Denpasar, Bali Island (Indonesia)

According to Areacodesexplorer.com, Denpasar is located off the southern coast of Bali and has been its capital since 1958.

At the center of the city is Puputan Square, from which Denpasar ‘s main roads radiate. On it stands a monument erected in honor of the battle of local soldiers against colonial troops in 1906. Then even ordinary residents of the city, armed with spears and daggers, went to the enemy. Away from this monument is a 5-meter statue, symbolizing the god Shiva. The temple of Pura Jagatnath rises in front of the square. It was erected in 1953 in honor of the Balinese deity Sang Hyang Vidi. The temple is built of coral and stands on a turtle surrounded by dragons, which symbolizes the creation of the world. Not far from the temple is the Bali Museum.. Items related to the culture of the island (masks, daggers, paintings and sculptures) are exhibited here, as well as objects of the prehistoric period – sarcophagi dating back to the 2nd century BC, anthropology and ethnography pavilions work, where the architecture of local palaces and temples is reproduced.

On the way from Puputan Square, at one of the crossroads, you can see a statue of the god Brahma. God is represented with four heads that watch the streets of the city, a statue made of volcanic stone. In Denpasar, it is also worth visiting the Maospahit Temple, which was built in the 14th century of brick without any architectural decorations. Inside it there are several courtyards with statues.

Around Denpasar on the way to Sanur in the coconut grove is the Art Center, which was built from 1973 to 1976. On an area of 5 hectares are the Museum of Art and three art galleries, as well as the largest building of the center – an amphitheater with an area of 7,200 square meters. m, which can accommodate up to 600 people. Performances are constantly arranged here, and a large dance festival is held annually in June. Bedugul mountain reserve is located 18 km north of Denpasar. Its height above sea level is 850 m. Botanical gardens are located on the territory of the reserve. They occupy 120 hectares, on which a wide variety of trees and hundreds of species of orchids grow. 20 km from Denpasar you can visit Bukit Sari Monkey Forest. A lot of monkeys live here, who willingly make contact with visitors. Also in this Forest is a temple with the same name, which was built in the 17th century.

Bali is located 3 km east of Java. The length of the island is 152 km, the width is 112 km, and the highest point is the Agun volcano (3142 m).

Agun is an active volcano that last erupted in March 1963. Despite this, trekking routes have been laid along the slopes of the volcano. They are all pretty heavy. The way to the top takes about 6 hours. Agun is a sacred mountain for local residents, so it is not possible to climb during religious holidays. The best time for trekking in terms of weather is from April to mid-October.

Mount Batukaru is the second highest mountain, its height is 2276 m. Batukaru, like Agun, is a sacred place. The path to its summit lies through dense forest, populated in abundance by monkeys, birds and reptiles. The ascent will take about 6 hours.

Also within Bali is the Batur volcano, next to which there is a picturesque lake. Batur is the third sacred mountain of Bali. Its height is 1717 m. It is a popular route for tourist climbs. The ascent takes approximately 2 hours. Along the way, hot springs come across, at which they make stops for rest.

Bali is called the “island of a thousand temples”, but in fact there are more than 2000 of them. The most important and largest temple on the island is Besaki, located on the slope of the Agun volcano. In order to enter the first courtyard of the temple, you need to overcome fifty steep stairs decorated with Balinese carvings. The Besaki Temple is dedicated both to the founders of the village of Besaki, located 1 km to the north, and to Betara Vishnu, the God keeper of life and water. Besaki is over a thousand years old. In his courtyard are tombs wrapped in red, black and white cloths and decorated with wreaths of flowers.

No less impressive is the temple of Tana Lot. standing on a rock that is surrounded by water at high tide. According to legend, the temple was founded by a wandering Hindu priest, Nirartha, who was led here by the radiant light emitted by a sacred source. Due to the sacred status, only true believers are allowed to climb the stairs carved into the rock and enter inside. Everyone else is ordered to stand on a patch of gray sand at the foot of the cliff, which is hidden under water at high tide.

Another famous Uluwatu temple located at the southernmost point of the island and rises to 70 m above sea level. It is not so much the temple itself, almost entirely built of whitish-gray blocks of petrified coral, that is remarkable, but its location. He stands on the very edge of the abyss on a ledge that juts out into the sea. From this place it is good to watch the sunset. A huge number of monkeys live on the territory of the temple, who strive to steal something from visitors.

Temple Taman-Ayun is located in the town of Mengvi. It was built in 1634 and was Bali ‘s central temple until 1981. A characteristic architectural feature that makes Taman Ayun easily recognizable is the numerous pagodas towering above the courtyard. They personify the sacred mountain Mahameru – the axis of the world, standing in the center of the universe.

The Ulun Danu temple has been adorned for three centuries on the shore of Lake Bratan, in the north of Bali. According to legend, it was built by blacksmiths-gunsmiths who lived along the banks. The temple is dedicated to the life-giving power of lake water that nourishes people, animals and plants.

The Goa Lava temple is located on the east coast of the island. This is one of the darkest and most mysterious temples in Bali. Its name translates as “cave of bats”. Hundreds of these creatures, by the way, revered as sacred in Bali, hang peacefully on the walls of the cave, which is the entrance to the temple.

Brahmavihara Arama Buddhist temple in northwest Bali designed in a traditional style – orange roofs, colorful room decor and golden statues of Buddha, but typical Balinese carvings decorating the walls add color.

In Palasari you can see a Catholic church. Palasari has the largest Christian community in Bali. The temple is a relatively recent building, 1954-58, but very impressive: a beautiful white building, decorated with Balinese-style carvings. The architecture is influenced by the interpenetration of two cultures: Catholic angels are dressed in traditional Balinese costumes.

In addition to the large temples in Bali there are also many small ones. In every village, as a rule, there are at least three temples. The most important is pura puseh, dedicated to the founders of the village, facing the mountains. In the middle of the village stands the pura desa, a temple of spirits that guard the inhabitants and help them with their daily activities. The temple of the dead – pura dalem – faces the ocean, and there is often a cemetery near it. In addition to the temple buildings, which are in any village and town, each family has its own home temple.