Balinese Temples. – Beauty You Will Never See Anywhere Else In The World.

Any person who has been to Bali will definitely be raving that the world should take a visit there. There are some many things that amaze and delight foreigners. The laid back and friendly way of life, the tropical plants and gardens, the cuisine, the arts and of course the temples.

Most people normally think of items to associate with each culture. Chinawill be associated with the samurai and karate, the french for the Eiffel tower, well Bali is associated with temples because there are over twenty thousand of them on the island.

Every village has at least three temples and even more so if the economy is good. People will build a small temple in their home, business will have one in the courtyard. No one can say,  what is the true amount of temples in Bali. Some temples are more famous then others and here is a quick introduction.

The Mothertemple. This temple is also known Pura Besakih. İt is in the village of Besakih which is on the slopes of an active volcano called MountAgnung. Located on the east coast of Bali, it is the largest and most respected out of all the temples. Estimation puts the temple as being built in the 14th century and the architecture is very complicated.

Within the temple itself is 22 smaller temples with many courtyards and flights of stairs that lead to the center of the temple known as Pura Penataran Agung. This temple became even more important when the volcano erupted in 1963. Lava flow from the volcano missed the temple by just a few meters. As the temple was not damaged, locals believe the eruption was a warning from the gods demonstrating their powers. Balinese people also love their festivals and the temple holds at least 70 a year.

PuraLuhar is the next well-known temple. It was built in the 11th century at the top of a cliff located on the South coast of Bali. Everyday the Kecak dance performance is held and visitors are also warned to keep handbags and cameras away from cheeky local monkeys. This temple is dedicated to the spirits of the sea and it is built into black rock which gives it a magnificent appearance. If the appearance does not appeal to you, the views must certainly will.

The Tanoh LotTemple. Tanoh Lot translates into “Land in the sea”. It was built in the 16th century and many people recommend a visit when the sun is going down. Silhouetted pictures are what it has became famous for. This temple along with the Pura Lyuhar make up part of the seven sea temples that are designed to pay respect to the sea gods. Tourism pays a strong part in this temple however it required massive restoration in the late 80’s of which the Indonesian government took a loan from Japan for.

The temples mentioned above are just a small selection. Any tourist on a two-week holiday could spend every day visiting temples and still run out of time. When you next go to Bali be sure to dedicate a lot of time to temples and don’t forget your camera for some breathtaking, memorable holiday pictures.