The World According to Herr Willie: Pura Besakih, The Mothertemple of Bali

It was on my birthday when I climbed the holiest mountain of Bali on a genuine pilgrimage. Walking towards Pura Besakih is also a tale about Balinese Hinduism, which is a singularity in Indonesia. So tighten your sarong around your hips and stick with me on this spiritual passage through the gates of heaven.

Two years ago I had my first taste of fabulous Indonesia. I met many friends and dipped my toes in the different worlds of the archipelago. It’s so diverse and interesting, that it’s well worth a sackful of columns from this designated writer!

Bali is widely considered the pearl of Indonesia, and it is. Full of mountains, volcanoes and temples. And when talking about religion Bali is truly like a lonesome island in the sea. While Indonesia is the largest Muslim country on the planet, Bali had other plans and 90% of its population follow Balinese Hinduism, which is unique as it mixes Hinduism with local animism and ancestor worship. Balinese just take the best of all worlds put it in a pepper mill and squeeze and turn it gently.

Like in the traditional Hinduism Balinese worship the gods of Vishnu and Brahma in the cosmic order of Dharma. But there is a range of additional deities only to be found here. For instance Acintya, who is the designation of one god on the island, and is also referred to as the sun god, depicted in murals and carvings as a human-like god surrounded by flames. Some Balinese also say the mountain is home to the dragon god, which I would be a big fan of.

I was visiting a good friend of mine in Bali and she decided to take me on a hike on my birthday. We drove to the south of Gunung Agung (“the high mountain”), an active volcano. We found ourselves a local guide from the village and got properly dressed. You shall not enter Balinese temples without a sarong covering you legs, that goes for men and women alike. And even if some locals will turn a blind eye on you, I would always follow this fashionable custom. There are various tracks to the top of the highest (3142m) and holiest mountain of Bali.

The entrance of the temple area is located at the height of 900 metres and and the whole area stretches over 3 sq.km to the top. There are 22 sanctuaries with over 2oo shrines. It’s quite possibly one of the largest worshipping ground in the world. Various royalties, settlements, casts (there are 4 in Bali) and professional groups have their own designated temples, where they pray with their own ceremonies and rituals. Probably comparable with a food court with dozens of different meals on one mountain. Everything goes, nothing must.

Almost 70 festivities take place every year at Pura Besakih. All the temples have their yearly celebrations and once every hundred years the most important Balinese ceremony is conducted: Eka Dasa Rudra. It is a purification ritual not only for the island and its people but for the whole universe. Originally the last time it was happening was in 1963 and turned out to be unfortunate in cosmic proportions. It was on march 17th as the volcano broke out and erupted. A tragic 1600 people were buried in the lava and its ashes and almost 90.000 lost their homes.

The Balinese thought, they have angered Shiva, because they have failed to calculate the exact date of Eka Dasa Rudra. But like a miracle most of the temple stayed untouched, as the lava made a detour just before it hit the temple. Eka Dasa Rudra was repeated in 1979, which proved to be the right date and was met with consent of the gods. In the course there were many animal offerings and a painted bull with golden horns was driven into the sea to create a balance between the good and the bad in the world.

The monks and architects of the temples had a great eye for photography. Most of the accessible areas are at the edge of the mountain and have a great view on the island and thus great light and contrast. I always tried to capture our guide to achieve some genuine picture, that could be truly local. And because he took a few breaks and contemplated for himself I got some great captures. It might have been awkward to be my model, but I am glad he played the game with me.

The heart of the mother temple is Pura Panataran Agung Besakih (“the great temple of the state”), a steep vertical gate to the whole area. It’s been this way for more then 1000 years, but there have been earthquakes and just mentioned eruptions, that forced a few restorations. Along the way the attentive traveler will see a range of different coloured flags alongside to different temples.

White flags celebrate Shiva, the destroyer. Red ones worship Brahma, the creator. And black flags stand for Vishnu, the preserver. And it is at this very temple of Pura Besakih, where Vishnu is said to have been born – another reason why this place is sacred. All the three deities represent the Hindu Trinity.

What I find very striking architecturally are the open structures, which go always vertically up. In my imagination the stones assemble often in the form of beautifully shaped rectangular clouds or waves of sun rays. In the belief of the Balinese, the gods live on the peaks of the mountains and only come visit during festivities. The shrines of the temples are nothing but the hotels of the deities, when they arrive.

What a beautiful thought. There is something very light about Pura Besakih and it’s a sensation, that rather sticks with your soul, than your mind. It´s hard to comprehend the multifaceted Balinese Hinduism, but you can somehow feel it at the mothertemple in Bali, at the gates of heaven.

Read more of Willie Schumann’s (@wil6ka) travel stories on The World According to Herr Willie.

written by wil6ka on 2016-05-20 #places #mountain #religion #island #birthday #trip #indonesia #location #faith #bali #spirit #the-world-according-to-herr-willie #monism