According to the story of the local community, Pura Tirta Empul is an ancient sacred building that holds a legendary feud between a greedy king with the gods. Told in the ancient times reigned a King of Bali Kingdom that is very powerful and incomparable named Mayadanawa from Daitya or giant descendants. King Mayadanawa is the son of a goddess Danu Batur. His power is to change its form into any form he wants. With his supernatural powers the king was able to conquer the dominions of other kingdoms such as Bugis, Makasar, Sumbawa, Lombok, and Blambangan in Banyuwangi.
Because of his success in subjugating another kingdom, King Mayadanawa became arrogant. Then he forbade his people to worship the gods and instead commanded them to worship him which was considered very powerful. Since that time the people began to suffer until then there was a catastrophic drought and disease outbreak everywhere.
Realizing this, a Mpu Kul Putih performs a meditation and pleads for help from the gods. Soon the god of Bathara Indra came along and his troops entered the kingdom of Mayadanawa. The battle ensued and won the forces of Gods Bathara Indra. Unwilling to admit his defeat, at midnight King Mayadanawa made a poisonous spring in a village in Tampaksiring, near the resting place of the Godara Bathara Indra troop. Knowing the cunning of King Mayadanawa, gods Indra Bathara instantly make other holy springs with the temple of worship which is now named as the spring of Pura Tirta Empul.
Afterwards, the gods of Bathara Indra took the holy springs of Pura Tirta Empul and briefly healed. The pursuit of King Mayadanawa was resumed. Knowing he was desperate, the arrogant king transformed himself into stone level but still known by God Bathara Indra. Then the stone was struck and King Mayadanawa came to his death. The death of the Mayadanawa King is to this day by the Balinese Hindu community commemorated as Hari Raya Galungan which means the victory of the dharma or the goodness of adharma or disadvantage.
The temple complex of Pura Tirta Empul consists of three parts namely the 'Nista Mandala' or the outer part (jabe side), then the 'Madya Mandala' or the central part of the temple complex (middle jabe), and 'Utama Mandala' innards). At the center of the petirtaan complex at Pura Tirta Empul or Madya Mandala section there are two rectangular water pools.
On the side of this sacred petirtaan pool there is a water shower shaped like a snail shell of 30 pieces that lined neatly stretched from west to east. Each of the showers has names such as the Obstacle Refreshment, Clothes Cleaning, Sudamala Shower, Cetik Shower or Toxic Shower, and others.
Not only Balinese Hindus and local communities are melukat (ritual cleansing themselves using the source of holy water) in the complex petirtaan sacred Pura Tirta Empul. Visitors and the general public are allowed to participate in the procession melukat in this pool. The conditions that must be obeyed by visitors is to use a kamen or a kind of traditional sarong Balinese commonly worshiped by Balinese Hindus while praying in the temple.
The ritual of marching in this sacred petirtaan complex usually begins by putting a canang or offerings on a water shower. Then the canang is filled with incense burned and prayed. After that the ritual of the melamine begins by washing the whole body from the tip of the head using the source of the holy spring and repeated until it reaches the farthest end.
In addition to entering Pura Tirta Empul area, visitors can also see the existence of Tampak Siring Palace which is located adjacent. The presidential palace was founded by Indonesia's first president, IR Soekarno as his resting place while visiting Bali. Tampak Siring Palace was built from 1957 - 1960. The purpose of the construction of this presidential palace, as a place of President, family president and guests of the country to rest while visiting the island of Bali. Unfortunately, Tampak Siring Palace is not open to the public. So, the visitors can only witness the existence of this presidential palace from outside the building.
In addition to entering Pura Tirta Empul area, visitors can also see the existence of Tampak Siring Palace which is located adjacent. The presidential palace was founded by Indonesia's first president, IR Soekarno as his resting place while visiting Bali. Tampak Siring Palace was built from 1957 - 1960. The purpose of the construction of this presidential palace, as a place of President, family president and guests of the country to rest while visiting the island of Bali. Unfortunately, Tampak Siring Palace is not open to the public. So, the visitors can only witness the existence of this presidential palace from outside the building.
Opening hours : 09:00 - 17:00, Entrance Ticket : Rp.15,000
Location: Manukaya Village, Tampaksiring District, Gianyar Regency, Bali
How to get there:
To reach this place you are required to bring a private vehicle, because there is no public transportation that serves the route to this place. From Denpasar City this place can be reached about 1.5 hours drive by route Denpasar - Ubud - Kintamani. The road is good and wide so rare traffic jams.