Tirta Empul Temple

Tirta Empul Temple – Tampaksiring is a small village situated 36 km from Denpasar. The hallowed spring of Tirta Empul dates from legendary times on the hill above the sacred spring is the presidential palace built by Soekarno Indonesia’s first President. The waters here are believed to know magic curative powers.

The temple was build around 960 AD by King Candra Bayasingka from the Warmadewa dynasty. Like any other temple in Bali, this temple comprises of three-court yard, the Jaba Pura or the outer court and Jeroan, the inner court, the temple proper. Two rectangle pools are in the inner court. These pools have thirty fountains from east to west facing the east.
Each fountain bears its own name, among other Penglukatan used in cleansing ceremonies, Pembersihan, and cetik (Poison). In popular folklore this Cetik fountain and Tirta Empul were made by Indra when he pierced the earth to create the spring of Amerta, the elixir of immortality with which he was able to defeat the atheist demon king Mayadenawa, who to save himself ran away to the northern pail of the village of tampak Siring where hi created a poisonous (cetik) spring. Soldiers of India’s army died upon drinking from this spring. So Indra created the spring of Amerta called Tirta Empul to save his army.