On one of our trips with Mister Muning, we discovered a temple-site, as far as we know it is not mentioned in any book. So that's why we like to tell you about that.
It started with visiting the Pura Hyang Tiba, very beautifully situated in the field outside the village Sakah. It was Mister Muning who wanted very much to go there. Because it was a long time ago he was there for the last time. In fact the temple is not so far from the "big baby"-statue, as we use to call it (supposed to be the giant Kebo Iwo in his childhood).We arrived there by taking the first small road to the right after having passed the statue.
According to the sign next to the temple it is a "Cagar Budaya Nasional". So it is protected and a tourist-object. Although I have not the impression that many tourists are coming here. The front is a special one. Two animals, which look like elephants without a trunk protect the closed gate. Above the entry which is locked, two stones with inscriptions showing figures like a moon, an eye, a bow and an elephant, the whole representing the year 1336 (this information I have from a book).
The real entrance is at the other side. Going through the magnificent old temple ending at the front again, but now from the other (in)side: again two animals, but here they look like bulls. As we sit down for a rest and a "kretek", a young "mangku" is coming to accompany us.
He hardly speak any English, so Mister Muning translates it here and there. The temple has one hundred members who support it financially. They are from Nusa Dua, he tells us. The friendly young man takes a sprout out of the soil in front of the big tree and gives it to Mister Muning. For his own garden at home. The "mangku" calls it: 'Pohon Nagasari.' Ironwood in English. Because of its heaviness and hardness. 'White flower,' says Mister Muning, 'and good smell.
'After having taken a good look on the backside of the temple, a nice view over the terrace rice-fields, our driver and good friend Dewa Cerick comes to tell that in the time that we stayed in the temple, he had a good conversation with another "mangku". It appeared that originally they come from the same village in West Bali. So they share a lot. This friend told him also for our interest that there are more temples, worth visiting, not far from here. He mentioned the word "arca". Statues. And then I remembered the temple we visited some years ago. 'You mean maybe the "Canggi" temple?' I suggest. Cerick is surprised I know the name. But I have good memory. His "mangku "friend is nodding. But there is more. There should be another one, not far from the "Canggi", 'can do by walk'. Very old. They use also the word "purbakala". It sounds interesting, but we agreed altogether to do it the next day. Because this day we did already many temple-hopping.
So the next day with new good spirit we go first for the Pura Gapura Canggi. As is the official name. A little bit "déjà vu". So the roadwe know well. It is along a small road after going to the right coming from "the big baby" in the direction of Blahbatuh. Dewa Cerick parks his car under the big banyan-tree. The gate is in Java (candi) style, yes I remember it. Also with two animals at the front, they should be bulls, but I don't really see it. Going inside I recognise the same system as yesterday, also here two animals, they look more like goats. All the animals hold skulls between the two front legs. And wear necklaces of big balls. Indeed here many "arca". Some of these look very old. And then we go looking for the other temple. The unknown. The special one. Cerick has understood it should not be far. But it takes some efforts to find the small road which should lead to the temple. Finally we found it exactly on the other side of the busy road between Sakah and Blahbatuh, coming back from the Canggi. But in fact it appears to be so very very small, that we overlooked it several times. The word small road is to much for it. Even the word path is too much. They told us that it was a road accessible for only one motorbike. But this is hardly possible, because even walking is already difficult enough. On the left side, some meters below us a small river and on the right a wall. According to the happy sounds, a school is not far. People are busy with building behind the wall and stop working to look at these crazy people like us. Cement is falling on the path. For Mister Muning and Fifi it is a hard job to get on. Where are we going, I am wondering? And then the path leads through a kind of jungle. Banana trees around us. And the we reach the place: a ruin of stones. In fact an archaeological site. And then I understand the word "purbakala". Remarkable is the "gedong" with two statues in front of it. And again two animals, very similar like the animals we saw in the other temples. The necklaces with balls are very clear visible. Mister Muning thinks that originally there should have been a twin "gedong" next to this one. And that the whole place is connected with the other old temples here in Sakah. The three Rangda's are very much intact. One statue has no head. I let my eyes go over the place: here and there stones, statues and mountains of stones. Then suddenly a man, I think a priest, arrives. His name is Wasan Badjera. Painter and woodcarver from the puri in Peliatan. Also he hardly speaks English. But when he tells us the name of this place I understand it directly: Pura Puseh Wasan. He tells Mister Muning that he personally digged out the statues and stones. And now he is trying to get it on the list of the protected places. Important for generating the money for the restoration. But there is already a "new" temple. We did not see it because of the trees. He invites us to come inside. We pass a Saraswati statue behind a lotus pond. On the sign the name of the temple: Pura Kawitan Puseh Wasan Watu Nginte. Mister Badjera explains: ' "nginte" means: close to the king. Inside a remarkable big tree, as an inseparable part of the temple, very close and connected to the nearby shrines. On one of these a "catur muka". A four headed Brahma. In front of this a yoni and on the side a lingam. Mister Badjera tells us that the frangipani, they have put after the bomb in Kuta. It is already quite big now. And that the temple has sponsors from Celuk. So that was a very good experience and that day we felt like archaeologists. Thanks to Mister Muning and Dewa Cerick. Dear Mister Madé Wijaya, this was again one story.
Greetings from Hans Smeekes and Fifi Engelen.
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PURA GAPURA CANGGI
=============================================================
PURA PUSEH WASAN
=============================================================
Pura Kawitan Puseh Wasan Watu Nginte
It started with visiting the Pura Hyang Tiba, very beautifully situated in the field outside the village Sakah. It was Mister Muning who wanted very much to go there. Because it was a long time ago he was there for the last time. In fact the temple is not so far from the "big baby"-statue, as we use to call it (supposed to be the giant Kebo Iwo in his childhood).We arrived there by taking the first small road to the right after having passed the statue.
According to the sign next to the temple it is a "Cagar Budaya Nasional". So it is protected and a tourist-object. Although I have not the impression that many tourists are coming here. The front is a special one. Two animals, which look like elephants without a trunk protect the closed gate. Above the entry which is locked, two stones with inscriptions showing figures like a moon, an eye, a bow and an elephant, the whole representing the year 1336 (this information I have from a book).
The real entrance is at the other side. Going through the magnificent old temple ending at the front again, but now from the other (in)side: again two animals, but here they look like bulls. As we sit down for a rest and a "kretek", a young "mangku" is coming to accompany us.
He hardly speak any English, so Mister Muning translates it here and there. The temple has one hundred members who support it financially. They are from Nusa Dua, he tells us. The friendly young man takes a sprout out of the soil in front of the big tree and gives it to Mister Muning. For his own garden at home. The "mangku" calls it: 'Pohon Nagasari.' Ironwood in English. Because of its heaviness and hardness. 'White flower,' says Mister Muning, 'and good smell.
'After having taken a good look on the backside of the temple, a nice view over the terrace rice-fields, our driver and good friend Dewa Cerick comes to tell that in the time that we stayed in the temple, he had a good conversation with another "mangku". It appeared that originally they come from the same village in West Bali. So they share a lot. This friend told him also for our interest that there are more temples, worth visiting, not far from here. He mentioned the word "arca". Statues. And then I remembered the temple we visited some years ago. 'You mean maybe the "Canggi" temple?' I suggest. Cerick is surprised I know the name. But I have good memory. His "mangku "friend is nodding. But there is more. There should be another one, not far from the "Canggi", 'can do by walk'. Very old. They use also the word "purbakala". It sounds interesting, but we agreed altogether to do it the next day. Because this day we did already many temple-hopping.
So the next day with new good spirit we go first for the Pura Gapura Canggi. As is the official name. A little bit "déjà vu". So the roadwe know well. It is along a small road after going to the right coming from "the big baby" in the direction of Blahbatuh. Dewa Cerick parks his car under the big banyan-tree. The gate is in Java (candi) style, yes I remember it. Also with two animals at the front, they should be bulls, but I don't really see it. Going inside I recognise the same system as yesterday, also here two animals, they look more like goats. All the animals hold skulls between the two front legs. And wear necklaces of big balls. Indeed here many "arca". Some of these look very old. And then we go looking for the other temple. The unknown. The special one. Cerick has understood it should not be far. But it takes some efforts to find the small road which should lead to the temple. Finally we found it exactly on the other side of the busy road between Sakah and Blahbatuh, coming back from the Canggi. But in fact it appears to be so very very small, that we overlooked it several times. The word small road is to much for it. Even the word path is too much. They told us that it was a road accessible for only one motorbike. But this is hardly possible, because even walking is already difficult enough. On the left side, some meters below us a small river and on the right a wall. According to the happy sounds, a school is not far. People are busy with building behind the wall and stop working to look at these crazy people like us. Cement is falling on the path. For Mister Muning and Fifi it is a hard job to get on. Where are we going, I am wondering? And then the path leads through a kind of jungle. Banana trees around us. And the we reach the place: a ruin of stones. In fact an archaeological site. And then I understand the word "purbakala". Remarkable is the "gedong" with two statues in front of it. And again two animals, very similar like the animals we saw in the other temples. The necklaces with balls are very clear visible. Mister Muning thinks that originally there should have been a twin "gedong" next to this one. And that the whole place is connected with the other old temples here in Sakah. The three Rangda's are very much intact. One statue has no head. I let my eyes go over the place: here and there stones, statues and mountains of stones. Then suddenly a man, I think a priest, arrives. His name is Wasan Badjera. Painter and woodcarver from the puri in Peliatan. Also he hardly speaks English. But when he tells us the name of this place I understand it directly: Pura Puseh Wasan. He tells Mister Muning that he personally digged out the statues and stones. And now he is trying to get it on the list of the protected places. Important for generating the money for the restoration. But there is already a "new" temple. We did not see it because of the trees. He invites us to come inside. We pass a Saraswati statue behind a lotus pond. On the sign the name of the temple: Pura Kawitan Puseh Wasan Watu Nginte. Mister Badjera explains: ' "nginte" means: close to the king. Inside a remarkable big tree, as an inseparable part of the temple, very close and connected to the nearby shrines. On one of these a "catur muka". A four headed Brahma. In front of this a yoni and on the side a lingam. Mister Badjera tells us that the frangipani, they have put after the bomb in Kuta. It is already quite big now. And that the temple has sponsors from Celuk. So that was a very good experience and that day we felt like archaeologists. Thanks to Mister Muning and Dewa Cerick. Dear Mister Madé Wijaya, this was again one story.
Greetings from Hans Smeekes and Fifi Engelen.
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PURA HYANG TIBA
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PURA GAPURA CANGGI
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PURA PUSEH WASAN
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Pura Kawitan Puseh Wasan Watu Nginte
