TAMPAKSIRING

TAMPAKSIRING

The hallowed spring of Tirta Empul in Tampaksiring dates from legendary times. In popular folklore, it was made by lndra when he pierced the earth to create a spring of amerta, the elixir of immortality, with which he revived his forces who were poisoned by Mayadanawa.

The waters are believed to have magic curative powers. Every year people journey from all over Bali to purify themselves in the clear pools. After leaving a small offering to the deity of the spring, men and women go either side to bathe. On the full moon of the fourth month each year, the villagers from nearby Manukaya take a sacred stone to be cleansed at Tirta Empul.
When the weathered inscription found qp the stone was deciphered, it gave the bate of Tirta Empul's foundation as A.D. 962 and described the cleansing ceremony. For a. thousand years these villagers had been abiding,. by this tradition without having been aware of the meaning incised on the stone! In 1969 the temple at Tampaksiring was completely renovated. Many of the shrines were built anew and painted in bright colors. Outside the temple are rows of sales stands where you may buy souvenirs-the bargain being carved bone jewelry.
On the hill above the sacred spring is the Government Palace built in 1 954. Once a resting place for Dutch officials, the site was chosen by former President Soekarno as his residence during his frequent trips to the island. South of Tirta Empul, on a line joining with Gunung Kawi, is Pura Mengening. There is a definite connection between these three places. At the latter temple there is a freestanding candi similar to those candle the facades of which are hewn from the rock at Gunung Kawi. Like Tirta Empul, the temple has a spring of pure water, which is also a source of the River Pakrisan. Pura Mengening might be the commemorative temple of King Udayana.

Location of Goa Gajah (Elephant Cave Temple)

The elephant cave in the local inhabitants more was known by the name of the Goa Temple, located on the side west the Bedahulu village, Kecamatan Blahbatuh, Area Regency of the Level Ii Gianyar, approximately 27 Km from Denpasar. A visit could be to this Temple carried out easily, because of his location only several metre under the highway headed the Tampaksiring village. Actually this Temple was built in embah the Petanu river, with the beautiful nature panorama, coconut palms and a small river was mixed with the Petanu River beneath it.

Facilities

The temple Goa Gajah as the legacy of the history and purbakala that was important, except was in the good great side of the road, also had adequate supporting facilities. On the west of the temple was gotten by Restaurant Petanu (Petanu, Food and Beverage) and from here the visitor could witness nature on the side north him with the waterfall, although being not too big. Was not far from restaurant this, to the west was gotten by several shops souvenir that was good. In the great side of the road (on the Temple Goa Gajah), was built a telecommunications Stall for communication that was needed. In the parking lot, was gotten also drink stalls and souvenir as well as toilet for the public, whereas on the south of the Temple (by the asceticism hole) was built a rest house to take shelter, with toilet, a small pond and a small garden. By that, currently was built by one wantilan, on the end of the ladder descended to the page of the temple, for the need of the community and the visitor. Rather to the west from Wantilan this, over shady trees was gotten by one toilet. On the south of the parking lot, was gotten two restaurant.

Visiting
While enjoying the serving in restaurant, the visitor could gaze at to the south or down (to the east of the Temple), enjoyed beautiful nature was accompanied by the refreshing wind hiss. Today, the Temple Goa Gajah was more often visited by the tourists, both from the Indonesian and foreign countries.

Description

The northern part consisted of one nature cave that was carved had the shape of the "T" letter. In cave this was gotten a Ganesa statue, that was regarded as the God of Science, fragments of the statue and one trilangga that was surrounded by eight lingga very small. In the cave wall part, was gotten asceticism holes and the Goa face part, except for being decorated with the sculpture that depicted a jungle with his contents, also was supplemented with a head of time used earplugs.

In the Goa wall was gotten also the sounding short "Kumon" inscription and "sahywangsa", that according to the type of his letter it was suspected came from the age 11 of M. at western of cave, in a building were gotten a sit statue, Ganesa and the Men Brayut statue that inside mitologi the Buddhist religion was known as Hariti, children's rescuer.

In front of cave, except the guard's statue, was gotten also fragments of the building that was not known by the origin proposed, like fragments of the building that now is not gathered in the page of the temple on the west of the pond petirtaan. Fountain statues that now functions again in the pond petirtaan that was shared to three parts, according to his style it was suspected came from the age 11 of M. unfortunatelly the fountain statue that was located in the pond was most middle, is not yet found to now. On the right of Goa, indeed was gotten a Ganesa fountain statue, but evidently did not agree with this most middle pond .

As for the part that was second from the Temple Goa Gajah was the next part South-east. Here was gotten two Buddhist statues, that one without the head and one still still is good enough with the Central Javan style. On the north of this statue, still appeared to be adhering in stone that is the part foot of the temple tebing that his upper part has for a long time fallen into the small river. In this small river was gotten by branching stupa relief of three, temple ruins tebing with beautiful sculptures. On the west of this small river was gotten an asceticism hole.
based on the above archaeological findings, could be known, that the Temple Goa Gajah came from the age 9 and 11 of M. a long time ago functioned as the place of asceticism of Bhiksu Buddha and Rev Siwa. This antiquity also showed the unification of the Buddhist religious teaching and Siwa took place well.

Across the highway on the Temple Goa Gajah was met a temple that was acknowledged as the Jempinis temple that in ritual piety was still having relations very close with the Temple Goa Gajah. Here also was gotten several old statues and the fragment - the fragment of the building.