Puseh Batuan Temple is a local Balinese Hindu temple, which is maintained by the local residents of Batuan. The temple is very beautifully designed, full of Balinese decorations, while the building of the roof temple comes with chromatic black palm trees.
It is situated next to the main road from Denpasar City to Ubud. Batuan has been a village of artists and craftsmen, of old legends and of mysterious stories for over a thousand years.
In the year 944 isaka (1020 AD), Batuan Temple was founded. The Batuan Temple is a Puseh Temple based on the concept of “Tri Kahyangan or Tri Murti,” which Mpu Kuturan taught the Balinese Hindu Community at the time in the 10th century.
Tri Kahyangan or Tri Murti, three temples included:
- Desa Temple as a place to worship of God Brahma (the Creator)
- Puseh Temple as a place to worship of God Vishnu (the Preserver)
- Dalem Temple as a place to worship of Lord Shiva (the Destroyer)
History of Batuan Temple
Name “Batuan” or “Baturan” here is an inspiration for villagers to joke that they are “tough as stone” or “eat rocks,” as “batu” in Balinese is “stone.” But it probably refers to an ancient megalithic tradition where the standing stones were used as meeting places and ceremonial places for ancestral spirits to worship. Because Batuan has become a center from which Buddhist priests and Brahman extend to the principal court centers in South Bali, Brahman’s unusual dominion lies in the village.
The local people take great care and preserve the architecture of the temple and its surroundings. Not all existing buildings here were old buildings but some were renovated, renovated and modified from the 10th to the 13th centuries and also from the 18th century AD. This temple’s structure and foundation are very tough and strong. It has the original Balinese ornament, which was beautifully craved in each temple building. Some decorations reflect the story of the Ramayana Epic and each holy structure has a different philosophical function.
Batuan Temple Area Consist of:
- At the Temple parking lot there is an old building named Wantilan, which is a meeting hall and is used to practice all kinds of Balinese dances such as gambuh dance, pendet dance, etc. There are locals at Wantilan who will lease you kamben (a traditional Balinese costume) before you enter the temple. It is necessary for you to wear’ Balinese Kamben’ to show respect and honor for the sanctity of’ Puseh Temple in Batuan Village.’ Everything is free, you’re not going to be charged for admission. The local population expects, however, that every tourist who has visited this temple can give any amount of money to help maintain the temple. A simple donation box is provided. Every donation you give should be based on a sense of sincerity that is known by Balinese people as “medan punia.”
- In the middle courtyard there is the Bale Agung and Bale Kulkul (a gong made of wood or bamboo) which are long buildings. There is also a high Balinese entrance to this courtyard, which is called a Kori Agung, flanked by the numerous guardian statues forming the giant sculpture. Kori Agung’s function is the doorway that symbolizes the exit and entry of the gods by a small statue named Pratima. There are two small doors next to the Kori Agung as a place of exit and entry for people into the main courtyard of the temple.
- The temple’s main yard consists of about three story Meru and Bale Pengiyasan as a symbol of Besakih’s temple, while the only one Bali Hindu God, Sang Hyang Widhi, also has a building called Padmasana as its place of worship.
Not only does this temple emit a high spiritual vibration, but it also represents the historical values. There are many amazing ancient relics from prehistoric times that you can look inside. How the influence of the Hindu culture in Bali turned natural stones into a place of worship, both for its ancestors and adoring the Hindu gods.
There you will be surprised to find some ancient and unique statues. It can be grouped into several kinds based on several statues found in this Puseh Temple. These include Dwarapala statue, Embodiment statue, Animal statue, Holding the Chicken Figure, Phallus, Demons (Time) and many more.