Shrines and pavilions
A temple may contain just one or two shrines within a small courtyard,
or it may contain dozens of shrines and other structures within
two, or often three courtyards.
The innermost courtyard is the most sacred. Shrines are usually
located here in two rows - one lining the mountain (kaja) side
and the other lining the eastern (kangin) side. Toward the center
of the courtyard is a large structure where the gods gather during
rituals. Open pavilions for various purposes complete the arrangement.
Among the shrines lining the mountain ward side one often finds
a pair of small closed shrines (gedong) - one with an earthenware
dish on its roof, the other with a pointed roof. These honor protective
deities of the greatest importance: Dewi Sri, goddess of rice
and prosperity, and her consort Rambut Sedana, god of wealth.
A small shrine with a deer's head is called menjangan saluwang
and honors the legendary priest Mpu Kuturan, or a deity called
Bhatara Maospahit.
A particularly striking structure is the meru or Balinese pagoda,
which has an odd number of roofs, up to a maximum of eleven. A
meru honors a god or a deified ancestor, depending on what kind
of temple it is. It was probably introduced from Java during the
14th century.
In the mountain ward-eastward corner, between the rows of shrines,
there is often an open seat-type shrine. In its fully developed
form, adorned with cosmic turtle and serpents, this is called
a padmasana ("lotus throne") and honors the high god
Sanghyang Widhi in his manifestation as Siwa Raditya, the sun
god. Modern Balinese Hinduism stresses its monotheistic aspect,
and the padmasana has recently become more prominent.
Temple festivals are held according to one of two calendrical
systems. When it appears on the 210-day wuku calendar, a festival
is called an odalan; when it follows the lunar calendar, it is
often referred to as an usaba. Various factors, such as local
tradition and the size of the ritual, determine whether a festival
is officiated by the temple's own priest (Pemangku) or by a brahmana
high priest (Pedanda).
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