Tirta Empul: A Holy Spring and Temple in Central Bali
Pura Tirta Empul dates from around CE 960, when a temple was built on the site of the spring. According to legend, the ancient ruler Mayadanawa angered the gods by suppressing Hinduism and the freedom of his subjects to worship freely. An army, led by the god Indra, pursued Mayadanawa, who poisoned a nearby river making the troops […]
Back to Bali: Pura Geger Temple at Nusa Dua
This cliff top temple, Pura Geger, at Nusa Dua is a short walk from the Balé hotel, where we were staying. The beach on which I am standing is in front of another hotel, one of the largest in Bali yet, when I walked up to the temple, mid-morning, the only person I saw was […]
Zen? Minimalism? Mondrian?
It is wonderful when by chance you come across an image such as this house entrance in a back street in Seminyak, Bali. I am not normally a fan of minimalism, or harsh modernist concrete architecture, but here the bright daylight presents several shades of flat grey and white surfaces, beautifully offset by the detail […]
Bali: Sign Language
As a lover of Bali who has now enjoyed four visits and is looking forward to the next, it would be only too easy to keep posting images of temples, rice fields and colourful umbrellas (though umbrellas are likely to comprise a future post).For a change, here are some images of signs photographed on my […]
Galungan: when Balinese Ancestors Return to Earth
The Balinese festival of Galungan symbolises the victory of good (Dharma) over evil (Adharma). To Balinese Hindus, it is one of the most important events of the 210-day year, a time when they express their gratitude to the creator of the universe, Ida Sang Hyang Widhi. It is a time of feasting, when many return […]
Ganesha Statues in Seminyak, Bali
Ganesha, together with Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga, comprise the five prime Hindu deities. Ganesha is easily recognisable with his elephant's head on a human body and large belly. He wears a sacred thread, or belt, in the form of a serpent. in his right hand he holds his broken tusk and in his left […]
Temple Building Details, Seminyak, Bali
It is a special pleasure, when staying in Seminyak, to go out early and walk around the back streets to see everyday life, just minutes away from the designer shops, restaurants and bars on the main roads. All of the photographs displayed here are from the numerous temples, in daily use by local people, within […]
A Hidden Reaper in the Rice Fields of Ubud
I took this photograph of a man tending his rice field as a fairly wide shot, intending to resize it later to select the best proportions for framing the man and the shrine. When I came to the editing, I discovered an unwelcome visitor. To the right of the shrine, and above, the dead banana […]