater
India: Suvarnabhumi and
Sacred
Angkor).
***
Pura Ulun Danu – temple is dedicated to the
Goddess of the Lake, Devi Danu, and her consort Vishnu,
who rules over water. This is one of the two main subak temples
in Bali which determine how water reaches the irrigation ditches
all over southern Bali. These waters, enriched with volcanic
minerals from the Batur highlands, lead from one terrace to
another in descending steps to the sea.
Pura
Saraswati at Ubud
The royal family commissioned
this temple and water garden, dedicated to Saraswati - the Hindu
goddess of art and learning, at the end of the 19th century.
Monkey
Forest
, Ubud,
Bali
.
Sacred
Monkey
Forest
of
Padangtegal during the mid-14th century. It is possible that
this temple was built by the Pejeng Dynasty (the Pejeng Dynasty
was centred on
Bali
in the vicinity of Ubud and was conquered by the Majapahit
empire in A.D. 1343).
(Images
and text contributed to this site by
Vikneswaran
Shunmugam,
Indonesia).
***
(source: Insight Guides – Bali –
created by Hans Hofer and Eyewitness
Travel Guide to Bali & Lombok). Refer to My
Bali Diary - By B Raman - saag.org).
(Note:
Recently an Ancient
statue of Lord Vishnu
has been found in Russian
town of the Volga region.
For more refer
to chapter on Suvarnabhumi).
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of Page
US
couple goes the Hindu way in marriage
She's a
Jew from California, he's a Christian from Arizona, but both
chose to get married according to Hindu rituals in Orissa's
temple town of Konark.
Thousands
of people attended the wedding of the American couple, Rabital
Volk, 33, and Cain Carroll, that took place last week at a yoga
ashram in Konark, 70 km from Bhubaneshwar. They had been
formally married in the US earlier, but decided to go in for a
Hindu wedding as well. Every
traditional detail was observed - there were Vedic mantras, a
priest, a fire and even two locals, who stood in for the bride's
parents for the ritual of kanyadan to give her away.
Rabital had
first come to India three years ago as a tourist and toured
several religious spots like Rishikesh and Varanasi before
finding her moorings in Konark. Her husband followed her and
came to teach yoga. Both worked at the Konark Natya Mandap (KNM),
a dance institute founded by famous Odissi guru Gangadhar
Pradhan -- Rabital as a student and Cain as a yoga
teacher.
"
India is the birthplace of yoga and Vedic
traditions and spirituality fascinates me," said Cain.
"This was a marriage with a difference. It hardly matters
that they belong to other religions. Their love for our culture
and tradition motivated me," said Prafulla Mohapatra, the
priest, who conducted the rituals.
(source: US
couple goes the Hindu way in marriage - hindustantimes.com).
For more refer to chapter on Yoga
and Hindu Philosophy.
Sage
Patanjali
The Yogic practices originated in the primordial depths of
India's past. India is the birthplace of
Yoga and Vedic
traditions and spirituality.
***
About
Rishi Patanjali
Snake temples at Prayag
honor the sage Patanjali’s yogic mastery. His
name means “gift of a snake.” It signifies that Patanjali
had mastered the Kundalini,
the serpent-like energy in the subtle body.
Nag
Kuan: The place, where on Nagpanchmi day, the snake worship is
held, is connected with Rishi Patanjali the famous Sanskrit
grammarian, located at Jaitpura (3rd BC). Chidambaram: It was here that Lord Siva performed the Tandava
dance of creation, and where sage Patanjali later lived and
wrote the Yoga Sutras.
(source:
About
Rishi Patanjali - Hinduism
- By Linda Johnsen p. 222. For more refer to chapter on Yoga
and Hindu Philosophy).
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