BATUKARU TEMPLE
Balinese Hindu Temple located in the foot of Mount Batukaru. Batukaru Temple is one of the biggest Hindu Temples in Bali (Sad Kahyangan) with Catur Lokapala Temple and Padmabhuwana Temple status. It is in the village of Tabanan, close to the jatiluwih rice terrace. It is on a plateau, surrounded by a lush tropical rain forest. It is in a quiet place that is far from people, which makes it a good place to worship. Some temples are spread out in a peaceful rain forest, with the big mountain of Batukaru in the background. The temple is very important to the local people and is thought to be one of the oldest on the island of Bali. It is on the slopes of Mount Batu Karu, which is still very natural and has a lot of natural beauty. The air here is also very cool, so tourists often come here. Tourists who want to spend time in a more natural setting.
Location Batukaru Temple
The Luhur Watukaru Temple, also called the Batukaru Temple, is in the Wangaya Gede countryside, which is in the Penebel District and Tabanan regency in the west of Bali Island. It is right at the base of Mount Batukaru, and the Denpasar Airport is about 1.30 hours away. The Batukaru Temple is close to the Jatiluwih Rice Terrace, which is a popular tourist spot. If you go to the Jatiluwih Rice Terrace, it would be nice to stop by the Batukaru Temple, which is surrounded by beautiful scenery and has a unique design. We at Bali Tour are ready to show you the beauty of this Batukaru temple. We have a program called “Hire Car with Driver” that includes very comfortable private transportation and a friendly and experienced driver.
What does the name Batukaru mean?
The word Batukaru comes from the two-syllable word Watukaru, which means “stone.” In religion, the word Batu means “power” or “a source of energy.” “Karu” is a word that means “coconut shell.” In writing, the word Wakukaru is used, but in the people’s language, it is called Batukau. From the way the word looks and what it means in general, we can say that Batukaru means “closing power” (penangkeb in Balinese). This is similar to how Tirtha of Batukaru is used to cultivate a ceremony. According to the compass, the direction to the temple is Southeast, and the direction to worship is Northwest (Gunung Batu Kau). According to information from the temple owner, the land area of Pura Luhur Batu Kau is 2600 m2, and that’s with the temple’s income taken into account. The protected forest is on the north side, the protected forest is on the east side, the forest and the village road are on the south side, and the protected forest is on the west side.
History Batukaru Temple
We still don’t know for sure who built Batukaru. To find out, we need information from inscriptions, chronicles, and the stories of local people. Batukaru Temple is considered to be very old. This is shown by the fact that several ancient artifacts have been found here. These artifacts are thought to have been made during the megalithic era, which happened long before the royal period. During the royal period, Batukaru Temple was fixed up and used as a place of worship for Hindus. From the history of Batukaru facts that we were able to gather from different sources, we can say the following:
The history of Batukaru Temple is based on written information, such as the Chronicle, which says that the temple was built by Mpu Kuturan during the reign of King Masula Masuli, who followed the teachings of Shiva Buddha. This is thought to have happened around the 12th century AD. Pura Sad Kahyangan Jagat Bali Luhur Batukaru, which was the center of Catur Angga and one of the buffer areas of the island of Bali,
Many experts believe that Mpu Kuturan started Batukaru Temple while he was on his holy journey to Bali to spread religious ideas. Sad Kahyangan Jagat was built by MPU Kuturan to encourage people to stay in balance. And Batukaru Temple is thought to have been built around the same time as other Sad Khayangan temples on the island of Bali, around the 11th century BC. The Sad Kahyangan Jagat Temples are made up of six temples whose job it is to protect and keep Bali safe and prosperous. Balinese history says that the Sad Kahyangan temple is made up of the Goa Lawah Temple, the Batukaru Temple, the Uluwatu Temple, the Pusering Jagat Temple, the Lempuyang Temple, and the Besakih Temple. So, we can say that Mpu Kuturan built the Batukaru temple when he came to Bali to teach Hinduism. The temple was built as a place to worship God.
Based on the Buleleng chronicle, which was written in 1605 AD, the King of Buleleng, Ki Gusti Ngurah Panji Sakti, wanted to take over the Tabanan area and damage the Batukaru noble temple. However, thousands of wasps were in the area at the time and stopped him. The king and his troops were attacked so that the king would not attack Tabanan. This shows that Batukaru Temple was there when the king of Buleleng destroyed it in 1605 AD. This temple had been built and used by the people of Tabanan village as a place to pray for a long time before that.
Based on the artifacts found placed in this Batukaru temple area, where if you look at this artifact the type is very similar to the artifacts found in Goa Gajah Temple, the difference is that the statue in the Elephant Cave is in a standing position while the statue in Batukaru is in a sitting position cross-legged, and it is estimated that the initial construction of the Batu Karu Temple was in the same era as the construction of the Elephant Cave Temple in Gianyar, whic is on period 10 – 11 AD, when the Warmadewa dynasty rule Bali with King Masula Masuli who was known to embrace the teachings of Shiva Buddha at that time
From these sources, we can figure out that Batukaru Temple was built between 1011 and 1012 AD, when Mpu Kuturan came to Bali to teach religion and build the Sad Kahyangan Jagat temple. Batukaru Temple was one of the temples in the line up of the Sad Kahyangan temple. This Sad Kahyangan Temple possibility during the Warmadewa dynasty if the King Masula and Masuli had found out that the temple already existed, where if you look at the year Mpu Kuturan came first in Bali around 10 – 11 AD and the Marwadewa dynasty ruled around 12 AD, so it is possible that Mpu Kuturan brought religious influence to the Warmadewa dynasty so that at that time the king was very diligent with religious teachings and renovating and building other holy places, and this conclusion is based on the discovery of the same artifacts in Batukaru and Goa Gajah Temple which confirms that around 10 – 11 AD Batukaru temple was built. If the author got something wrong, please fix it and let us know. The Batukaru Temple is very old and there is no clear record of when it was built, so the chronicle is meant to connect the artifacts that have been found to figure out an estimate of when the temple was built.
Batukaru Temple Restoration
The Batukaru Temple was rebuilt in 1959. Before that, it was just a pile of rubble. According to the Buleleng chronicle, the temple was damaged by the king of Buleleng, who wanted to take over the Tabanan area, but the wasp troops in Batukaru attacked the king and his troops, forcing the king to retreat and give up his plan to attack the village of Tabanan. The local community started making small changes over time. In 1977, the local government got help, and restoration work kept going until it looked like it does today when you visit this Batukaru temple. Meru, the main shrine at Pura Luhur Batukaru, looks like a temple. There is no doubt that East Javanese and Indian architecture had an effect on this. Lord Mahadewa is worshipped at the temple. The Perwara Temple is on either side of the main temple. Pelinggih Padma are in the north-east and north-west corners. Ratu Bagus Panji and Ratu Puseh Kubayan.
Unique Batukaru Temple
As for Batukaru Temple, apart from being the oldest temple on the island of Bali and belonging to a row of sacred temples and very important for Hindus, it also has its own uniqueness that can only be seen at Batukaru Temple. This is one of the most visited places in Tabanan Regency. As for some of the things that make this Batukaru temple special, you might want to know about them before you visit this very beautiful and enchanting temple.
The Pura Luhur Batukaru temple is very special because it is part of the Padma Bhuwana Temple, or the so-called “nine temples” that can be found in every part of the island of Bali. As soon as you step onto the temple grounds, you can feel a strong spiritual vibe that makes your heart feel calm and at ease.
In the area of the most sacred temple, there are many ancient artifacts like menhirs and terih kampuh (carved or shaped stones) and other artifacts scattered in the front yard of this Batukaru temple. These artifacts are thought to be from the megalithic era, so this Batukaru temple is considered the oldest temple.
On the slopes of Mount Batu Karu, which is revered by the locals and is still very natural, there are many shady trees that keep the air cool. You won’t find an atmosphere like this anywhere else; only here can you feel like this in a forest that is still very natural, and the forest around it is often used for trekking.
Holy Water is located to the right of the parking lot of the beautiful and charming Batukaru temple. There is a small lake with a water source in the middle. The water is very clean because it comes from a spring in the middle of the lake. According to local legends, this holy water can cleanse the body and soul before praying at this Batukaru temple.
The religious ceremony at Batukaru Temple only lasts one day, which is very different from the ceremonies at other Hindu temples in Bali, which can last up to three days. The main ceremony will take place between the Galungan and Kuningan holidays in Bali, which are the biggest holiday for all of Bali except for north Bali and the villages called Bali Aga.
The Batukaru temple is also special because the ceremony is never led by a Brahmin priest. Instead, a local priest called a stake does the job. This is a one-of-a-kind event that is usually led by a fake Brahmin priest.
Batukaru Temple on Festival
During religious ceremonies, thousands of Hindus may want to pray at Batukaru Temple. On the day of the ceremony, however, the temple is closed to the public so that the ceremonies, which are very important to Hindus, can be done without being interrupted. Kubayan is commissioned holy occupation lead the temple ceremony and his status higher than all priests in Pretending pertinent Ancient. When praying during a temple festival or a certain day ceremony, you must first pray at Beji Temple, which is east of Watu Karu Temple, or inside Madya Mandala (the middle area) and Nista Mandala (outside area). After praying at Beji Temple, people pray in the main temple building, which is in the middle of the temple grounds. This is also not something that needs to be done again because the body has already been made holy by praying in the Beji Temple. This is how the praying procession at Watukaru Temple is set up.
Tri Mandala Concept at Batukaru Temple
As for the holy temples on the island of Bali, they are built using the Tri Mandala system. The temple area is split into three important parts: the outer part (nista mandala), the middle part (madya mandala), and the main part (main mandala). The Batukaru temple is also part of this system. This part of the temple is split into three parts. Mpu Kuturan taught the idea behind this tri mandala a long time ago. He was on a holy journey to spread Hinduism on the island of Bali. Here’s how to understand the layout of the three mandalas at Batu Karu Temple:
- Outside area (Nista Mandala): In this area, there is a large parking lot, a ticket booth with guards where you can buy entrance tickets, a toilet, and a tourist information center. The area is quite big.
- Middle area (Madya mandala): In this area, you walk up the stairs and there is a small gate in the middle that is so beautiful and looks very old. If you walk to the middle, you will see a wantilan that is quite big and was used as a place to rest and a gong place for religious ceremonies. at Batu Karu Temple
- Center area (Utama Mandala): When you enter this area through the central area, you will see a gate that looks very old and is very beautiful. When you enter the temple, you will see the Batu Karu Temple, which is full of spiritual energy and will take you to a very beautiful experience and area. This is the most sacred area.
A few years ago, three parts of this temple were renovated. Since then, the design and structure of these three temple parts have become more permanent and conceptual. This is especially true in the outside area, where the Wantilan building (Meeting Hall), which can be used for many things and is to the right of the entrance gate, can be seen. The parking lot has been fixed up, making it easier for the Hindu community and all tourists who come to this temple. The area is very big and very pretty to look at. It has a very religious feel to it, which will make it a pleasure to visit the temple. Visiting Batukaru temple is very different from visiting other temples. Here, the design of an ancient and very old temple makes the spiritual aura even stronger, and you can feel it for yourself if you visit the temple Batukaru, which is very important to Hindus on the island of Bali.
Dress Code Batukaru Temple
When tourists go to a temple on the island of Bali, they should dress modestly and not show too much skin out of respect for the Hindus who pray there. Because of this, you can rent a kamen and scarf at the Batukaru ticket booth and use them to get to the Batukaru Temple. So you don’t have to worry about remembering to bring a sarong from home, because one is already here. When you go into the temple area, you should be polite because the Batukaru Temple is one of the holy temples that Hindus value very much. Enjoy the adventure of visiting the Batukaru temple, which is full of history, and take in the beauty of the nature around it. Visiting this Batukaru temple is a spiritual experience that you will never forget.
Batukaru Temple Facilities
As one of the places where tourists go in Tabanan Regency, it has a lot of amenities. There is a huge parking lot, so don’t worry if you come here and can’t find a spot. There is a clean toilet here, and all you have to do is make a donation to use it. Here is a small store that sells food and drinks. If you’re hungry or thirsty, you can buy something here. This very old temple has a very important main building that is very good at letting tourists in. It feels very beautiful to visit one of the most important Hindu temples on the island of Bali, which this Batukaru Temple can be compared to. with other temples like Lempuyang Temple and Besakih Temple, which are important to the history of Hindus in Bali because they are the oldest and most important temples.
