Galungan Day is held every 210 days by all Hindus in Bali. It commemorates the victory of dharma (good) over Adharma (evil), a symbol of lust. On Galungan day, the Balinese people will go to the temple to pray. In addition, the Balinese people will meet and gather with their families. They visit the houses during the day to socialize on Galungan Day. So, it is the right moment for tourists to see Balinese culture. Penjor (a stick of bamboo fully decorated with young coconut leaves) will decorate each Balinese house. Penjor symbolizes the Dragon Basuki, which means prosperity.
There are several recommended places to visit during Galungan Day celebrations.
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple
This temple is in the middle of Lake Beratan, Candikuning, Baturiti, Tabanan, and Bali. Ulun Danu Temple means temple on the lake. Its existence in the middle of the lake is a unique view. I Gusti Agung Putu, a king from the Mengwi Kingdom, founded this temple in Saka Year 1557 (Year AD 1634). The purpose of this temple is to worship God in His manifestation as Tri Murti (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) in expecting fertility and prosperity.
Besides being able to carry out prayer activities, tourists can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lake Beratan by doing recreation with family.
Besakih Temple
Besakih Temple is the largest temple in Bali. It is on the foot of Mount Agung, Besakih Village, Rendang, Karangasem, Bali. The name of this temple comes from the Sanskrit word “Wasuki” or Old Javanese language “Basuki,” which means safe. Usually, Balinese Hindus crowd this temple on certain holy days, including Galungan Day.
Besakih Temple was built in 1284 by Rsi Markandeya, a Hindu religious leader of Indian descent. The local people also call this temple “Mother of Temple.” It is because Besakih Temple is the center of all temple activities in Bali. Meanwhile, tourists also visit this temple every day. It is famous among both tourists from domestic and foreign countries. They want to see Hindu prayer activities at this temple.
Tanah Lot Temple
Bali has a unique temple on the rock and is famous as a tourist attraction on the island. It is a fantastic place where the temple is in the middle of the sea. Tanah Lot Temple’s word comes from “Tanah or Land” and “Lot or sea.” So, Tanah Lot means land or island on the sea.
The Balinese Hindus use this temple to worship the god of the sea and pray for safety. Nowadays, Tanah Lot Temple is one of the famous tourist attractions in Bali. The tourists can also see the beautiful scenery and spectacular sunset in the late afternoon.
Lempuyang Temple
It is a famous temple with the Gate of Heaven and is set on the foot of Lempuyang mount in Karangasem Regency. This temple has a viral entrance gate for photo shooting. Gate of Heaven is the most famous subtitle travelers’ blog that takes photos from this temple. This gate is set on Penataran Agung Temple. Meanwhile, the Lempuyang Temple is on the top of the mount, about 1,175 meters above sea level. To be able to reach this temple, tourists have to go through a lot of stairs and a reasonably steep location.
Beji Sangsit Temple
The temple is located in Sangsit Village, Sawan District, Singaraja. Beji Sangsit Temple has meaning and benefits farmers by irrigating the rice fields. Apart from that, this temple is also used to ask for the safety and welfare of Ida Sanghyang Widhi. The uniqueness of the architectural style of Beji Sangsit Temple is also the main attraction of this temple. In one of the buildings in this temple, namely at Gedong Simpen, there is a statue of the woman Dewi Sri which symbolizes fertility.
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