Why should you visit Tirta Empul Temple in Bali?

by - 5/23/2020

Holy baths have been an age old tradition in Indian culture. They are called 'Nahaan'. You can see crowds of people flocking on the banks of Ganges, Yamuna and other rivers in holy places. The Kumbh Mela is an epic example of the holy baths.  However this ritual is not only there in India. Indonesia maybe the country with the largest Islamic population in the world, but Bali, one of the islands of that nation has purely Hindu tribe. There are lots of similarities between Balinese culture and Indian Hindu culture. The Gods are similar (Lord Rama, Goddess Saraswati etc ) and so are a few customs like taking out footwear and holy baths. Pura Tirta Empul or the Holy Water Temple is one place which you would not want to miss when in Bali.
All the temples in Bali require entrance fees. It may seem surprising to many. The tickets are worth thousands of Rupiah which adds upto few hundreds in Indian currency. The highest tickets are of Tanah Lot Temple and my favourite Pura Ulun Danu Beratan (which is around 600 INR per person)





Pura Tirta Empul means Holy Water temple (Pura=Temple)
The temple was built in 962 A.D. The spring is the source of Pakerisan river. The bathing complex is called 'Petirtaan' and there are 2 pools with 30 showers. The temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
The temple is situated in Tampaksiring, Gianyar and we rode our bike from Ubud to that place. The entry fees are 50,000 IDR (250 INR) .

Now why should you visit this temple when holy baths are nothing new for us?

The pilgrims are extremely displined. I mean there is no rush, every one wanting to take a holy dip would wait for their turn.
The water quality is nothing similar to the 'Jal' found in "Kund'. The water is absolutely clean and has been declared safe for health.
The water is not stagnant. The complex is built on a natural spring. So the water is fresh.
You have wear a different robe for stepping into the water. The robe has to be hired for a small fee. It gives an uniformity to the visuals.
Moving ahead from the spring area, the entire temple complex has mind blowing architecture. 
Every Balinese temple is beautiful but this one is charming in its own way.

To sum up, visiting this place is an experience you would never forget. The moss covered statues and the intricate Balinese architecture married with the beauty of the ritual bath is a delight for the eyes as well as the soul.


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12 comments

  1. I read the interesting story behind the creation of Tirta Empul Temple and at that time I added this place to my things to do in Bali list.

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  2. wow I'm all excited to visit Bali after reading your post. the history will be Amazing

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  3. We were supposed to visit Bali in August but now all plans are cancelled. I hope I get to see this beautiful temple some day!
    Noor Anand Chawla

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  4. Wow such an interesting post with some awesome facts about the Tirta Ampul temple. Now my heart seeks to go to Bali.

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  5. I have not been to Indonesia yet and the many tales of Bali and its hidden magic always makes me ache to plan soon . Here I am atleast in lockdown enjoying the magic through your words and eyes🙏🙏

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  6. We were suppose to visit Bali in July but the plan stands cancelled thanks to covid19. But now I have some information about places to visit in Bali

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  7. Bali is in my list for long. I will sure visit this temple. Thanks for sharing the details with us.

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  8. My brother has been to Bali for his honeymoon. Bali is full of temples. This place looks marvelous.

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  9. Bali is on my wishlist coz of the nature adventures there, but i didnt really think about the temples... this is definitely an interest element to this region and i must visit!

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  10. Wow the temple looks spectacular. I don’t think I visited this one when I was in Bali. Bali surely has some beautiful ones.

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  11. I visited this temple on my last visit to Bali ... your post triggered some old memories of my time in Indonesia, so thanks for that!

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  12. Oh, I can imagine this temple is worth to visit!
    xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
    www.dressedwithsoul.com

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