JIMBARAN
& BUKIT BADUNG 4
Surf-Wracked Shores of Southern Bali
Lesser-known
temples
Jimbaran
has the usual three village temples, the Pura Dalem (called
Pura Kahyangan locally), Pura Puseh and Pura Desa. The latter
two are combined into one enclosure in Jimbaran, as occurs
in many villages. These tend to be overlooked in favor of
the more spectacular and better-known Pura Ulun Siwi (alternatively
Pura Ulun Swi). But each is interesting in its own right.
Pura
Kahyangan lies just to the west of the cemetery, north of
the access road to Hotel Puri Bali. The Pura Puseh/Desa
is about 50 in northeast of the market. It is interesting
to note that the odalan or anniversary ceremonies of these
three temples, and of Pura Ulun Siwi, all occur within four
days of each other, commencing on the third day after Galungan
(which is the biggest holy day in the traditional Balinese
calendar). Jimbaran becomes a beehive of ritual activity
at this time of year.
One of
the most important ceremonies in Jimbaran is the exorcist
Barong procession The Barong is a mythical beast who acts
as protector of the village and its people, represented
by a mask and costume which is paraded through the area
at periodic intervals. Jimbaran's inhabitants spare expense
to support the Barong, making offering to , to praying,
and performing the ritual. Appearances of the Barong in
the main street of Jimbaran between Pura Ulun Siwi and the
market are always accompanied by the evil witch Rangda and
her two cohorts, and by a retinue of about a dozen other
dancers. Trance plays an important part in a Barong performance,
and the actions of the trance dancers who try to stab Rangda
are bizarre and unforgettable.
Pura
Ulun Siwi
Pura
Ulun Siwi (or Ulun Swi) is Jimbaran's best-known "sight"
- for the Balinesee as well as for tourists. This large
temple lies at the northwestern corner of the principal
crossroads, across the street from the market. It is unusual
for several reasons. Firstly it faces east, rather than
south. During prayers, the worshippers face west, rather
than to the north, to Gunung Agung, as is the usual practice.
This is attributed to the fact that the temple, once a primitive
shrine, became a Hindu13, alinese temple fairly early, in
the 11th century. At this time the Javanese holy man who
founded the temple, Mpu Kuturan, still followed the custom
of his native Java in orientating his temples toward holy
Mt. Semeru, in East Java. It was only much later that Gunung
Agung became the focus of Balinese Hinduism.
The temple
has only two courtyards, instead of the usual three. The
spacious interior courtyard measures 66 x 30 meters and
is dominated by an enormous eleven-tiered meru tower that
is more massive than artistic. The temple has been periodically
renovated, but remains simple and rustic, lacking the ornate
paras stone carvings that characterize the temples of Gianyar.
The principal
gate, a kori agung with wings, is very similar in construction
to that of Pura Uluwatu on the Bukit, except that it is
made of brick instead of coral stone. There is a close connection
between these two temples, and it is said that one should
pray at Pura Ulun Siwi before proceeding to Pura Uuwatu.
Ulun
Siwi is unusual in yet another way. It is the principal
temple in Bali dedicated to the welfare of both wet and
dry rice fields, and the spirits, which live in the temple,
are thought to control the mice and insects such as grasshoppers
that periodically infest the fields. Farmers and farming
groups regularly come to Pura Uluwatu to get water, which
they then take back home and sprinkle on their fields either
to protect them from these pests or to rid them of those
already present. more..
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