Possible New Temple Found: Bali

Gunung Agung is the highest point on the island of Bali and on its slopes the sacred mother temple for all Balinese – Pura Besakih. The mountain last erupted in 1963-64 and is still active. It was then that the sacred ceremony of Eka Dasa Rudra was performed. It’s crater is very large and deep and on occasions spews out smoke and ash. From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Gunung Rinjani on the island of Lombok, although both mountains are frequently covered in cloud.

But, even more importantly it appears that a new temple has been discovered om its slopes. I have visited and researched literally thousands of temples and candi’s across the archipelago and am looking forward to checking out this new find when Candika and I get over to the island soon. Here’s more on this extraordinary find:

An expedition team that examined an ancient temple, discovered on the slopes of Mount Agung in 2002, said it might become an addition to Bali’s group of Sad Kahyangan temples — the island’s six most prominent.

Sad Kahyangan temples include Besakih, Lempuyang, and Andakasa temples in Karangasem, Batur Temple in Bangli, Batukaru Temple in Tabanan, Goa Lawah Temple in Klungkung, and Uluwatu and Puncak Mangu temples in Badung.

Expedition team member I Gusti Ngurah Ariawan from the Gung Tap Sai foundation said an ancient inscription had been found in September.

According to Ariawan, from the inscription, the temple’s name was Tunggal Besi Dingarata Temukus.

“There were clues in the temple found in Temukus village at the end of September. At that time we found an ancient inscription,” he said as quoted by beritabali.com.

Ariawan said that the temple could be classified as a Sad Kahyangan temple according to the inscription. He said that the inscription had been read by priest Ida Pedanda Gde Nyoman Gunung, as witnessed by the expedition team.