Goa Lawah

Goa Lavah Temple, located in Klunkung district, Bali province, the temple is considered one of the main "shrines of the world" or holy places of worship in Bali. The temple is built around a large cave inhabited by bats or flying dogs, after which it is named "bat cave".

History of the temple

The temple near the cave with bats was founded in the 11th century by the monk Mpu Kuturan, he was the first to preach Judaism on the island. Until that time, the locals did not have a specific religion, different spirits were worshipped in different villages. Bats, or flying dogs, are considered sacred animals in Bali and are held in special reverence by the population. Many priests at different times used the sacred place for meditation.

Originally, Goa Lavah Temple was an altar for offerings, it was installed opposite the entrance to the cave, as a sign of respect and reverence for the spirits living in the cave. The other side of the altar was turned towards the sea, as a sign of respect to the gods and spirits of the sea element.

Over time, various buildings appeared around the altar, and the decoration of the temple also changed over time. Today, the territory is a large-scale complex that is directly adjacent to the seashore. The complex is divided into several courtyards. All the buildings are made of black volcanic stone, the ground is sometimes paved with stone, sometimes covered with lawn. There is a statue of a dragon in one of the courtyards, people believe that it protects not only the Goa Lavah temple, but also the entire island.

In the far courtyard there is a cave with bats. There are a lot of them here, some of them are located on the outer walls of the cave. Inside the cave it is lively even during the day, mice fly from place to place, communicate with each other. Most visitors are only allowed to peek into the main hall. In the evenings, temple attendants and pilgrims bring fruits to the cave to feed the mice.

Legends of the temple

Naturally, a place like Goa Lavah Temple is surrounded by many different legends. According to one of them, besides bats, naga snakes live in the cave, they have the body and head of a man, and a snake tail. The nagas guard the treasures that are hidden in the depths of the cave. It is said that at the beginning of the 20th century, Dutch soldiers wanted to capture the Goa Lavah Temple and find treasures. The nagas put them to flight, according to another legend, instead of snakes, there is a dragon hiding in the cave.

According to another legend, there is an underground passage in the cave, its depth is more than 20 km, but it leads to the foot of the Agung volcano. Locals tell a story about a rooster who wandered into a cave and disappeared, and then was found just at the volcano.

There is another story, according to it, the entrance to another world is hidden in a cave. Indeed, people and animals used to disappear in the depths of the cave, and there is evidence that one day a whole group of scientists and a priest did not return from there.

Goa Lavah Temple is of great interest to tourists. Spectacular celebrations are often held on its territory. There are always a lot of merchants at the temple gates, they offer various souvenirs, but they do not enter the complex, apparently it is a sin to trade on sacred land.