Goa Gajah | Place of Interest in Bali

Goa Gajah

The name of Goa gajah.

Goa Gajah is a name of an old Hindu and buddhist temple. The word of ‘Goa Gajah’ is came from two words, that is ’Goa’ and ‘Gajah’ Goa is mean ‘cave’ and ‘Gajah’ is mean ‘Elephant’. So, Goa Gajah it is mean Elephant Cave. The words of Goa Gajah, it is predictable came from the words ‘Lwa Gajah’ well a little bit look similar, the first is Goa Gajah, and now is ‘Lwa Gajah’, where, ‘Lwa Gajah’  is a name of Buddhist Monastery or nunnery, it is a place where it is used for doing penance or meditation by Buddhist monks, and in epigraphy of Jaya Pangus king, of Jaya Pangus kingdom in 1443, it is said ‘Goa Gajah’ it is a place of hermits abode for the ‘Ciwa’ priest.
In Sanskrit language, the name of Goa Gajah is called ‘Antakunjarapada’, according to historians,  Goa Gajah it is had a connecting with the place of hermits abode in India that is ‘Kunjarakunja’. Where, that is a place for doing penance by Rsi Agastya, he is a hermit from India, where , next he came to Bali to do his journey. The name of ‘Kunjarakunja’ in India has a meaning, that is; The word ‘Kunjara’  is mean Elephant, and the word ‘Kunja’ it is mean Forest, (jungle).It is probably the design at the top of Goa Gajah it is arrangement of this sort, in order to describe or explain that is a place of hermit abode be located in the nature of mountain range. Hindu peoples, believe mountains have a great supernatural power, believe is the mountain is the place of Gods, it is a holy places, where it is good for meditations.

Structure of Goa Gajah

Holy water douche

The structure of Goa Gajah it is like a ‘T’ letter, at the west tip, it is had a statue made by stone that inform of ‘Ganeca’.(Ganesha) is a human, but he had an Elephant face, he is a son of Ciwa God,’Ganesha’  had four hands, human body, but his face had an Elephant tag, and he had a trunk, like an elephant. In Hinduism he called a God of happiness and God of passion and knowledge. Well, At the east tip, you will see three of phallus, in Hinduism this phallus it is call ‘Lingga yoni’it is a symbols of man and women,  it is also symbols of Man and Women it is called ‘Purusha and Pradhana’ Purusha it is mean a Man, and Pradhana it is mean a Women. Well, in front of Goa Gajah it is about 10 meters from the mouth of the cave you will see six douche holy water, it is must be seven douche, ones of that douche it is guess had in the middle, why it is had seven douche? It is because that douche is the symbol of the seven holy rivers in India, Which Rivers is: Gangga River, Sindhu River, Saraswati River, Yamuna River Godawari River, Seraya River and Narmada River. In Bali, by the hindus it is call with ‘Sapta Tirtha’ Sapta it is mean seven, and ‘Tirta’ it is mean holy water. That douche was found in 1954 by Krigsman from ancient on duty, which before that douche it is still buried under the ground. The archeological department said, Goa Gajah was made in 11 century, but it is just founded in 1923, where, before it is same with the douche, still buried on the ground.

Who and when Goa Gajah was founded?

No body knows who was founded goa gajah, but it is guess by the archeological scientist Goa Gajah was build in start period in 10 Century. in under of Udayana Kingdom. Udayana king that became a king in 989-1022 Century. Well, in era of Udayana government it is had four empire adviser the name is ‘ pakira kiran I jero mekabehan’ what it is member is a group priest of Ciwa and priest of Buddha who called ‘ Mpungku Ciwa sogota’the member of ciwa priest  is called ‘ Dang Acarya ‘ where the members at least 21 peoples. and then only four priest of Buddha members which  is called ‘Dang Upadhaya’ they (Buddha priest) use Goa Gajah for meditations and doing penance as a vihara on that times.

The located of Goa Gajah

Goa Gajah is located at the west side from Bedulu village, Blahbatuh district, in Gianyar regency, it is about 27 kilometers from Denpasar (the capital city of Bali). By car is take time about 30 minutes from Denpasar.

Tips :

* Take care about the stairs,when the rain season coming,the stairs  is could be slipery.

*  Bring a hat or umbrella, to protect you from rain and sun.

*  Bring Camera, handycam for you who like to make a moment.

* To get into the temple ,you must use the shawl, that will be giving overthere when you pay the        enterance fee, the enterance fee it is ussualy not more than Rp.10.000,00. or  is about us$1.

* And I’m Sorry for the women who get menstruation, it is can’t enter into the main temple.

About Bali

The name of Bali

Ulun Danu Temple at Bedugul Bali

The word of ‘Bali’ like how the peoples call this island, first time emerge carved in the stone of Blanjong inscription, was founded at Blanjong village in Sanur at Denpasar regency. That inscription numerical is year “835″ before century. It is about in 913 century, where is released by the king, so called “Sri Kesari Warmadewa “. On that inscription, Bali Island it is called ‘Bali Dwipa’. These words represent the combinations of word from language of Sanskrit element. Which it is consist from two words, that is “Bali ” and ” Dwipa”. The word ‘Bali’ have various meaning, for example : ” Kembali” it’s mean comeback, “wali” it’s mean devoting, “sesaji” it’s mean offerings, while the word “Dwipa” it’s mean ‘island’. The name of this“Balidwipa” is probably gives by the merchants from India, that was predictable they are disseminating in south-east asia, includes Bali, about in 1 century pre christian.

Geographical circumstance and sum up the resident.

Green view rice terrace

Bali based on geographically is one of 33 province of Indonesia. Province of Bali it is consist of 6 ( six) island, where they are is : (1) Bali island, is the biggest island, the main island of Bali, as the mother of this island, and then Bali have five more island, where they includes in Bali province. That 5(five) islands is ;( 2) Nusa Penida Island, (3) Nusa Lembongan, (4) Nusa Ceningan,(5) Serangan island and (6) Menjangan Island. Where the wide of this entire district it is about 5.633 kilometers squares. Province of Bali consist of 8 (eight) regency and one capital city, (middle town), and 53 sub district. Bali Island consist of 674 villages and 3945 of Banjar, what I mean about Banjar is?” Banjar” is like a group, when in one of the village they have too many people; (population) so it is could be difficult to control, and to manage. So they makes some groups it is consist of 200 – 300 people and that groups it is call with “ Banjar”. One of the villages in Bali it is maybe have 4, 5, 7, or maybe more, It is depend from the large of their villages, and also have 1399 of custom countryside. The population in Bali it is about 3.156.392 people in 2001 population census, now it is probably about 3.500.000 peoples. Bali Island is located between the Asia and Australia continent. Geographically, in the middle of Bali island  is had long mountain unfolding from west to east, between that mountain it is have a number of mountain as the  top, it is Agung mountain, as the highest mountain in Bali, the high it is about 3.142 meters, Batur mountain, (1.717 meters,) Abang mountain (2.152) Batukaru mountain ( 2.276 ). Agung Mountain and Batur Mountain it is representing natty mount. In north side and south of that mountain it is had mainland unfolding. In Bali also had four lake, among other things is lake Batur, (1.607.5 Ha),Beratan lake (375,6 Ha ), Buyan lake,(336 Ha )and Tamblingan lake (110 Ha). The rivers steaming from forest and lake it is mostly empty into the southland, likes Unda River, Petanu River, Ayung River, Pulukan River, Loloan River, etc. Bali is included the district with tropic climate where influence by the wind seasons that change ones in six month. Bali had two seasons, there is dry season at April until October and rain season from October until April and the normal temperature here it is about 28 Celsius degrees. The air dampness means it is about 97%.

Religion and Culture

90% (ninety percents) of Balinese people it is embracing Hindu’s religion. The Hinduism temple in Bali  is called with “Pura” Bali had a thousands temples, where the biggest temple in Bali is Besakih temple, Besakih temple is the mother of temples in Bali. Can you imagine, in Bali had 1399 of customs countryside’s, every countryside’s own 3 (three) main temples, those are: (1) Pura Dalem, (2) Pura Desa, (3) Pura Puseh, and that it is not includes another temples, In Bali also had a lot of Historical temples. That is just about the temples, how about the culture? Bali had a lot of culture of their life’s, for example in era of 70-80‘s,it is about 70% of Balinese people  work as a farmers, farming is their main job. Balinese people it is cannot be separated with their hobbies to do art, and create some idea to makes what the things that they makes it is going to be interesting and fun, for example, they makes their rice fields looks nice with arranging in such a manner like to be a rice terrace. And until now the rice terrace in Bali it is still famous and become one of the tourism objects. They also had a irrigation system it is call “Subak”.Subak is the name of farmers groups of irrigation system in Bali, that is the way to how they controlling the water from the rivers in Bali. Another than that culture, Bali also had a lot of art and culture, for example the Balinese dances, wood carvings, paintings, Balinese traditional music’s and gamelan etc. Bali it is had a thousands of dances too, the most famous dances is, Barong dance, Kecak dance, Legong dance, Pendet dance, and etc. Bali had a lot of name from the tourist from foreign country. That is :Bali is the paradise island, Bali is an island with thousand temples, The island of dances, the last paradise, and many more…so my conclusion is Bali is the great Island carrying peace and touching into your heart, love god, love people, love world and love Bali.