Taman Ayun Temple

Thu, 11 Aug 2011

The most beautiful temple in Bali - Temple of Mengwi Royal Dynasty

Pura Taman Ayun is one of the ancient temple Bali which built 400 hundred years ago by the king of Mengwi, I Gusti Agung Putu in 1634. This is a kind of family temple especially dedicated for the ancestors of the Dynasty of Mengwi kingdom and some of temples worshiping which located in far location. It is located in Mengwi Village, Mengwi sub district, Badung regency and about 18 Km north side of Denpasar town. The name of Taman Ayun come from word of Ahyun is deriving from the root word Hyun meaning a temple is founded in the park (pond with the beautiful garden) which can fulfill the wish. The word Ahyun is then changed into Ayun word. In Bali, Taman Ayun means gorgeous garden since the wide beautiful landscape garden around the temple.

The temple was set on the land which is surrounded by the large canals with water lilies inside which irrigate the rice fields around the site. It creates the effect from afar that the temple is floating on water. It also owns the beautiful temple building with Balinese architecture style. As the temple bordered by broad canals and so it can only be entered by crossing a bridge leading to a richly ornamented gate called 'candid Bentar'. It is a beautiful and very well maintained temple that is encircled by water in a very well “managed” garden with the area about 3 hectares.

The temple’s outline is almost the same with others temple of Bali which divided into 3 yards. In reaching the first yard, the visitors need to cross small bridge and pass the gate. The Balinese believed that if an evil spirit afraid to enter the temple by passing between the two halves of the gate. Then, there will be so wide and planted with grasses and flowers so green and lush impressed. In the first area, there is a big wantilan (open space) used as meeting hall which usually takes place during a ceremony. The hall is also used for a cultural activities, especially traditional performance, music Bali activities, folk art and many more. There is also a fountain with nine water jets as memorial fountain that leads to the nine cardinal directions. On the right of the path there is a complex of small temple as a temple of Luhuring Purnama.

One thing to note, if you are having your menstrual cycle, you should skip visiting Bali temples as all of them will have a similar signage.

Then, to get the second yard, the visitors need to enter the second gate. The gate of the temple imitated the style of Klungkung palace, as Klungkung was considered the highest ruler on Bali at that time. In the second courtyard or Jaba Tengah, there is towering a tall Bale Kulkul (wooden drum) stands majestically just like a skyscraper. Kulkul is a traditional media for mass communication as you can find in all temples in Bali. Kulkul is used to give signal to the people in a village to gather together. Once inside, the view will be fixed on a building Aling-aling “Bale Pengubengan” decorated with reliefs depict nine Gods guards cardinal direction. The second yard is used for place of preparing material of rituals.

The last yard is Jeroan and supposed as the holiest part of the temple. Before entering this yard, one must pass through great gate known as Kori Agung (great gate) with three gates stand while the middle gate only opened on ceremony and two gates on right and left side are used for daily activities. On Jeroan, there are some of Meru with different shape and size. This is the place where all sacred construction and place of ritual are done. The responsibility for maintaining, rituals, and others is by Mengwi royal palace, assisted by the area of Mengwi district. The ceremony done every 210 in Balinese calendar and will last for 3 days, and during these days a procession by girls in colorful costumes holding big offering on head called ‘gebogan’.

There are more than 25 shrines, as the main shrine is dedicated to the god as the power of irrigation. The biggest shrine is a meru with 11 superimposed roofs while 2 merus with 9 roofs to worship the god through the temple of Batur and Beratan temples. The shrines were built to make sure that the Kingdom and people would be able to share in the prosperity and fertility over the kingdom. All of the yard in the temple compound symbolize of the three levels of the cosmic universe. The first one is the place for human beings, the second is the place of holy spirits, and the holiest yard is the place for the Almightily God stays.

The temple does not just offer the magnificent temple structure but also the beauty of the surrounding ponds and landscape around. The ponds to be full of loins and lily flowers of all color and around the edges of the moat can be found flowering trees and others plantations. However was built about 400 years ago while as we can see now it still stands gently and looks so beautiful and exotic. Since of its beauty, Pura Taman Ayun is also considered to have historical values, which makes the regional government of Bali suggests the UNESCO to list this temple in World Heritage List. If you interesting to see the ancient temple with its uniqueness, do not hesitate to follow us in http://travel-bali.com.au/, or call our costumer service at 1300-302-401, we are ready to bring you to explore  the untold beauty of Balinese culture.