Meduwe Karang Temple

Bali is not only well known for its beaches and nature, but also for its cultures. Balinese cultures are strongly affected by the religion in Bali. Most of the people in Bali are Hindu; so, the cultures in Bali are mostly related to Hinduism. Since that religion has a strong effect on the cultures and daily life for people in Bali, you can find a lot of temples easily in every corner in Bali. No wonder Bali is also famous for “island of thousand temples”.

Some of the temples in Bali may be small, but many other temples are very big and sacred. The interesting thing about the temples in Bali are every temple has their own uniqueness and functions. One of the most unique temples in Bali is Meduwe Karang Temple. Meduwe Karang Temple is located in Buleleng Regency, it takes around 2 hours to get in Meduwe Karang Temple since it is 100 km from the center of Denpasar. It is not hard to find Meduwe Karang Temple because it is located beside the main road.

If you arrive in Meduwe Karang Temple, you will be welcomed by 34 statues. Every statue in Meduwe Karang Temple is the characters of Ramayana story, one of the oldest famous folks story for Hindu people. Meduwe Karang Temple comes from the word “Meduwe” means “owning” and “Karang” means “the land”, so Meduwe Karang Temple literally means owning the land. It refers to the people around Meduwe Karang Temple that have the responsibility to take care of the temple since their ancestors built the temple to protect their land. Meduwe Karang Temple consists of three part of areas, the outside area is called “Jaba”, the middle area is called “Jaba Tengah” and the inside is called “Jeroan”. The Jeroan area is the holiest part in Meduwe Karang Temple.

Meduwe Karang Temple has been famous since World War II. At that time many of the western people visited Bali from and to the harbor stopped in Meduwe Karang Temple to wait for the bus. From the historical note, Meduwe Karang Temple was built in 1890 and had been famous since then. The interesting part of Meduwe Karang Temple is the relief of a person who rides the bicycle which the wheels are made from lotus.

The person who rides the bike is assumed as Nieuwenkamp a painter from the Netherlands. This person liked to paint all the places he had been visited in Bali. Besides the relief of a man riding a bike, Meduwe Karang Temple also has a lot of relief that shows the local stories and cultures that Balinese people strongly believe. If you are looking for a different temple to visit, you can go to Meduwe Karang Temple and enjoy the beauty unique reliefs that Meduwe Karang Temple has.