Tirta Sudamala Temple: Purification of the Souls from the Nine Gods who Reside in the Corners of the Wind

Tirta Sudamala Tample (Photo Source : Editorial Collection)

Tirta Sudamala Temple is a religious tourist attraction located in Banjar Sedit, Bebalang Village, Bangli District, Bangli Regency, Bali. Taking on a sekala and noetic nuance, this place is a holy bathing place that is visited by many Balinese people and foreign tourists who want to see the natural beauty of Tirta Sudamala Temple or immortalize the moments of religious ceremonies there. However, usually, people who visit this place will carry out the melukat procession as a request to ask for safety and healing from diseases caused by negative energy and to clean mala or dirt in the human body.

Apart from being a place of melukat, Tirta Sudamala Temple is also used as a place of pemelastian of gods and goddesses in the form of Pratima. This Pratima usually takes the form of a barong, rangda, or other Balinese mask which resides in a temple in Bali as a physical form of the energy in the temple. This Pratima cleansing or pemelastian is usually carried out if the temple where it is located is going to perform pujawali piodalan or karya gedé with the aim of asking for a Tirta Amerta to cleanse the universe and its contents "Angayutaken Mala, Angamet Tirta Amerta".

Pratima in the Form of Barong and Celuluk ( Photo Source : Editorial Collection)

Tirta Sudamala Temple as a place for melukat and pemelastian, has several fountains that flow from natural springs around large trees that are hundreds of years old. This shower is located in jaba or outside Tirta Sudamala Temple or more precisely on the eastern slope of Tirta Sudamala Temple. To get to this shower, simply walk down the stairs to the left of Tirta Sudamala Temple. When you arrive there, you will be greeted by the sound of roaring shower water and the wind blowing from the trees which provides a cool, calm and peaceful atmosphere.

The highest showers are 9 showers known as Dewata Nawa Sanga Shower with 9 statues of gods at the top of each shower. This shower is located at the southernmost side with a height of around 3.5 meters. The Dewata Nama Sanga Shower is the main shower at Tirta Sudamala Temple with a large enough water flow so you can really feel the splash when it falls on your body. 

Apart from Dewata Nawa Sanga Shower, Pura Tirta Sudamala also has 3 showers which are located lower than Dewata Nawa Sanga Shower. This shower is located just to the north of the Dewata Nawa Sangga Shower, where local people believe these three showers are the penglukatan of Widyadara, Widyadari, and Tirta Sudamala. Then, Tirta Sudamala Temple also has several Toya Kelebutan. Toya Kelebutan is a natural spring that comes out of the roots of a large tree in the ground. There are 3 Toya Kelebutan at Tirta Sudamala Tample, each of which is called Toya Langse, which is believed to be the place where Sang Hyang Taksu lives. Then, there is Toya Bulan which is believed to be the place where the White Starling resides. And finally there is Toya Penyeseh which is called the penglukatan Madu Kama.

Dewata Nawa Sanga Shower ( Photo Source : Editorial Collection)

Melukat at Tirta Sudamala Temple is not just about splashing yourself in all the showers there, but there is a sequence or procedure for melukat at Tirta Sudamala Temple. The procedure for doing melukat at Tirta Sudamala Temple starts from changing the clothes worn into traditional Madya clothes or traditional temple clothes. Next, carry out a melukat procession starting from Toya Kelebutan on the banks of the Tukad Sangsang River. Then, continue to Dewata Nawa Sanga Shower and finally to the 3 showers which are lower than Dewata Nawa Sanga Shower. 

People who bring small children need to pay attention to ensuring that they remain under adult supervision when carrying out penglukatan at Dewata Nawa Sanga Shower. After carrying out the melukat procession, then continue with prayers at the pelinggih which is located near the big tree there. But before that, people are expected to change their clothes into traditional temple clothes. The natural beauty there and the cool breeze bring a certain calm within you when carrying out the melukat procession. In addition, the strong religious atmosphere makes anyone feel the sensation of being at one with nature and focusing more on God.