More Temples- Good God Bali!

-
Set on the shores of Lake Bratan (Danau Bratan), close to the town of Bedugul, Pura Ulun Danu Bratan is one of Bali’s most photographed temples. Built, like Taman Ayun Temple, by the king of Mengwi, the combination of multi-roofed shrines with mountains and reflecting lake is incredibly photogenic—the only reason i wanted to visit. And it didn't disappoint. Not only was the drive to this temple rhythmic like chanting of mantra but the place itself was tranquil. I loved it.






Tanah lot, an ancient Hindu shrine perched on top of an outcrop amidst constantly crashing waves.was unfortunately a disappointment. The drive to this temple from Ubud was long and slow and it was low tide at the time of our visit. Due to lack of time we could not do much here except for a quick photo shoot.


The menacing entrance to Goa Gajah looks like a demonic mouth, suggesting that people are entering an underworld as they venture inside through the darkness. Some claim that the entrance represents the Hindu earth god Bhoma while others say the mouth belongs to the child-eating witch Rangda from Balinese mythology. The tingly feeling one gets entrying this kind of doorway make the trip to this temple worth the time and effort.



Pura Taman Saraswati famous for its lotus pond and dedicated to Goddess Saraswati is not open to visitors. The temple exterior is a traditional assemblage of orange-red bricks embellished with gray volcanic stone ornamentation. A towering central gate known as a paduraksa stands at its center. A pair of intricately carved wooden doors functions as a symbolic boundary marker between the outer world and the temple’s sacred interior. This place is a great stop over during the walk around the town of Ubud.







July 2018
Bali/ Ubud, Indonesia

The Travel Connection:  The most beautiful buildings demand to be photographed and shared
Tip :  Visit Ubud during season of temple trees

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Destination Great Rift Valley

-
Image
The one Sunday we had during the visit did not allow us to visit Masai Mara but the trip to Lake Nakuru more than made up for it. I have always associated Africa with a lone tree standing majestically in never ending expanse of openness. My excitement on the possibility of seeing such a tree was limitless.We started the drive from Nairobi early morning and slowly started leaving the buildings behind. The buildings were slowly and steadily replaced with species of trees I was seeing for the first time. Maybe it was that lonesome tree in my dreams, but the changing landscape was something I had never experience before. Yes! I was in Africa! We were told by our driver cum guide that we had to drive through the Great Rift Valley to reach Lake Nakuru National park. I was clueless what it was till the plains showed itself through Acacia trees. The breath taking expanse of nothingness is broken only by the escarpments. We were told it contains multitude lakes, active and dormant  vol
Read more

Destination Aihole

-
Image
The cradle of Hindu temple architecture, Aihole or Aryapura was the destination to learn and experiment on the temple architecture. Under the patronage of early Chalukyan kings, the Chalukyan style of temple architecture was refined here between  the 5th and 8th century.  The preview of Aihole given to us by the guide at Pattadakal was enough to excite me about visiting the ancient school of architecture, You wonder if you have arrived at Aihole as the narrow lanes leads you into the chaos of a village life but the complex of ancient structures in various states of disintegration  make you think you have time traveled. The proximity of the timeworn stone monuments and the present day village dwellings raised a lot of questions. The encroachment of these temples was even more intriguing. Be it the cattle housed in these structures, smoke bellowing out or the colorful clothes drying on a line between intricate carved column, all of it just amazed me. When we arrived at one of the b
Read more

Destination Punakha Dzong

-
Image
If I had to choose my favorite structure, It would be the bridges without any hesitation. Bhutan renewed my fascination for bridges with their traditional cantilever bridge called the Bazam. Tintin's knowledge about architecture was limited. My questions on the location of  the toilets, kitchens inside the Dzong  or how the water supply/ drainage worked  and other queries must have driven him mad or made him think that the mountain air had made me go bonkers. So my hopes of understanding the bridge through Tintin was futile. Punakha Dzong is undoubtedly one of the most elegant structures in Bhutan.  To get to the main building , one has to cross Mo chhu through one of the most beautiful bridges I have come across so far. Most buildings in Bhutan are a replica of their ancient self. Due to natural calamities or fire, almost all the prominent sites in Bhutan have been rebuilt in the recent years. The Punakha bridge is no different. You can read more about it here. http:/
Read more