Tirta Empul Temple, Swastika, and the Purification Ritual

 

Part of our Living Ritual Series :]

You can only do it at one spot in Bali. And unless you are local you won’t know what to do.Happily, we visited the temple with our new friend Swastika with whom we took part in the ceremonies.

Part 1: The objective of a visit to the Tirta Empul pond is to have the water run from the spout onto your head. This is a purifying act. (Subconsciously read Mikvah).  Locals are not shy to bathe naked in village streams but here the etiquette is to wear a sarong around your waist and a shirt. (left photo)

Tirta Empul Temple was built in 926 on top of a large spring. The spring water bubbles up into a walled pond. From one of the side walls the water runs through spouts into the pond you see in the picture.

Part 2: After bathing and changing, (to Eva’s dismay, the on site changing area is a small building packed with people and dirt) we  walked up to the offering section of the temple. Here a head priest (read Kohen HaGadol)  sits on a low platform ringing a bell, chanting and preparing for the communal phase of the offering. People sit in rows behind the priest and we joined them (see photo on the right). Swastika took and offering plate and we went through the motions. Flower over the ear, flowers on the head, hands above head. The priests (dressed in white) walk around chanting and with a special palm frond they sprinkle water on the worshipers. Then they proffer a bowl of rice which is taken and the rice stuck on the forehead.  Rice on the forehead does not suit Eva but flowers on the head do. (3 min video of  ceremony coming soon)

4 Comments

• 
  Mpandangare November 19, 2012 at 4:17 am

  Any photos of Swastika?
• 
  Kata November 19, 2012 at 11:56 am

  I would like to see the picture with Eva and flowers on the head!
  • 
    Daniela November 21, 2012 at 9:16 am

    -a few pictures added.
• 
  Simon Wiesenthal November 21, 2012 at 5:20 pm

  Whose that dude looking out for Swastikas? Some big baboon from the gomma refu refu high hills, probably?