Ponjok Batu Temple

Sat, 18 Jun 2011

The Stone Temple on Foreland or Pojok

Ponjok Batu temple, a large seaside temple on scenic hillside overlooking the coast, located in Banjar Alasari, Pacung countryside, Tejakula sub district and Singaraja regency about 24 km easternpart of Singaraja town or north part of Bali. The easiest path to Ponjok Batu temple is through Denpasar – Kintamani – Tejakula. It takes two and half hours driving or about 75 km from Denpasar. If the visitors want to enter the temple, you should wear sarong with a selendang (sash) tied at waist and an udeng (turban) tied at head which are already provide by the temple management. The structure of the temple is almost the same with the others temple in Bali. The area divided into three main parts based on its function. The temple looks different with others temple in Bali in which the material building of the whole temple.

The uniqueness of the temple is all part of the temple buildings are made from stone. It includes the roof, the wall, the pillars and everything else related to the temple. The temple covers area around 35 acre in form of black stones bank. In point of fact, the word batu means stone while Pojok means foreland. The position of this temple is little bit sticking out to the sea as a foreland or Ponjok. Base on the term of position and condition then this place is named by Ponjok Batu so that the temple is standing above foreland petrify and it is referred as Ponjok Batu Temple.

The temple was predicted built on the reign of Cri Waturenggong (the King of Gelgel Kingdom) around 1382 caka year until 1472 or 1460 until 1550 AD. This temple is also closely related to the holy journey of Danghyang Nirartha to Lombok Island. This temple was built to respect the wandering priest of Dang Hyang Nirartha, during his spiritual journey to teach Hinduism by the turn of the sixteenth century.

This temple is one of the great temples in Bali, based on the religion script as mentioned in Dwijendra Tattwa, the temple is intended to worship the supremacy of Dang Hyang Nirartha. He is the priest which set up Hinduism system in Bali. The statement is proved by the temple of Dang Hyang Nirartha in Ponjok Batu. Another version says that the temple is presented to God of Ciwa. The fact of the omission is the finding of the statue of Lembu Nandini (a cow statue) that believed meaning from Ciwa. There are also some statues which still unidentified and a megalith sarcophagus at the right  side of the first entrance gate.

Ponjok Batu Temple is managed by the traditional village of Tejakula. However, the parking lot is available but not quite wide thus on the time of temple festival, parking-lot becomes an urgent case to be settled up. Nowadays, accommodation is available around the location for examples; café and some drinking stalls, and also luxury resort or hotels are available nearby the temple. Instead of its natural attraction, the temple’s own architecture is also a special charm. Foreign visitors also visit the temple specially those wishing to visit the ancient village of Sembiran or to watch “Wayang Wong”, the sacred man-puppet at Tejakula while the road will escort you to Karangasem, the most eastern regency of Ball with the thousand of its hidden beauty.

From the temple vicinity, visitors can enjoy the wide view of Jawa Sea, black sandy beach, stones, and some of magical spring water surround the temple as  holy water for ceremonies and the visitors also can take for drink but need special admission from the temple management or the priest.