Maybe it’s because guide books are becoming a thing of the past and Facebook is the new travel guide that somehow tourists are not aware of the many legends (or even curses) of Bali that we first heard about so many times when we first visited.
The most famous legend, or in this case curse that can affect tourists is the one about Tanah Lot. It is believed that a couple that are not married will break up if they visit Tanah Lot, especially at sunset.
There are many stories about how this curse came about, some say a Princess threw a curse on the Temple after having watched the beautiful romantic sunset at Tanah Lot she had pre-marital sex with her Prince, who later refused to marry her.
Believe in curses and not married? That’s okay, take a Chaperone with you and don’t get too cuddly in your photos.
Then there is the legend of Tirta Empul, this magnificent temple with springs is a powerful place for Balinese to visit. Each spout of water has a different purpose, such as a cure for illness, and one for fertility. Don’t believe it? Well, we had a family member pregnant very soon after her blessing here.
There is a legend which has many versions about the Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur, In Jan 1993 the hotel was destroyed by a fire, the whole main building of 600 rooms, except on room, room327 on the 3rd floor. Some say that 42 days before the fire a spiritual medium was asked by the Queen of the Sea to reserve this room and room 2401, if they did not they would be punished, they had 42 days to comply. Room 2401 was a cottage separate to the hotel and also did not burn down. The high winds from the sea that day made it impossible to contain the fire.
Balinese have a strong appreciation of the Queen of the Sea and other spirits of the sea. The Uluwatu Temple and other Temples such as Tanah Lot are two of seven Temples built on the ocean around Bali to protect us from the evil spirit of the sea. They are built for the Guardians of the sea.
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We have our own very Balinese important legend at Lake Batur, on how the Lake and mountain were formed by a giant, which we can share with you on tour
Also, guests that canoe with us are able to see the magnificent, and slightly secretive Temple on the water (Bali is famous for the Temple on the water at the Lake in the Bedugul area, but not many tourists know that we have our own at Lake Batur).
This temple has in the past 10 years we have been here been struck by lightning twice and the amazing tower burnt to the stonework. They say lightning never strikes twice but this temple has been struck by lightning many times since it was built (it has nothing to do with the whopping great metal pole inside). Now, we can share the store temple legend with you here, but it’s best shared while on the Lake looking up at this magnificent site.
The Balinese culture is filled with many myths and legends about all aspects of life from creation to death, our villagers can share some more legends of Bali with you on our Cultural Tour.
Photo credit: borrowed from the internet, unknown photographer but thank you for capturing the beauty of this special place.