Parerepan Dalem Pemutih Temple : World Balancer Temple

Bali is known as the "Island of a Thousand Temples." However, many of the temples on the island are located in remote areas, so most people are not aware of them. One such temple is Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih. Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih is a relatively unknown temple that is not even listed on GPS apps like Google Maps. It is located on the border between Bualu Village and Peminge Village, in Kuta Selatan District and Badung Regency.

According to the temple's priest, no one knows for sure when the temple was built. There are no definitive records, such as inscriptions or palm leaf manuscripts, that can attest to its age. However, it is known that Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih existed even before Bualu Village was built, which was before 1961.

Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih is closely related to Pura Dalem Pemutih Geger. Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih is the home of the unen-unen, or sacred effigy, of Ida Dalem Pemutih. According to the priest, the relationship between the unen-unen and Ida is like that between a president and his minister. Ida Dalem Pemutih also resides in a shrine within Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih. His pelawat, or manifestation, is placed in a separate sacred area. The pelawat of Ida Dalem Pemutih at Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih is a pair of barong and rangda.

Barong and Rangda ( Source : Private Collection )

Barong is a sacred creature in Balinese and Javanese mythology that is depicted as a two- or four-legged creature with a head that resembles various animals, such as a bear, wild boar, dog, buffalo, elephant, or tiger. However, the most famous and revered of all is the figure of a four- or two-legged creature with a lion's head.

Rangda, on the other hand, comes from the Old Javanese word for "widow." In Balinese mythology, Rangda is the manifestation of Dewi Durga, the queen of the gods who is also the goddess of death and destruction. Rangda is depicted as a woman with long, disheveled hair, long nails, a long protruding tongue, large, staring eyes, and a face that is often depicted with a terrifying mask.

There is a reason why the barong and rangda are placed in Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih. This is also the reason why Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih is a neutralizer of the world. In the past, there was a plague that killed many people in the Bualu and Peminge villages. Ida descended to the world at that time. The local people then prayed to Ida to eliminate the plague. Ida Dalem Pemutih then danced. After that, the plague disappeared within seven days. Therefore, until now, the barong and rangda at Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih are used as penawang jagat, or neutralizers of the world. The world in this case refers specifically to Bualu and Peminge villages.

Visitors or pemedek usually come to the temple to perform pengelukatan (ritual bathing) and request for offspring, in addition to offering their devotions. According to the priest, a couple once prayed for offspring at Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih. The couple had been married for many years without any children. After praying, the couple was blessed with twins.

Because the temple is closely related to Pura Geger Dalem Pemutih, the temple's pujawali (ritual) follows that of Pura Geger Dalem Pemutih. The pujawali of Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih is held on the full moon of the sixth month of the Balinese calendar. During the pujawali, the unen-unen that resides in Pura Parerepan Dalem Pemutih will be taken to Pura Dalem Pemutih Geger after first performing piodalan at its own location. The odalan (ritual) for the pelawat of Ida, namely the barong and rangda, is held every Tumpek Wayang (a traditional Balinese holiday).

Pujawali Parerepan Dalem Pemutih Temple ( Source : Private Colletion )