History
Ulun Danu temple is one
of the tour visit when a sight seeing tour is organized to visit Begugul
Mountain resort or Singaraja tour. The location is one the west bank of
lake Beratan. The name Ulun Danu, literally means " the beginning
of the lake" But this might not to claim that the site is the beginning
of a lake. It tends to indicate that everything that exists around the
lake will have the orientation to the temple site, and cleanliness around
the area must be continuously kept.
The whole complex
is consist of 4 units each dedicated to spirit of Lingga Petak, and temporary
abode gods. It looks that the temple symbolizes the nature of surrounding
as the respects of nature greatness, since the location is surrounded
by peaks of Bali mountain chain such as the east is Mt. Mangu, to the
south is Mt. Teratai Bang, and to the west is Mt. Pohan.
Current pavilions, shrines
and basements at the site looks to have been newly renovated and no historical
facts can be used to trace the history of the temple. The only source
to disclose the history of the temple is a chronicle of Mengwi kingdom,
a manuscript now available the transliteration from Balinese characters
to Latin at Bali Museum, in Denpasar. It is written that I Gusti
Agung Putu was defeated during the battle and became war detainment of
Tabanan kingdom. The vassal of Marga implored the king to bring I Gusti
Agung Putu to Marga, and from here he set the strategy to gain back his
lost land. He went up to Mt. Mangu peak to meditate and request the inspiration.
Returning from that he back to Marga and built his palace at Balahayu
( now : Blayu village ).
During the war between
kingdom of Tabanan and Penebel which were brother, I Gusti Agung Putu
succeeded in helping Tabanan to win the battle. With this victory king
of Tabanan gave I Gusti Agung Putu the vassal area of Marga. This young
warrior continued to subdue his rival. To his success he built the temple
dedicated to the god residing on the peak of Mt. Mangu. It is mentioned
that the construction of Taman Ayun temple is just after the construction
of Ulun Danu temple. While the date of construction of Taman Ayun is recorded
with chronogram reads " Sad Bhuta Yaksa Deva " = Caka
1556 or 1634 AD. We can use this date as the approximation of the construction
of Ulun Danu temple.
Temple Structure
| 1 |
The Shrine of Lingga Petak |
| |
It is a meru - 3 superimposed roofs shrine - located at the most eastern side, reachable b canoe. The shrine has 4 doors for 4 directions. According to the record the shrine was renovated in 1968, and in the foundation were found 3 long round stones each had red, white, and black color. The white stone was in the middle was believed to be a " lingga " the symbol of god Shiva. It is very probable that this temple got the name from the white lingga ( Petak means white ). Until now the local religious leader still dedicate this temple as the above of Shiwa. It is also called " the abode of Ulun Danu god " as the symbol of fertility. It is already known that the Shiwa - Lingga devotee put strong emphasize on the worship of fertility. At most ancient sites found to preserve this symbol it is normally consist of 2 parts. The base and the round up-right stone. The base is called " Yoni " and the up-right is called " lingga ". This thought was probably inspired by the atheistic thinking of Shamkya philosophy about the creation. That is the meeting between " Purusa " or the male element with the "Pradana " the female element will result the creation. The distribution of this thought in Bali was almost all over the island. This is the prove that Shivaitic sectarianism had wide followers. The practice of this sect later influenced very much by the practice of Tantrayana, a left hand path of Buddhism. |
| 2 |
The Shrines for temporary abode of god
in Mt. Mangu |
| |
The location is just on he west side of Lingga Petak, reached by wooden bridge. The shrine is a 11-superimposed meru. Who was considered to abode Mt. Mangu? This is a story from a manuscript called " Babad Usana Bali" on which various directions in Bali with the temple name and the above are mentioned. Mt. Mangu is mentioned as the abode of the power of Wisnu or Dewi Danu. It is hard to understand why for the god wishnu the shrine is bigger while at that time Shiwa-Lingga was preponderant. |
| 3 |
Shrines of Teratai Bang, is also
called Pura Penataran Agung. This complex is consist of 3 yards
as the common structure of temple in Bali. Here 22 shrines and
pavilions standing for various dedication. From the name of
spirits worshipped here there are very clear the mixed spirits
between ancestor's spirits and the worship of the god power.
Local ritual leaders consider that the main shrine is the 7-roofed
meru as the abode of god Brahma. |
| 4 |
Pura Dalem Purwa, the complex
has 3 pavilions for worshipping the power of god Shiwa in the
form of Bhagawati goddess, the symbol of wealthiness. |
The maintenance of the temple is the responsibility of 4 groups which are consists of villages. The group is called " Satakan " There are 4 satakans who responsible for are :
- Satakan Banga
- Satakan Baturiti
- Satakan Mayungan
- Satakan Candi Kuning
The member of the worship
group called "penyiwi" is consists of royal family which
was in the past vassal of Mengwi kingdom such as Marga, Blayu, Perean,
and Mengwi itself. The rest is the whole irrigation organization using
the rivers flowing within the area of Baturiti until Mayungan area up
to the northern area of Badung regency. From this fact it is very clear
that, the lake Beratan is considered the heart of irrigation and rice
life in the region.
Temple Ceremony
There are 5 kinds of regular
ceremonies carried out in the temple every year. The fixed schedule can
be read in Balinese calendar since this is based on Balinese dates which
can only be known in November for the following year.
One strange ritual is what it calls " Pekelem "
means " sacrifice to be sunk " The sacrifice
is consists of animals, must be young, such as chicken,
pig, buffalo and duck. Each animal is dressed with white
cloth or black for pig and buffalo , legs given accessories
of Chinese coins or gold. Followed with complicated palm
leave decorated offerings, intricate cookies and incense
burners the animals are sunk to the lake. This pakelem
ritual is not regular but based on special occasion when
the situation of life is considered not normal such as
the spread of epidemic, flooding, earthquake causing causalities,
draught, and many other social and natural catastrophes.
All the fixed schedule
can be known during November every year for the next year rituals. It
is normally October Balinese calendar has been issued and can be found
in the shops. One thing will also affect the materialization of the ceremony
is the local tradition, which is different for every area in Bali. Some
villages have the regulation that when one member of the village is dead
prior to the ceremony, let's say 3 days or before ceremony usually the
ceremony will be cancelled, and will be performed for the next schedule. |
