Hindu - Traveling Thru History

Things to Do in Indonesia

Erin — Sat, 23 May 2020 07:34:03 +0000

Looking for things to do on your next trip to Indonesia? Check out the activities recommended by travel bloggers for the best things to do in Indonesia. #TBIN

The post Things to Do in Indonesia first appeared on Traveling Thru History.

What Makes You So Different From A Terrorist?

Erin — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 04:46:41 +0000

There is something that has been weighing on my mind recently and I don’t think I’ll be able to stop thinking about it until I write about it. Or maybe not. Hopefully this doesn’t open a firestorm. I may lose some friends and some followers, but I can’t stay silent about this anymore. Some things just need to be said. I’m sure most people have a Facebook account and have seen all the negative posts people are making about Muslims and Islam. If you don’t have a Facebook page, perhaps you’ve seen these types of posts on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google+ , Youtube and various other websites. And if you still don’t know what I’m been talking about, I wish I could be like you. For the past year or so we’ve been seeing an upsurge in the animosity towards Muslims and the Islamic faith. Yes, this has been happening for over a decade now, but recently it has changed. Now that we’re bringing more refugees to the US and increasing the Muslim presence in our country, the rhetoric has changed. Friends of mine who I’d believed were peace-loving and kind-hearted people have been posting statuses saying we should destroy Islam and get rid of all the Muslims. Some say we should lock them up or shoot them. Others are posting that we should kick all of the Muslims out of America and yet more are celebrating others who call for the death or incarceration of Muslims. The most shocking posts have been the ones where people I know are themselves posting that all Muslims should be executed and Islam should be wiped from the earth. Are you kidding????!? And these are just the posts I’m seeing from my friends. My Christian, God-fearing, bible-following and “Christ-like” friends. And along with my Christian friends, yes, these types of posts are also coming from my Agnostic, Buddhist, Jewish, Atheist, non-denominational, Hindu and Pagan friends. What is wrong with all of you?!?!?!?! Do you not realize you are behaving just like the people you say are destroying the world? Do you not realize that by calling for the eradication of Islam and the destruction of Muslims that you are supporting the very ideology that you wish to destroy? It isn’t the ideology of Islam, but the ideology of hate. You condemn these people for their desire for death and destruction, yet you are calling out for the same. Radical Muslims say, “Death to America.” Many Americans are saying, “Death to Muslims.” What’s the difference? What makes you so different from them? Is it because you’ve never actually killed anyone? Neither have most of them. Middle Eastern terrorist groups are made of more than just Muslims. Granted, Muslims probably make up for a large portion of their numbers, but there are certainly plenty of people of other religions who just want to cause mayhem in those groups. Certainly there are non-denominational members, Christian members, Jewish, Atheist, Buddhist and Pagan members. Terrorist can come from any religious background. Before I go any further, I wish to clarify that I am, in fact, a devout and faithful Christian. I’m not a follower or studier of Islam. I believe in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and strive to follow the teachings of the Savior. I’m not perfect, I fall short so many times, but I’m doing my best. Except for right now. Right now I feel upset and want to yell at a lot of people. When I read these status updates about how we need to kick all the Muslims out of the US or that we need to round them all up and put them in Guantanamo or that Muslims need to be shot on sight or that we should just bomb Iran, Iraq and Syria off the planet it just breaks my heart and baffles my mind. How can anyone think that 100% of Muslims are evil? Do we think 100% of all Catholic clergy are child molesters? Do we think 100% of all Baptists rejoice in the deaths of the military? Do we think 100% of Jews are penny-pinchers? Do we think 100% of Hindus perform human sacrifices? Do we think 100% of all Pagans practice witchcraft? Do we think 100% of Atheists are devil worshipers? Do we think 100% of all Christians practice what they preach? I’m pretty sure most of you answered NO to all of those. There is no situation on EARTH where 100% of any group of people have the same ideals. Most Catholic clergymen are good and devout men. Most Baptists disavow the Westboro group. Jews have a wide variety of practices when it comes to spending and saving. Hindus moved away from human sacrifice almost 200 years ago and it is only rural and radical sects who violate the laws banning such practices. Most Pagan beliefs and ceremonies revolve around a human connection with nature, not witchcraft or black magic. Atheists do not worship the devil, they do not even believe in the devil. That would be the Satanists. And as for the Christians, we Christians are just as bad as everyone else when it comes to not always living what we believe. There always has been and always will be a variety of beliefs and actions across each religious group, so why do we allow that to some and not others? I mean, seriously, there are quite a few Christian serial killers, bombers, arsonists, murderers and radicals. Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma City bomber) was raised Catholic. Eric Robert Rudolph (Olympic Park bomber) was a member of the Church of Israel. The Army of God is a Christian group with many members who have committed mass shootings, sent bombs or murdered. Heck, a lot of mob, mafia and cartel leaders are devout Christians, too. These people are all radicals and terrorists. Does this mean ALL Christians are terrorists? By your reasoning, yes. And I’m pretty sure that assertion is making you quite upset. But all I’m doing is applying your own logic. My point is, not all Muslims are terrorists and wish to destroy America. Not all followers of Islam are radicals. Not all of those who worship in a mosque are conspiring to take your life away. So many of these people are peace-loving and hate what the radicals are doing to their beloved religion. Don’t you hate it when you hear about another Christian doing something awful in the name of God? And now I have some questions I want you to consider. Do you realize that when you call for Islam to be destroyed that you are mirroring the radical Muslims’ calls for the destruction of Christianity? Do you realize that when you post that all Muslims should be eradicated that you are echoing the radical Muslims’ cry for the annihilation of the Western world? (as well as Hitler’s rally for the murder of the Jews?) Do you realize that when you call for the deaths of all Muslims, that you are calling for the deaths of babies, toddlers, young children and so many others who have never hurt a person in their lives? Do you realize that the venom you spew about how evil Islam is and how it needs to be crushed is hate speech? Do you realize that when you say all of this you are acting just like THEM? The radical Islamic terrorists are saying the exact same things about you as many of you are saying about them. Do you not realize this? Something that crossed my mind is that a lot of these things were said by people in the days leading up to the Holocaust. So many in Germany blamed the Jews for everything that was going wrong in their country. It started with making them wear something that denoted who they were, then there were calls to kick them all out, then it evolved to putting them in special ‘zones.’ After that, all humanity was lost. Are we heading in that direction again with the Muslims? As a Christian, it is so shocking to me that my fellow Christians are saying such horrible things. How can you call yourself a Christian and say the awful things you do? Do you believe that Jesus Christ would be calling for the murder and destruction of a single person, let alone an entire group of people? Do you believe that “Thou shalt not kill” only applies to the actual act of murder by you and not for the support and rejoicing of it? Do you believe that “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” only applies to your actual neighbor? Do you believe that the God of peace, love, grace and truth would have His followers petitioning for hate, murder, anger and destruction? Do you believe that the instruction to “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” only applies to those of the same faith? Do you really believe you are behaving in a Christ-like manner when you speak in such a way? Whatever happened to love and compassion? Whatever happened to following the example of the Savior? And if you aren’t a Christian, these questions apply to you as well: How does being hateful to those who may or may not hate you make them not hate you? How is calling for the destruction of an entire religious group any different from what Hitler wanted with the Jews? How is inciting hate and fear going to solve the problem? How is behaving in an antagonistic manner going to stop other people from becoming militant extremists? Cuz, really, I bet there are quite a few that join the radical cause because they see all the hate many are spewing their way and start to believe the radical preachings that they must destroy us before we destroy them. But, of course, I do believe there are those out there who just want to destroy us because of the warped view of what their religion teaches. If there should be calls to destroy anyone, it should be those who are actively trying to destroy us. Not those who are just living their lives. Or those who have come to the United States to get away from the militant extremists. Or those who are living in fear in their home countries because of those same extremists. Or those like Malala, the young Islamic peace activist who terrorists almost killed because she went to school and spoke out against them. Those people, those are the ones we need to protect. I’m not saying we should just sit back and let the Islamic extremists blow America to bits. Or that we should give up trying to get rid of terrorism around the world. Or that we shouldn’t conduct thorough background checks before letting refugees into the country. What I AM saying is that not every Muslim is a terrorist and we need to stop acting like they are. And I’m also saying that before you write your next “we should blow every Muslim off the planet” post or make your next “Muslims are the scum of the earth” comment or share that hate-filled blog post, perhaps you should think about what you’re doing. Because, honestly, you’re saying the same things the terrorists are and, from where I’m sitting, you’re not much different from them.

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Chua Say Tevoda: A History of Angkor Temples

Erin — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 20:57:42 +0000

Whenever someone mentions anything ‘Angkor’, the first image that comes to most people’s minds is the impressive and daunting image of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a magnificent temple complex that spans roughly 200 acres and includes the main temple, dozens of gopuras (carved towers over doorways), statues, galleries, libraries, towers, shrines, ponds, long promenades and smaller structures. Chua Say Tevoda is a group of small temples that sit roughly a mile away from the Angkor Wat complex and are classified as Angkor temples. Most of the Angkor temples in Cambodia were built during the mid 1100’s and composed of standstone blocks and laterite. Sandstone was used on the exterior and visible interior parts of the buildings while laterite was used for outer walls and hidden structural elements. The material used to join the blocks and hold them in place has yet to be identified, but a type of natural resin or slaked lime composition is being investigated. When you look around Siem Reap you may wonder where on earth all this stone came from. To build all of the Angkor era temples the residents had to use tens of millions of metric tons of sandstone which couldn’t be found in the nearby area. Interestingly, the entire city of Angkor used up far greater amounts of stone than all the Egyptian pyramids combined and occupied a greater area than modern-day Paris. Can you imagine having to import all of that stone through forests without the use of excavation equipment or trucks? To get the stone from the area where it was quarried on Mount Kulen there are two possible routes. The first suggested route travels 22 miles down a canal heading towards Tonle Sap Lake, then a further 22 miles across the lake and another 9.3 miles upstream along Siem Reap River. That journey is roughly 56 miles. The other suggested, and most likely route, has been suggested to be a now-hidden canal that spans 22 miles from Mount Kulen to Angkor Wat. This route was suggested by Etsuo Uchida and Ichita Shimoda of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, when they discovered the canal on satellite imagery in 2012. Chua Say Tevoda follows the same architectural and decorative style as it’s companion, Angkor Wat. Typical decorative elements are statues, Devatas (carvings of deity), Apsaras (female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology) and bas-reliefs with extensive garlands and narrative scenes on pediments. Unfortunately, other decorative elements have been destroyed by looting and the passage of time, including gilded stucco on the towers, gilding on some figures on the bas-reliefs, and wooden ceiling panels and doors. But even though there has been a lot of damage from weather, age, looting and vandals the site still looks fascinating. One of the interesting things about the Angkor temples is that they are still active Buddhist temples. Any temple you enter could reveal chamber with a devotee in the act of praying or meditation. During the days when the Angkor state religion was Hinduism, these areas were known as a cella. Cellas are small central chambers inside the temples. They were made small for three reasons: the temples were considered the homes of the gods and only needed to be big enough to house the statues of the gods, the rituals which were held in them were reserved for a small group of elite elite (in the capital of the Khmer only the god king could enter the shrine) and the technology at the time the temples were built could not yet make large airy halls. Fruit and bottles of water were originally left at the shrines as a symbolic representation of the nectar of Dharma and the wish to achieve it. This reasoning is specific to Mahayana Buddhism. In the late 12th century King Jayavarman VII changed the state religion from Hinduism to Mahayana Buddhism. That lasted through 1243 when Indravarman II succeeded him and returned the state religion to Hinduism. Towards the end of the 13th century the state religion again shifted, but this time is was Theravada Buddhism and over the centuries Theravada Buddhism has replaced all other religions as the dominant religion of Cambodia. In Theravada Buddhism each offering has a specific meaning. Incense is lit to symbolize the fragrance of pure moral conduct and as a reminder to conduct yourself in a pure and moral way. Water is offered as a symbol of purity, clarity and calmness. This offering is a personal reminder to practice the Buddha’s teachings, so as to cleanse the mind of desire, ill-will and ignorance, and to continue working to attain the state of purity that is necessary to achieve Enlightenment. Fruit is offered as a symbol of the fruit of Enlightenment, which is the ultimate goal of Buddhist practitioners. Fruit serves as a reminder that all actions have an effect for good or evil and to constantly be aware of the fruits of your actions. What you see here is a porch leading to the cella. This porch is called a Mandapa and is usually facing East. These are the feet of what is presumed to have been a Buddha statue, but it could possibly be the remnant of a Hindu statue. With the back and forth of the state religion and the erecting and removal of statues during that time, it is impossible to tell which religion these feet originally belonged to, but the orange cloth is symbolic of what Buddhist monks wear, thus denoting that these feet have been claimed as a Buddhist religious statue. Unless the body of the statue is ever recovered, we may never know what the truth really is. This carving of a Buddha has fallen off the wall and been placed in one of the cella. I can’t find anything that specifically says what the stone pedestals are, but based off similar items I’ve researched online and what they were used for, these look like sacrificial alters used to catch the blood of the animal being sacrificed and then to burn sacrificial offerings. Seeing as the central article is placed in direct line to where the statue of a Hindu god would have once stood and based off of similar items, my non-professional understanding is that the the stone to the left would have stood outside the temple for the actual sacrifice and once the blood had been collected from the sacrificed animal and the exterior rituals performed, the sacrifice would be burned inside the temple in the center stone. This is one of the thousands of Devatas (deity) you will come across when exploring Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples. A Devata looks similar to an Aspara (a female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology), but the main difference is the posture and direction of the head. While Asparas are in a dancing poses with their heads facing slightly or fully to the side, Devatas stand or sit erect with their faces fully forward. This window is flanked by Devata. It is sad that the combination of time and vandalism has made it so the carvings are so incomplete. Weather has also deteriorated the once clear and intricate details. Part of this exterior carving has been meticulously restored, but unfortunately only half of it survived to be restored. The central piece of the carving is that of a Makara, or sea creature of Hindu mythology. The Makara is an embodiment of Ganga, the goddess of the Ganges river and the sea god Varuna. It is also the insignia of the love god Kamadeva. Kamadeva is also known as Makaradhvaja (one whose flag a makara is depicted). Makara is the astrological sign of Capricorn. It is often portrayed protecting entryways to both Hindu and Buddhist temples. The tops of these temples would have once been adorned with an elaborate prang, a tall and intricately carved tower-like spire. The taller the prang, the more important the god housed therein. This temple at Chua Say Tevoda has a mostly intact prang. One of the unfortunate pieces of information I’ve learned about the Angkor temples is that after the fall of the Angkor civilization to the Ayutthaya kingdom in the early 1400s, many statues were taken to Ayutthaya and Angkor was largely abandoned. After the abandonment Angkor fell into decay and stones from the temples were used to build other temples. In recent years, due to the lack of protection and safeguarding of the ruins, there has been an increase in looting and the theft of carvings and other irreplaceable items from the temples. APSARA, the Cambodian agency that manages the preservation and restoration of Angkor released a statement in 1992 saying, “vandalism has multiplied at a phenomenal rate, employing local populations to carry out the actual thefts, heavily armed intermediaries transport objects, often in tanks or armored personnel carriers, often for sale across the Cambodian border.” It’s incredibly disheartening that any Cambodian citizen would be involved in the continued destruction and desecration of their own cultural heritage site and it is just so sad that the Cambodian government won’t take steps to protect these national treasures. Some sections of the stairs on this side of the main temple are completely gone or seriously damaged, necessitating the construction of a new staircase. You can also see that the central prang is missing along with the carvings and exterior sculptures typical of Angkor temples. This is all that’s left of the exterior wall and grand central walkway to the temple grounds. What’s left of the courtyard surrounding the main temple. The carving atop the side of this temple is mostly intact. Isn’t it beautiful? Beneath it is what’s called a ‘Blind Door’. Angkorean temples and shrines frequently opened in only one direction, typically to the East. The other three sides featured Blind Doors to maintain symmetry. Blind Windows were often used along otherwise blank walls as well. Another reason the Angkor temples are in danger is unsustainable tourism. Every year the rate number of tourists increases and more damage occurs to the site. Far too many tourists climb on the temples, carve their initials into them, go into areas where they are not supposed to and rub the fragile sandstone carvings causes irreparable damage. While tourists who are respectful and do not climb on the temples are appreciated, the sheer weight of tourist groups also threatens the stability of the site. Cambodia is so poor that the government isn’t willing to curb or restrict tourism for fear of losing a vast part of the national income, even if it means speeding up the destruction of such a culturally important site. Since millions of tourists visit the Angkor area every year and there are no plans to curb the amount of people allowed into the site or even close off the more fragile sections, what can we do to ensure the survival of this one-of-a-kind national treasure? Be careful where you walk Avoid areas where the stones are broken Do not jump on protruding stones Do not climb on the temples Use the stairs to get to areas you would like to explore Honor the “Do Not Enter” signs Take pictures, not stones Do not carve or write anything on any of the stones, temples, statues or monuments Do not rub or touch the carvings. Sandstone is incredible fragile Do not engage in horseplay on the temple grounds Do not pick up or attempt to pick up stones, statues or any other object inside the temples or on the grounds Do not throw things in or around the temples Put your trash in the provided receptacles – pick up any if you see it Keep your clothes on – whether or not you view it as such these are sacred religious sites Report any inappropriate behavior to a nearby official All of the Angkorian temples are beautiful and the area is so fascinating to visit. I don’t wish to discourage anyone from making the effort to experience the culture and history firsthand. My only wish is to help you have a better understanding of how culturally important and physically fragile these structures are. I really loved exploring the remnants of the Angkor Kingdom...

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Sri Kandaswamy Kovil

Erin — Sat, 08 Aug 2015 22:19:41 +0000

During the 1800s large groups of Tamil Hindus moved from Sri Lanka to Malaysia to help construct railway lines. Many ended up settled in the area that is now known as Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur because it was so close to where the lines were being built. Life was much improved from what it had been in Sri Lanka, but many of them missed having a formal temple to worship in. Up until 1890 they had been worshiping informally in homes and at small, makeshift shrines. On December 24, 1890, though, the leaders of the Saivite Ceylon Hindu Community decided they wanted something more permanent and the plan for Sri Kandaswamy Kovil was born. The Saivite community was thrilled to have a formal temple in which to perform sacred ceremonies such as “Viratham” (fasting ceremony), “Thithis” (commemoration rituals) and “Punniyaahavaasam” (purification ceremony). The original structure was modelled exctly after the Nallur Kanthaswamy Temple in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, and inaugurated in 1902. Over the years has had several expansions and in 1992 the temple went through a complete renovation. The first series of renovations were completed in 1997 and another renovation was done from 2009-2011. With renovations and constructional updates complete, Sri Kandawamy Kovil is once again a vibrant and elegant symbol of devotion for the thousands of Tamil Hindus living in Kuala Lumpur. This Hindu temple actually has special significance to us, as well. The handyman for our apartment was Hindu and shortly after our arriving in Malaysia he invited us to his niece’s wedding at this temple. It was such a neat experience and made this temple have a special place in our hearts. A few months after the wedding we decided we needed to go back to this temple and get some pictures of it. We’d taken pictures of the actual wedding, but hadn’t taken pictures of the temple or the grounds since there were people, cars, tents and wedding signs all over the place. But we did get some great photos of the wedding, which I do need to post. One day. *sigh* The first thing anyone notices about a Hindu temple is the Gopuram. A Gorpura is an ornate monumental tower at the entrance of any Hindu temple. This is a prominent feature of Koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style. They are covered in statues of Hindu deities and topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial. The use of Gopurams dates back to India during the Tamil Pallava dynasty which held power between the 3rd and 9th centuries. These colossal feats of architecture function as gateways between the outside world and the inner sanctum of the temple. There is usually more than one Gopura on a temple, but the one over the main entrance is the largest and most elaborate. This is the Gopura over the back entrance. And this is the Gopura over the side entrance. We attempted to go inside, thinking it would be okay, but a Hindu priest kindly ushered us back out and told us only Hindus could enter the temple. We were disappointed because the little we saw was so beautiful, but we were able to get one picture from the door before he told us that was not allowed either. Since we couldn’t go inside, we sufficed with wandering around the grounds. I’d seen them many times from the monorail that goes over the temple and was excited to finally be wandering around them. I kinda wonder, though, how thrilled the devotees are to have the monorail going over their temple grounds every 5-12 minutes. The grounds of the temple aren’t large, but they are fascinating. In Hinduism, water has a similar significance as in Christianity: it is believed to have spiritually cleansing powers. Hindus are required to participate in a ritual cleansing in a pool on temple grounds before entering the temple. I’ve been unable to discover the symbolism of these statues, but I have my theories. The main Hindu Water God is male, so it’s possible these are his priestesses or these could also be representations of the Ganga, the goddess of the sacred river Ganges. Or they could represent something else entirely. In any case, they’re quite lovely. We also found this cute cow sculpture near the pool. While there is a misconception that Hindus worship cows, they do hold cows in high esteem because of the life-giving offerings of the cow. Long ago cows were sacrificed and eaten, but Hinduism has evolved to where the cow is no longer sacrificed, but things the cow produces are used in rituals. So you will usually find a statue of a cow at a Hindu temple. The last part of the temple grounds is the temple garden, called Nanthavanam. Hindu temples will all have a garden similar to this one to provide the required lotus flowers for poojas, the daily prayer rituals. The main feature of the garden is a lotus pond with Lord Arumugaswamy, a six-faced manifestation of Lord Vishnu, seated in the center. Behind the pond are Lord Vishnu and Parvati, his wife and goddess of love, fertility and devotion. The peacocks decorating the pond were brought over from Sri Lanka in the 1930s and have remained where they are ever since. Lord Arumugaswamy, a six-faced manifestation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu and Parvati, his wife and goddess of love, fertility and devotion. Before we left the temple I stopped to take a picture of some of the sculptures atop the temple. This is Lord Vishnu, his wife Parvati and Ganesha, the god of beginnings. This is the gate that goes to the grounds around the temple. It really amazes me how much detail and vibrancy goes into everything associated with Hindu temples. We really enjoyed our visit to this temple. It wasn’t a long visit, but it was enjoyable. If you’re looking for a Hindu temple to explore while you’re in Kuala Lumpur, this one is less than two blocks from a monorail stop and about a 15-20 minute walk from KL Sentral. This is the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur and the most traditional in its adherence to the rules of Saiva Agama Scriptures. It is also the temple where the trek to Batu Caves for the Thaipusam festival begins. HOURS 5:30am-9:30pm ADMISSION Free LOCATION The intersection of Jalan Tebing and Jalan Scott. HOW TO GET THERE The easiest way is to take the monorail to the Tun Sambanthan exit and walk down Jalan Tebing with the river on your right. Or you can take a taxi. If you wish to observe a ritual from outside the temple or come when there are less people, here is the temple schedule. Opening Abishegam Pooja Closing Morning 5:30am 6:00am 7:00am – Noon – 11:00am 12:00pm 1:30pm Evening 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:30pm 9:30pm Arthajama Pooja: 9:25pm

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Pura Penataran Pande Peliatan

Erin — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 01:37:28 +0000

One of the fascinating things about Bali is that there are, literally, temples everywhere. Because of this, Bali is known as “the Island of a Thousand Puras”. Any street you turn down will have a temple of some sort, whether it be a grand edifice or a ‘small’ local establishment. I hesitate to call them small, though, because even the small ones are of a decent size. On our first day in Bali, we got to see one of the smaller temples and were just fascinated by the layout and design. We had been on our way to Gunung Kawi and saw this neat temple shortly after leaving our hotel. We didn’t realize until later that, as fascinating as this one temple was, it was just one of the smaller, more plain temples in the area. And, really, no temple in Bali is all that plain. The word ‘pura’ is a Sanskrit word that means ‘walled city’ or ‘palace’ and accurately describes a Balinese temple. The temples in Bali are set up to where they have all the sacred buildings within a walled complex. Even though the complex is walled on the exterior, the interior is designed so that worship takes place in an open-air setting that follows the Tri Mandala formula for how structures should be layed out. Before getting inside the temple itself, there are some really neat things to see before the entrance gate. The exterior of a Balinese temple is pretty spectacular. There are statues, pavilions and some beautiful carvings. On the wall at the left of the temple is a plaque that I’m assuming was placed there when the temple was built. I’ve tried to translate this to English, but none of the online tools I’ve used can translate more than two words. My guess is that this plaque is dedicating the temple and denotes the date of dedication, October 7, 2006. This is a stone statue of a Balinese Hindu god. He sits outside the entrance to the outer courtyard. I looked around for an hour trying to figure out this guy’s name, but I couldn’t find it. I actually had a hard time with finding any definitive information on the statues and carvings on Balinese temples. There are several different sites that list different names, but the consensus is that this statue is guarding the entrance to the temple. This is the pedestal in front of the entrance to the temple. The detail of the carving and the intricacy of the pedestal design is just wonderful. One of the demon carvings at the base of the outer courtyard pedestal. The first part of the Tri Mandala is known as the Nista mandala, or outer zone, and is used for dance performances and an are to make preparations during religious festivals. This is one of the doors congregants have to go through to get into this area. Large pavilion (bale) in the inner courtyard, or Madya mandala, the middle zone. One of the smaller shrines in the inner courtyard. This tower is in the process of being decorated for an upcoming festival. I love the style of this shrine, the multiple layers and and detailed accouterments. You just can’t look at this without being awed by the detail and the precision of the carving. I really love the temples in Bali. They are so fascinating and unique. I could have spent days just stopping at every one we passed in Ubud. Each temple is unique in its own way, thus leading to no two temples being exactly alike. If you get a chance to go to Bali, I recommend taking some time to visit a temple or two, just so you can enjoy and appreciate this part of the Balinese culture.

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