Tirta Empul Temple, Hindu water temple in Tampaksiring, Indonesia
Tirta Empul is a Hindu water temple in Tampaksiring, Gianyar, Indonesia, built around a natural spring. The complex includes several courtyards with carved gates, a main shrine, and two long stone basins fed by thirty pipes channeling clear spring water.
The site was founded in 962 during the Warmadewa dynasty, when Balinese rulers declared the spring a religious center. Over the centuries the complex remained a place for purification rituals and was expanded several times to accommodate more pilgrims.
The temple takes its name Tirta Empul from the sacred spring within and draws devotees daily who cleanse themselves under the flowing waters. The Melukat ceremony follows a set path through the pools, with each spout believed to address a different form of inner purification.
Visitors must wear traditional clothing, available for rent at the entrance, and enter the pools in a particular order. The best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon when fewer groups arrive and the atmosphere feels quieter.
The spring water has flowed continuously for over a thousand years with constant temperature and clarity. Locals regularly fill bottles with the water to use at home for healing purposes and spiritual protection.
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