The Balinese Sacred Mandala Pilgrimage

There are 9 “directional” temples that cover Bali. These temples are each dedicated to a different deity from the Balinese Hindu Pantheon. In addition each temple (and direction) is associated with a color, a weapon (or ritual object), a sound, a written symbol and a part of the body. This is also called “nawa sanga” (both “nawa” and “sanga” mean nine in Sanskrit) which symbolizes the totality of existence.

This nawa sanga, or sacred mandala, is a symbol made from symbols that, taken as a whole, represents the great all encompassing divinity known to the Balinese as “Sanghyang Widi Wasa” (Bhraman in traditional Hinduism). By traversing the path of this sacred manadala we traverse the entirety of experience and manifestation: stitching together an array of forces into a single divine whole – both within us and without. Mandala can also be taken to mean “palace of purity” so our pilgrimage involves cleansing the spiritual obstacles and impurities from our own “divine circle.”

In Bali the primary directions are not “North” or “South” but rather are relative to the mountains, the sea and the rising and setting sun. So “Kaja” (mountain ward) is the most sacred and important direction – and one that changes (in absolute terms) as one’s position on the island changes.

Kaja = Mountain Ward
Kelod = Sea Ward
Kangin = Toward the rising sun
Kauh = Toward the setting sun

These primary directions, and their admixtures (along with the center) give us the nine division of the nawa sanga. These can be reduced to five (the four cardinal points + center), or further reduced to three (the “Trimurti,” the Hindu trinity).

The ultimate Godhead – Sanghyang Widi Wasa – comes into manifestation through, and as, the Trimurti: the divine trinity of Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa – or (G)enerator, (O)perator and (D)estroyer.

AUM, the sacred sound, is created from the Sanskrit letters symbolizing the Trimurti.
A: Brahma, the Creator
U: Wisnu, the Preserver of Life
M: Siwa the Destroyer

Counter intuitively to us in the west, it is Siwa (Shiva), the destroyer of life and recycler of forms that is the primary focus of worship for most Balinese.

With all this in mind, I’ll be writing future posts about specific Balinese temples that make up this Mandala. Of all the temples on Bali six are “supremely holy:” Pura Besakih, Pura Lempuyang Luhur, Pura Goa Lawah, Pura Batukaru, Pura Pusering Jagat, and Pura Uluwatu. These 6 are called the “temples of the world.”