Pura Dalem Puri, a stairway to heaven<\/p>\n
Jagadhita, Contributor, Denpasar<\/p>\n
Have you ever heard the screams of tortured souls? If you want to
\nhear them, come to Pura Dalem Puri, a temple located in
\nKarangasem, about 80 kilometers east of Denpasar.<\/p>\n
It is believed the souls of sinful people are tormented here
\nbefore they reach nirvana. This holy place at the foot of Mount
\nAgung is situated on the way to Pura Besakih, one of the
\nimportant temples in Bali. Pura Dalem Puri is where people come
\nfor self-reflection. Many may have violated religious commands.<\/p>\n
Balinese Hindus believe that before dead people enter heaven,
\nthey are taken to Pura Dalem Puri. In this temple, the souls of
\npeople who have committed bad deeds during their life are
\ntortured.<\/p>\n
It is believed inside the temple there is a crater called
\nCandra Goh, a bridge called Ugal-agil and a square called Tegal
\nPenangsaran where a Curiga tree with kris (or knife) leaves
\ngrows. Murderers, drug traffickers and other criminals are
\nbelieved to be tortured in this place.<\/p>\n
Some of them are tied up to the tree while the kris leaves
\npierce their bodies. Others are thrown into the crater, which is
\nfull of molten copper.<\/p>\n
However, Balinese Hindus believe the dead can escape the
\ntorture in Pura Dalem Puri if their bodies are burned during the
\nngaben ritual. After this cremation, the ashes are thrown into
\nthe sea with a prayer the soul will go to nirvana. The process
\ncontinues with a ritual called pengastian carried out in the
\nhouse of the dead person. During this ritual, the soul of the
\ndead person is symbolized by a piece of kayu cendana
\n(sandalwood). The wood is later thrown into the sea, accompanied
\nby a prayer to the God of the Sea and the God of the Mountain in
\na ritual called Nyegara Gunung. When this process is over, the
\ndead person is believed to have passed through the sea to the
\nmountain. The mountain is Mount Agung and the location is the
\nPura Dalem Puri.<\/p>\n
If the family of the dead person conducts all of these
\nrituals, their soul will not be tortured in Pura Dalem Puri and
\nthe family will not hear any screams from the temple.<\/p>\n
One day, when he passed Pura Dalem Puri on his way to Pura
\nBesakih, Gede Astawa, a resident from Negara, heard his late
\ngrandfather crying.<\/p>\n
He stopped and tried to find the source of the noise. In the
\nensuing silence he felt the hair on the back of his neck rising.
\nAstawa, who earlier did not believe the horrible stories about
\nPura Dalem Puri, became a believer and determined to hold a
\nngaben ritual for his late grandfather. When the old man had
\ndied, Astawa and his family had buried the body instead of
\nholding the cremation because of financial constraints.<\/p>\n
Astawa, a small-scale trader, says since he held the ngaben
\nritual for his grandfather he never hears his soul crying when he
\npasses Pura Dalem Puri. He also feels gratitude because since the
\nritual, he has had a profitable business.<\/p>\n
A Balinese Hindu figure, I Ketut Wiana, says Pura Dalem Puri
\ncannot be separated from Pura Besakih. The two temples represent
\nthe universe, which consists of two parts, saptaloka (heaven) and
\nsaptapetala (hell).<\/p>\n
Pura Dalem Puri, he says, is a unique temple. It is secluded
\nand is enveloped in a magical atmosphere. This is in accordance
\nwith its function as a stairway to heaven.<\/p>\n
\"The souls should pass the examinations and temptations in the
\ntemple compound before they become clean of sin. Because in order
\nto enter heaven or pura besakih, one must be free of cuntaka
\n(dirt),\" Wiana says.<\/p>\n
If people make offerings for their ancestors or hold ngaben
\nrituals for them, this will help them cope with any difficulties
\nin their lives, including economic problems.<\/p>\n
\"If they don't hold the ngaben ritual, they will face many
\nproblems in their lives.\"<\/p>\n
Wiana also suggested people pray in Pura Dalem Puri for the
\nsouls of their ancestors so that they could find peace. \"If they
\nare peaceful, their offspring will be prosperous,\" he said.<\/p>",
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