One of the busiest water temples in Indonesia, Tirta Empul Temple is a temple considered sacred by Balinese Hindu community. The temple has several holy springs which are said to have been created by The God Indra and believed to be blessed water that could purify those who bathe there.
Tirta Empul Temple is dedicated to Vishnu, the Hindu God of water. In the Balinese language, Tirta Empul loosely translated means water gushing from the earth, which for this reason Tirta Empul is regarded as a holy spring. The Tirta Empul Temple includes shrines to Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, as well as one for Indra and Mount Batur. It is considered one of the five most holy temples in all of Bali and is considered one of the holiest water sources in Bali. You can also find other holy water temples in Bali such as Pura Ulun Danu at Lake Beratan, Pura Tirta Tawar at Gianyar, Pura Tirta Harum at Bangli, Pura Tirta Taman Mumbul at Badung, and many more.
The inside of Tirta Empul Temple
The Tirta Empul Temple is located in the village of Manukaya, near the town of Tampaksiring, not far from Ubud, in the Gianyar Regency, the cultural heart of Bali. The temple is situated just below the Presidential Palace of Tampaksiring. Built-in 1957 by Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno, the beautifully built palace itself is an important landmark of the island and the country. Together with the Presidential Palace, the Tirta Empul Holy Water Temple provides some of the most fascinating views you will ever see.
As a petirtaan or bathing center, Tirta Empul is quite a large temple complex and it takes at least 30 minutes to an hour to explore the entire site. Just as at other temples and sacred sites around the island, you will need to put on a ‘sarong’ before entering the premises. The sarongs are available at the temple’s entrance and can be rented for a small donation.
As soon as you enter the temple, you will walk through the large stone Balinese gate (locally known as candi bentar) and arrive in the outer courtyard of the temple. This area of the temple is called jaba sisi. At the end of the courtyard is another candi bentar built into the wall that leads to the central courtyard. This gate is guarded by smoothly carved huge statues of two Dwarapala or guardians given a brush of golden colors. At the top of the gate is a carving of Kala which is quite different from other Kala carvings elsewhere since it has fangs that stick upwards and a pair of hands with open arms.
Tirta Empul Temple meaning of each fountain – The place where you do the showering ritual named Jaba Tengah, which consist of 3 pools.
Pool One (has 14 holy spring fountains, Pool TWO (has 2 holy spring fountains, and Pool THREE (has 6 holy spring fountains).
Jaba Tengah – Pool ONE, with 14 holy spring fountains (Tirta Pebersihan)
- The main function for this “Tirta Pebersihan” is to relieve suffering from poverty and disease, eliminate enemies, and to seek fortune(money) and to clean the sins for crime you have did.
Tirta Empul Temple Fountain meanings, read the below for functions of each fountain,
1st Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Bepergian Jauh
- To give protection while you are traveling far from home especially when you are going abroad(outside of Bali)
- To give protection/ peace/ calm when you are in disturbed / chaotic situation
2nd Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Penyakit Kulit
- To cure all skin diseases.
3rd Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Ketenangan Jiwa
- To cure psychiatric illnesses such as mental disorders and memory loss.
- To give solutions to one’s life’s problems.
4th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Rematik
- To cure rheumatic disorders, gout and muscle stiffness.
- To reduce disorders due to allergic diseases.
5th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Gigi
- To cure toothache.
- To take out teeth.
- To destroy black magic in yourself, your family or others.
6th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Sakit Tulang
- To cure all bone diseases.
- To Stimulate bone growth.
- To treat bone growth disorders in children.
7th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Asmara
- Increase feeling of love towards partners.
- To increase love feeling for husband and wife
- To get a perfect match.
- Strengthen the love relationships.
- To give harmony in the family.
8th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Ketenangan Emosi
- To relieve someone’s anger or negative emotions
- To relieve negative emotions or anger from a group of people such as during a demonstration or riot.
9th Fountain – Pancoran Penyakit Saluran Nafas
- Good for coughs, colds, tonsils, asthma.
10th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Rambut
- Good for hair loss, nourish hair and eliminate itching on the head
11th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Pengentas
- the dead body are still there
12th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Pengentas II
- The dead body are gone
13th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Merta
- Good for raising a good fortune, fertility of farmland, career, charisma, and to purify your office.
14th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Sudamala
- Good for purifying the body / spirit, strengthen, expedite the blood vessel system, autism, bed-wetting, and improve the spiritual.
Jaba Tengah – Pool TWO, with 2 holy spring fountains (Tirta Pelebur Kutukan dan Sumpah)
- The main function for this “Tirta Pelebur Kutukan dan Sumpah” is to remove the curse of parents, ancestors and gods
1st Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Pelebur Kutukan
- To abolish / exterminate of unfulfilled obligations to family and ancestors.
- To make a family at peace.
- To get rid from the curse of ancestors, saints and gods
2nd Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Pelebur Sumpah /Cor
- To remove of an obligation or promise which is not fulfilled
- To remove suffers of an unfulfilled vow, promises, perjury.
Jaba Tengah – Pool THREE, with 6 holy spring fountains (Tirta Penyakit Berat dan Tirtha Upakara)
- The main function of this “Tirta PEnyakit Berat dan Tirta Upakara” is to cure severe illness and for ceremonies purpuses at home
1st Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Gering
- Good for getting rid of negative energy in yourself, neutralizing negative energy, eliminating the anger, purifying the outer and inner aura, acquiring offspring, curing severe illnesses such as cancer& infection.
2nd Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Leteh
- Speed up the healing of diseases, increase purity.
- To get rid of the dirt and impurities in human and from the universe.
- To get rid of negative energy after visiting to places which are not giving good energy.
3rd Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Penyakit Berat
- Cure severe illness.
4th Fountain – Pancoran Tirta Pengulapan
- To be explained
5th Fountain – Pancoran Pengenteg Beras
- To be explained
6th Fountain – Pancoran Kesejahteraan Keluarga
- To be explained
NOTE: The best time to shower in the pool is at midnight 23:59hrs or 00:00hrs. To get blessing and to get your asking/wish came true, you must first showered, prayed, and cleaned yourself at home before dipping in the holy water pools.
NOTE: Be sincere and follow the ritual.
Source: Translated from book “Tirta Empul temple karangan Bapak I Putu Ngurah Ardika, S.Sn”
