Goa Lawah Temple offers mystery, serenity

Tri Vivi Suryani, Contributor, Klungkung, Bali

Goa Lawah is certainly not Batman's cave or a dwelling for vampires as depicted in fiction novels, although the millions of bats (Eonnycentris spelacea) certainly give that appearance.

Locals consider the bats sacred guardians of the famous Goa Lawah temple, one of Bali's major Hindu temples, located near the beach of Kusamba in Klungkung, 45 kilometers east of Denpasar.

No one knows for sure who built the temple and when. But, many believe it was constructed by Mpu Kuturan around the 11th century.

Situated near the former site of the seaport of the Klungkung kingdom, once Bali's most powerful kingdom, the temple attracts thousands of worshipers from around the island every year and has become a major tourist attraction.

Nobody has ever entered deep into the sacred cavern, but some say the cave has a secret tunnel connecting Goa Lawah and Goa Rajah near Besakih, Karangasem regency.

A story goes that once upon a time a group of people held a religious ceremony at the temple bringing chickens and other animals to be sacrificed in a ritual. The chickens escaped and ran into the dark cave. But, a few days later, the chickens were found in the Goa Raja temple.

"We really don't know whether there is a connection or a tunnel connecting both Goa Lawah and Goa Raja. Up to the present, visitors are not allowed to go farther than 50 meters from the entrance, says Juliadi, a worshiper at the temple.

Ktut Sobandi, the author of Sejarah Pembangunan Pura-Pura di Bali (The History of Temple Building in Bali) says Goa Lawah temple was created by the holy man Danghyang Nirartha, believed to be the ancestor of the present Balinese Hindu community.

Nirartha traveled throughout Bali in search of holy sites which would be used as temples. As he traveled to the south, he arrived at Kusamba beach. Nirartha took a rest while enjoying the beauty of the beach and its surrounding area. After staying a few nights there, he discovered a special place. He later meditated near a cave which was infested with bats and pythons.

Strangely, Nirartha also found unusual and fragrant flowers around the cave, which he later called Goa Lawah, which literary means the cave of the bats.

Juliadi says the Goa Lawah temple has become one the holiest sites on the island. Thousands of visitors flock to the temple to perform religious ceremonies every month.

A lot of foreign visitors also come to the temple to meditate. "It is famous as a perfect place for self-contemplation."

But since last October, the number of travelers and worshipers, especially those coming from overseas, has dropped drastically, Juliadi says.

"We rely on local guests and local communities because foreigners are still afraid after the bombing attack."

During the temple's ceremony or piodalan, which is performed every six months, thousands of Balinese Hindus present their best offerings as gratitude to the Creator, Sang Hyang Widi Wasa.

Pande Komang Merta, a worshiper from Karangasem, East Bali, shared her experience.

"People visiting the temple should behave and dress properly," she says. One who violates the temple codes will be "cursed" or will have bad luck, she added.

She recalls that once she was praying at the temple along with hundreds of other worshipers when suddenly she saw dozens of rock pythons crawling among the people. "I was so frightened but trying hard to remain calm. I did not know what to do but sit and concentrate," she recalled.

It was believed that the snakes were the "inhabitants" and "guardians" of the Goa Lawah temple along with the bats. "We must not disturb these 'guards' otherwise they will be angry with us."

Pande Merta says that on another occasion, a man came to the temple and saw a snake appear from the cave. The temple's pemangku, or low priest, warned him not to touch and to disturb the snake. Feeling threatened, the man finally killed the snake and left it on the ground.

A day after the accident, the man was found dead for unexplained reasons. His eyes were gaping holes.

Pande said many people who came to temple frequently saw the snakes on the cave walls or on the ground.

"We know that the animals are sacred and we don't have any courage to disturb them. But people, especially those coming from outside Bali, would find it very hard to believe such a story," she said.