Ulun Danu Temple
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is a beautiful Hindu Temple Uniquely set on the water lake surrounded by beautiful scenery of Beratan lake and green hill. It is located at Candi Kuning village Baturiti district and Tabanan regency which is about 50 km from Denpasar City to the north site following the main road from Denpasar to Singaraja. The other part of temples are at the edge of Beratan Lake, where in the north we can see Puncak Sangkur Mount, at the east site there is Beratan mount which is commonly called by Puncak Mangu. At the south we can see Teratai Bang Mount meanwhile in the west is Tapak Mount and Batukaru Mount.
The name of Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is taken from the name of the lake where the temple is located. Beratan Lake’s name is inseparable with the name of Beratan Mount like God and Goddess has fertility source, prosperity for the sake well being in life and society life. In papyrus chronicle of Mengwi, Ulun Danu Beratan is called by name Parhyangan Ri Pinggir. Ulun word is comes from Hulu means head or authority where in this case mean God or Goddess. Based on the concept or understanding of Rwabineda (two differences between bad and good), so the Ulun Danu Beratan is meaning a ruler or Danu Goddess.
The flashes history of Ulun Danu Beratan can be known based on archeological data and historical data that contained in Mengwi chronicle. There is a sarcophagus in form of a stone and a board on the left of Ulun Danu Beratan Temple that is come from the megalithic tradition around 500 BC. Both artifacts are now placed on each Bebaturan (terrace). It can be predicted that the location where the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple had been used as a place to carry out the ritual since Megalithic era.
Based on the data of Mengwi chronicle was implicitly out line that I Gusti Agung Putu as the founder of the Mengwi Kingdom builds the temple on the edge of Beratan Lake, before he established Taman Ayun Temple. On this Lontar (bible made from papyrus leave) is not mentioned when he was found the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, but on the Lontar was fond the Taman Ayun Temple establishment with the ceremony held on Anggara Kliwon Madangsia ( Tuesday, Balinese calendar ) Saka year 1556 ( 1634 AD) .
All of those complex temples are functioning to worship the Glory of God in each manifestation as the God of Tri Murti in order invoke the grace of fertility, prosperity, human well being and rule of the universe. The four complex of Ulun Danu Beratan temples are functioning as follows:
- Lingga Petak Temple to worship to the Lord of Siva
- Penataran Pucak Manggu Temple to worship the God of Vishnu
- Terate Bang Temple to worship the Brahma God
- Dalem Purwa Temple to worship Danu Goddess.
This temple is strategically located in the hearth of Bedugul, one of the famous tourist destinations in Bali Island. It is set on the beautiful lake of Beratan and just beside of the main road from Denpasar to Singaraja town. The temple is located in the plateau area covered by the cool temperatures and blessed by the panoramic view that makes it very famous among the tourists and very exotic to visit during your vacation in Bali.