Wash Away Negative Vibes At This Balinese Temple's Sacred Pond

The sacred pond at the Gunung Kawi Sebatu Temple (Photo: Retno Wulandari/Brilio.net)

Not the pool to bring your bikini to.

29 September 2016 18:00

Brilio.net/en - If youve ever beento a Balinese temple with a spring and water fountains, you have probably seen pilgrims washing their bodies under the cold, clear water flowing from a fountain. This is not your ordinary bath.

Pilgrims partaking in the melukatritual. (Photo via Hindualukta)

The Balinese Hindu callit melukat, a self-cleaning ritual done topurify our body and soul from negativethoughts, behaviors, and other less-than-cheerful emotions we may be trying to tackle on a daily basis. This ritual can be performed by both Hindus and non-Hindus, although all participants are obligedto don a special attire that includes sarong.And while the ritual itself cn be done in a variety of venues, the most popular ones are usually Balinese water temples such as the Tirta Empul temple in Tampakiring and the Gunung Kawi Sebatu temple in Sebatu village, Tegallang, Gianyar.

Water is an important element of this ritual, as it requires specifically water from rivers, lakes, the sea, or other natural water sources.

The Gunung Kawi Sebatu Temple. (Photo via Triptrus)

Gunung Kawi Sebatu temple boasts a sacred pond that is highly sanctified. This legendary pond is a popular place for melukat, attractingpilgrims from all over the island. Near the pond, there are water fountains which, despite using water from the same source as the pond, is not part of the ritual, according to Pemangku Pura (the temples priest) Jro Mangku Ketut Nubawa

Legend has it, if the water turns turbid while an individual is partaking in amelukatritual, it means negativity is being washed out of a person. In extreme cases, the water could turn unusually frothy and a pilgrim could find himself posessed, which would require him to cleanse for much longer inone of the fountains.