Billy Bagus
Aug 19, 2025
Bali’s reputation as the “Island of a Thousand Temples” is not a poetic exaggeration but a cultural truth. Amid its countless sanctuaries, Pura Pusering Jagat stands apart, both as a spiritual compass and a cultural keystone. Hidden in the serene village of Pejeng in Gianyar, just an hour from Denpasar, this temple serves as a portal into Bali’s layered past and enduring devotion.
This temple is more than an architectural wonder—it is a portal into Bali’s layered past and enduring devotion.
At the Center
The very name, Pusering Jagat, translates to “the navel of the world.” Its location is no coincidence. According to Balinese cosmology, the temple sits at the central axis of the island, believed to be the cosmic midpoint from which life flows. Historically, this same region was once the heart of Bali’s ancient kingdom, making the temple not only a sacred site but also a symbolic seat of governance and order.
Scholars and priests alike affirm that the temple dates back to around the 10th century, coinciding with the arrival and flourishing of Hindu influence from Java. Yet, in true Balinese fashion, the temple’s exact origins are wrapped in mystery and myth. Ancient palm-leaf manuscripts, or lontar, speak of Pura Pusering Jagat as the meditation ground of Batara Amangkurat, while other traditions link it to stories from the Adi Parwa, the first book of the Mahabharata. In those tales, gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean to obtain the elixir of life—an allegory echoed in the temple’s alternative name, Pusering Tasik, or “center of the ocean.”
A Journey Through Sacred Space
The temple grounds unfold in accordance with Bali’s Tri Mandala concept—the sacred division of space into three realms. Entering through the outer Nista Mandala, visitors pass under grand gates, watched over by towering statues of elephants that act as timeless guardians. Here, a community pavilion or wantilan reminds guests that temples are not just spaces for prayer but also for gatherings, reinforcing the harmony between spiritual and social life.
Progressing inward, the Madya Mandala offers a shift in atmosphere. Archaic stone carvings and shrines seem to hum with quiet energy. It is here that one encounters an array of statues, each representing different sects of Hindu belief that once coexisted across the island—an architectural embodiment of Bali’s inclusive spiritual ethos.
Finally, the Utama Mandala, the holiest inner sanctum, reveals itself like a jeweled box. Shrines dedicated to deities cluster around carefully tended gardens, their intricate stonework softened by flowers. At the heart lies the Gedong Purusa, a shrine that houses the Lingga Yoni—ancient fertility symbols representing the union of male and female energies, known in Hinduism as Purusa and Pradana. Far from being taboo, these explicit forms symbolize creation itself, a celebration of life’s continuity and balance.
A Living Heritage
Pura Pusering Jagat is not a relic; it breathes with ritual and rhythm. Ceremonies such as piodalan (the temple’s anniversary festival) and melasti (purification rites) transform its courtyards into vibrant theaters of devotion. During such occasions, the temple becomes a kaleidoscope of color, sound, and incense, with devotees in white flowing garments carrying ornate offerings to honor Lord Shiva, the deity enshrined here as the supreme manifestation of divinity.
Adding to its mystique is the Telaga Maya, a dry pond on the temple’s eastern edge. Legend holds that offerings placed here during rituals mysteriously reappear in the waters off Nusa Penida, miles away, as though carried through an unseen current. Stories like these affirm the temple’s aura of mystery and its place in the spiritual imagination of Bali.
