Ulun Danu Beratan Temple

'Temple in the Lake'. It's suitable words to describe Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. Ulun Danu Temple is a Balinese Hindu Temple located at Candi Kuning countryside, Baturiti sub district and Tabanan regency. The distance from Denpasar town is about 50 km north side the way from Denpasar to Singaraja. It is set at lakeside of Beratan with beautiful lake view and hills surround it. It is situated in the plateau area with cool atmosphere surround it and hills as a backdrop. We can find at north side of this temple is Pucak Sangkur mount, in the eastside there is Beratan Mount which also referred as Pucak Mangu or Pucak Pangelengan, in the south side there is Terate Bang Mount and in the Westside there is Tapak Mount and Watukaru Mount.

The name of Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is taken from the lake where the temple is built at Beratan Lake. The name of Beratan Lake is inseparable with the Beratan Mount as Deity and Goddess as fertility source, prosperity to keep the prosperity in life and society life. In papyrus chronicle of the Mengwi, this temple is referred as the name of Parhyangan ri pinggiring danu Beratan (sanctum located in lakeside of Beratan Lake ). Ulun is come from Hulu word meaning head or power and in this case is intended by Ulun Danu Beratan means power of Beratan Lake that is Danu Goddess.

Beratan Lake at Bedugul Bali

Bedugul is my favorite location in Bali. Relax and feel fresh when i spend my time in this place. There's so many tourism spot, like : Beratan Lake, Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Bedugul Botanical Garden, etc.

Beratan Lake is a shallow lake with the high caldera about 1231m above sea level and it is located at Bedugul, the famous tourist destinations in Bali. This lake have wide 3,8 km2 and also its deepness is up to 22 meters. The water volume in this lake is about 0,049 km3, so Beratan Lake is the closed lake. Tourist can access the Beratan Lake through the dock which have been provided or desist around Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. In this place, the visitor can do various activities like doing recreation to look around in dock or do the other outdoor activities. The various water recreation activities can also be conducted here, for example riding the boat motorize to circle the lake, parasailing, canoeing with the traditional boat, banana boating, water skiing, and others. Fishing activities are also available in this places for who one love fishing in the lake.

If the tourist paying a visit to the Beratan Lake, they also can visit other places of interest in Bedugul Tabanan Bali nearby like Bedugul Botanical Garden or Kebun Raya Eka Karya where the visitors can relax while enjoy the various of flora types, traditional Balinese houses and others. Candi Kuning Market is a Traditional Vegetable and Fruit Market located at Candi Kuning countryside which can be reached only in a few minutes from the lake. Various fruit type, vegetables and also mace can be bought here with many choices. It is not far from Ulun Danu Temple. Buyan Lake and Tamblingan Lake are the next places of interest existing near the Beratan Lake and it is just 3 minutes drive by car from this place. Beratan Lake can be reached easily from the main road from Denpasar to Bedugul and it takes about 2 hours from the town with the good road access. You may also visit this area by joining the exciting Bedugul Tours or Singaraja Tour.

Pura Taman Ayun

Religious situation... You'll feel that when you entering Pura Taman Ayun. A big Temple in a large garden. Pura Taman Ayun was built by I Gusti Agung Anom, the founder of the Mengwi kingdom, a powerful kingdom in the district of Mengwi, in central Bali, until 1891. I Gusti Agung Anom was also the builder of Pura Ulun Danu Bratan. He established Pura Taman Ayun in 1634, when he moved his palace from Balahayu to Mengwi. The name Pura Taman Ayun means the "Temple of the Beautiful Gardens." The date of construction is carved on the door with chronogram reading "Sad Bhuta Yaksa Dewa", meaning 1634AD. The temple is a penyawangan, or place to worship other sacred sites, with shrines to worship Bali's mountain peaks of Agung, Batukau and Batur, as well as shrine to Pura Sada, another important temple in Mengwi. Unlike the majority of temples in Bali, the orientation of Taman Ayun is towards Gunung Batukau, and not Gunung Agung.

(Rows of merus with ijuk black thatched roofing provides resting place for visiting spirits at Pura Taman Ayun)

Pura Taman Ayun covers an area of 250m by 100m. Originally dating from 1634, it was restored and enlarged in 1937. The gates, split gates and walls were renovated in 1949, and a pavillion, called bale bengong was added. In 1972, the black fiber roofs were replaced, and in 1976, a pavillion tower, called bale kulkul was added.

(The bale kulkul, or drum tower, at Pura Taman Ayun)

Pura Taman Ayun consists of a forecourt, a central court and a spacious inner court. The temple is surrounded by a moat with lotuses, giving it the feel of a garden sanctuary. Beyond the moat, the temple lies on a slightly raised ground. A tall stone gateway separates the forecourt from the central court, while the inner court is surrounded by a stone wall. Frangipanni are grown in profusion all around the wall. Within the inner court are merus, dedicated to various deities and spirits. In total, there are 50 shrines and pavillions in the temple complex.

(Gateway to the inner courtyard of Pura Taman Ayun)

On its festival day, Balinese women would will the temple bearing colourful offerings which they place before the merus.

Puri Saren Ubud (Ubud Palace)

Ubud is one of interesting location in Bali. If you spend your holiday in Bali, don't forget to visit Ubud especially Puri Saren Ubud. Puri Saren Ubud (Ubud Palace) is an Ubud Kingdom Palace with beautiful Balinese traditional houses as a residence of Ubud King. It is set in the center of Ubud Bali with traditional art market just in front of it and it is found by Ida Tjokorda Putu Kandel who has commanded from year 1800 - 1823. This palace is an artistic cultural life center, while the traditional market is the symbol of local economics resident. The existence of Puri Saren as a palace is equipped by a Wantilan or auditorium that is a large building of meeting room and a banyan tree as shelter place at the daytime. The traditional market is the place of society economics and its existence is always border on palace as artistic cultural life center. It means that the both pole meeting is describing the dynamics of society and kingdom life.

The tourists who will visit this place, they will feel not complete if they are not invited to visit the Puri Saren (Ubud Palace) and traditional market, because both of these tourist destinations are the soul and identity of Ubud Village itself. The palace is very beautiful with artistically traditional building and contains the high esthetics value. It is situated in the good temperature which can give the ruthless and freshness for every visitor. Some world class painters from Europe have lived in Ubud like Rudolf Bonnet, Walter Spies, Arie Smith, Antonio Blanko, Hans Snell and others. These entire world class painters through its painting masterpiece have indirectly followed to promote Bali Tourism because theme or their painting objects are about the culture and nature of Bali. Ida Tjokorda Agung Sukawati has exploited his palace as lodge place for his entire respectable guest.

BALI 'The God Island'

BALI. Everyone knows BALI. Bali is a God Island or some people say that Bali is a paradise island. Bali is more famous than Indonesia, in fact that Bali is one of provinces in Indonesia.

Bali is an Indonesian island located at Coordinates: 8°25′23″S 115°14′55″E / 8.42306°S 115.24861°Ethe westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country's 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island.

With a population recorded as 3,551,000 in 2009, the island is home to the vast majority of Indonesia's small Hindu minority. About 93.18% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, while most of the remainder follow Islam. It is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music.

Republic of Indonesia

Indonesia is My Lovely Country. Indonesia is my love... (i like this song). I was born in Indonesia and i'm so proud to be an Indonesian. Indonesia is a rich country which has many beautiful sceneries, different cultures, languanges, etc. Even i like travelling around the world, I'll always say that Indonesia is the best one because we are unique :D

The Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With a population of around 230 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, and has the world's largest population of Muslims. Indonesia is a republic, with an elected legislature and president. The nation's capital city is Jakarta. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia. Other neighboring countries include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the seventh century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually adopted Indian cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders brought Islam, and European powers fought one another to monopolize trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism, a democratization process, and periods of rapid economic change.

Across its many islands, Indonesia consists of distinct ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups. The Javanese are the largest and most politically dominant ethnic group. Indonesia has developed a shared identity defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism within a majority Muslim population, and a history of colonialism including rebellion against it. Indonesia's national motto, "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" ("Unity in Diversity" literally, "many, yet one"), articulates the diversity that shapes the country. Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support the world's second highest level of biodiversity. The country is richly endowed with natural resources, yet poverty remains widespread in contemporary Indonesia.