Tirta Empul Temple: Devotees bathe in holy spring water, seek blessings of Bhgawan Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma

Tirta Empul Temple is a Hindu Balinese temple dedicated to Bhagwan Vishnu, located near Tampaksiring. The temple is famous for its holy spring water. There are many bathing structures with fresh water within the temple complex. Balinese Hindus consider it to be holy or ‘Amrith’. Tirta Empul temple was founded in 962 AD around a large water spring. The name of the temple also comes from the spring. In the Balinese language, Tirta Empul loosely translated means water gushing from the earth. For this reason, Tirta Empul is regarded as a holy spring. The Tirta Empul Temple includes shrines of Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, as well as one for Indra and Mount Batur.

The temple contains a range of shrines, gates, courtyards, along with these purification pools where Balinese Hindus “consecrate” themselves underneath waterspouts. This complex is predominantly a place of worship for God Indra. Indra is the manifestation of Bhagwan Vishnu, God of water, this pool is believed to be a place of self-purification. The water of the pool neutralises negative influences for people who pray and undertake ceremonial bathing in this holy water. There are three large pool sections in this temple complex area. Each pool has several water taps with a depth of about one meter.

This temple has a cool atmosphere because of the water body and humidity in the air. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist claims that every molecule of water can store memory. Therefore, collective memory of all the bhaktas, who visit temples, is stored in the atmosphere; which in turn provides the pious atmosphere. Emoto has also published books titled ‘Messages from Water’. This work is in resonance with the Hindu beliefs to make water an essential component of temple complexes. Theertham (Teerth or Teerth) literally refers to water. Literally refers to water, which explains the term teerth kshetra (holy place) and Teerth Yatra– pilgrimage. To reconnoiter the meaning and origin of rituals and deep common beliefs in Panchamahabhutas amongst Hindus of Bharat and Hindus of Bali can be a thought-provoking topic of research.