Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Temples in Bali

Pura is the term for a Hindu religious places of worship in Indonesia. Temples in Indonesia is concentrated mainly in Bali as the island has a population of the majority Hindu religion. The words "Pura" indeed comes from the Sanskrit language suffix (pur-,-castle, possum, puram-,-pore), which is the city, the city berbenteng, with the tower or the city or the palace. In the development of the fields on the island of Bali, the term "Pura" a special place for worship; while the term "Puri" a special place to live the kings and noblemen.

Pura Besakih is a temple complex, located in the village of Besakih, Subdistrict Rendang Karangasem regency, Bali, Indonesia. Pura Besakih complex consists of 18 Pura Pura and 1 Utama. Pura Besakih is the center of all activities in the Pura Bali. Among all the ostensible included in the Pura Besakih complex, upgrading Pura Agung temple is the largest, most buildings pelinggihnya, most of upakaranya and is the center of the temple and all that is in the Besakih. In upgrading Pura Agung there are 3 main statue Tri Murti Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, which typify the Creator Gods, Gods and the Gods Pelebur affairs.
The existence of the physical building Pura Besakih, is not just a place of worship in the largest island of Bali, but in the background has a relationship with the meaning of Mount Agung. A highest mountain on the island of Bali as the spirit of God and nature. If so many in the Southwest slopes of Mount Agung made the building sacred Pura Besakih meaningful philosophical.

Terkadung philosophical meaning in the Pura Besakih in its development, contains elements of culture that includes:

1. System knowledge,
2. Equipment and technology of life,
3. Social organization,
4. The livelihoods of life,
5. Language system,
6. Religion and ritual, and
7. Art.

Seventh elements of culture is expressed in the extant cultural ideas, cultural activities exist, and the existence of material culture. This is shown both in the pre-Hindu and the Hindu who is experienced through the development stage mitis, stage, stage and functional ontology

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