01The Devi who gives water
In Bali the rice fields are run by subak, village water councils, and each subak worships at a chain of water temples running up to the lakes that feed the rivers. At the head of the chain for the Beratan basin stands Ulun Danu, the temple at the head of the lake. Farmers downstream bring offerings here before planting so that the water keeps coming. The temple was built in 1633 under the rulers of Mengwi, then the leading kingdom of western Bali.
02Meru on the water
The most famous shrines stand on two small islets close to the shore, so that when the lake is high they seem to float. The eleven-roofed meru is dedicated to Shiva and Parvati, the three-roofed one beside it to Vishnu. The many roofs are thatched with black sugar-palm fibre, and their count, always odd, marks the rank of the deity. At about 1,200 metres the air is cool and mist often comes down over the lake in the afternoon. The odalan, the temple’s anniversary festival, falls every 210 days by the Balinese calendar.
The life of this place
- 1633The temple is built under the house of Mengwi.
Bedugul, about 50 km north of Denpasar on the road to Singaraja. Early morning is clearest and least crowded.
