Pura Kiduling Kreteg Besakih - Temple South Of The Bridge

Pura Kiduling Kreteg is one of the temples of Besakih Temple Complex. Kiduling Kreteg comes from the word "kidul" meaning south and "kreteg" means bridge. This temple is located at the south of the bridge, on the ridge to the right (south-east) of Penataran Agung Temple.

This temple is located in Besakih Village, Rendang, Karangasem Regency, Bali. The access to this temple is quite good, but public transport services are still limited. Visitors can choose alternatives such as: ordering a taxi, using the services of travel agents, or rent a vehicle and drive yourself to this spot. There is a parking lot in front of the temple but not too broad.

This holy temple belongs to the group of Pura Catur Loka Pala. This is a group of four temples, which are symbolized as flower petals of the holy lotus which surround the flower pollen or Padma Tiga (Pura Penataran Agung). The temples included in this group are: Pura Gelap (honours Lord Iswara in the east), Pura Kiduling Kreteg (honours Lord Brahma in the south), Pura Ulun Kulkul (honours Lord Mahadewa in the west), and Pura Batu Madeg (honours Lord Vishnu in the north).

Pura Kiduling Kreteg is dedicated to worshiping Lord Brahma to invoke for guidance to continue to be creative, to realize truth, holiness, and harmony. Lord Brahma is one of the gods in Tri Murti, with manifestations as creator and symbolized as heat or fire.

The piodalan or pujawali ceremony at Kiduling Kreteg Temple includes: piodalan to honours Lord Brahma falls on Anggara Kliwon Wuku Prangbakat (Tuesday-Kliwon of the week Prangbakat) and piodalan to honours Ratu Bagus Cili falls on Anggara Wage Wuku Dunggulan (Tuesday-Wage of the week Dunggulan).

This holy temple also held the major ritual celebration of Aci Penyeeb Brahma. This celebration can be interpreted as a ritual to cooling down Brahma or heat or fire. This is a sacred ritual dedicated to Lord Brahma so that the deity reduce the intensity of heat on the earth, making it cool and rain falling to give fertility to the land.

This ritual celebration is held once a year at Purnama Sasih Kaenem, during the full moon in the sixth month of Balinese Calendar. The government of Karangasem Regency has been responsible for this temple and also funds the major ritual (Aci Penyeeb Brahma) until the present day.

This is a beautiful temple with typical Balinese architecture. The main shrine in Kiduling Kreteg Temple is Meru Tumpang Solas/Sebelas, an eleven-roofed shrine dedicated to Lord Brahma which is often referred to as I Dewa Rabut Palah or I Dewa Dangin Kreteg.

There are also other shrines (Meru) to honours the gods who have power over certain pests, such as: Ratu Bagus Cili on the eleven-roofed Meru (power over mice), Ratu Bagus Bulusan on the seven-roofed Meru (power over birds), and Ratu Bagus Swa on the five-roofed Meru (power over locusts and insect pests).

When there is a pest attack on the farm, the worshipers will bring certain offerings to this temple to do the Peneduh Ritual. This ritual is intended to invoke the blessing of the gods to save their fields from destructive pests.

The temple is also said to have a relic from the era of megalithic culture, in the form of "bebaturan", dedicated to the Sedahan or servant of the Gods (David J. Stuart-Fox, 1987).

In addition there are also several other shrines, bale pavilions, and other supporting buildings. During the ceremony, the temple will be decorated with "wastera" or holy banners, all of which are red in color.

From the outermost yard, visitors will pass through the entrance gate and arrive in a nicely arranged central courtyard, complete with a green garden, and several supporting buildings. You can see the entrance stairs, decorated with dragon carving on both sides, towards the innermost courtyard of the temple. The temple is rather high than its surrounding. There are still many locals’ fields and shady green trees. Visitors can spend the time while enjoying the beautiful panorama and the cool atmosphere.

Reference

1. google.co.id
2. wikipedia.org _ Besakih Temple _ on February 19, 2020
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Besakih_Temple
3. Image : Original Collection

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