According to belief, the temples on Bali are the meeting places of humans and gods as well as the resting places for the gods while they are on the island. Especially for high celebrations and holidays, such as the Odalan festival, the Balinese temples are magnificently decorated. This is how the gods are greeted.
The actual number of temples is unknown. Numbers between 10,000 and 20,000 are often mentioned. However, there are no official statistics. Basically, there is a temple for almost every area of life in Bali. There are village temples, sea temples, cave temples, monkey temples, temples for rice fields or for subaks (an association of rice farmers) and many more variations. Almost every house on the island also has its own temple. If you take into account all these house and family temples, the number is likely to be well over 20,000.
The most important temples in Bali
Architecture of the temples in Bali
A large proportion of the temples in Bali are very similar in structure. Unlike the covered Hindu temples on the Indian subcontinent, the Balinese temples are open spaces. These are usually surrounded by a wall and thus separate themselves from their surroundings. Within these walls, the Balinese temples are often arranged in three different sections. These three zones are separated from each other by walls and can be entered through certain types of gates. Both the individual areas and the gates will be briefly explained below.
Jaba Pisan
The Jaba Pisan is the outer part of the temple grounds, more or less the entrance area. Usually, the Jaba Pisan has the character of an open square and sometimes also that of a garden. This forecourt of the other zones of the temple is used to gather people for the preparations of the temple festivals. Also, religious dance performances often take place here. The Jaba pisan is seen by the Balinese as an intermediate space that serves as a bridge between the sanctuary and the outside world.
Jaba Tengah
The middle section of a typical temple in Bali is called Jaba Tengah. This area usually contains several pavilions, such as the ‘Bale Gong’, which houses the gamelan orchestra and its instruments. Most of the activities of the worshippers take place in this central temple courtyard. Accordingly, many of the pavilions are also used as ‘bale’, where the participants of the temple festivals can stay.
Jero
The inner courtyard, known as Jero, is the most sacred area of a Balinese temple. Accordingly, it contains significant buildings, such as the lotus throne Padmasana. This is a stone chair designed to serve as a throne for the gods when they visit the temple. Furthermore, the Jero part of the temples on Bali contains various shrines and pavilions.
The most striking shrine of a Balinese temple is the Mèru with its pagoda roofs. The number of roofs depends on the rank of the gods who have their seat in the shrine. The higher the ranking, the more roofs a Mèru has – but the number is always odd and lies between one and eleven. The ‘Jero’ area is usually the highest of the three areas, i.e. a few steps have to be climbed to get here.
Gates
The walls of temples in Bali are often richly decorated. In many cases, the gates are even more impressively designed and have a special meaning. These gates connect the individual areas of a temple. The transition from Jaba Pisan to Jaba Tengah is through a divided gate – the Candi Bentar. This type of gate is open at the top, so it has no roof. In contrast to this is the Kori Agung, which is very reminiscent of the Candi Bentar, but is closed at the top. The Kori Agung connects the middle section (Jaba Tengah) of a temple with the Jero, the most sacred area.
Rules of conduct in the temples of Bali
When visiting a temple in Bali, you should always bear in mind that it is a sacred place. Accordingly, you should behave respectfully towards the worshippers and the temple itself. The following guidelines should be observed and adhered to in order not to cause any offence.
Clothing in the Balinese temple
In general, you should choose rather modest clothing if you want to visit a temple. In addition, there are some rules in Balinese temples regarding the clothing that may be worn. The upper body, including the shoulders, must always be completely covered. Bikinis, tank tops, etc. are therefore taboo.
Furthermore, both men and women should always wear clothing that extends below the knee. Shorts are therefore not suitable. However, you can always fall back on the sarong – a kind of wrap-around skirt. Together with a temple scarf tied around the waist, the sarong is the obligatory temple attire.
No access during menstruation
Women are not allowed to enter a temple during their menstruation. This requirement has no discriminatory background, but is based on the rule that no blood may be shed in a temple. Therefore, as a general rule, people with open wounds resulting from an injury are also not allowed to enter temples.
Stay on the ground
The walls surrounding a temple or separating individual temple areas must not be entered. Climbing on the walls is just as prohibited as on other parts of the buildings or the shrines.
Restraint
Couples in love should exercise restraint in the holy temples of Bali. It is not appropriate to show affection in public, let alone exchange caresses on the temple grounds. Kissing should be avoided, as should holding hands – especially since the left hand is considered impure anyway.
Respect priests
During prayers, the priest in the temple usually sits in an elevated position. You should avoid sitting or standing higher than the priest at all costs. You should also not sit or stand directly in front of him – not even to get a particularly good photo.
