In March I visited  Bali’s Temple of the Holy Water.  It was a deeply personal experience as well as spiritual and cultural. In the quiet of the temple, I sojourned with my inner self. I cleansed off my emotional debris.

Pura Tirta Empul or the Temple of the Holy Water is one of most important Hindu temples in Bali.

The spring, Tirta Empul, is connected with a legend (of different variations). For more than 1,000 years a holy stone was taken to this sacred site for cleansing every year. The legend itself is about two ponds – one poisonous, one healing.

So a legend of the triumph of good over evil.

The Legend of Pura Tirta Empul

King Maya Danawa was a black magician who could transform himself into anything. His powers corrupted him absolutely, and so Indra was called upon to vanquish him. The king’s spies forewarned him and he poisoned a pool in the camps which made Indra’s celestial army violently ill.  Indra struck open the ground to bring forth clean water and went on to defeat the king who turned himself into a stone.

Preparing for the Water Purification Ceremony

When I flew to Bali this past spring, sightseeing wasn’t on the agenda. I was there for a detox and a break, from life. A water purification ceremony felt perfect for where I was. Information was scant when I searched for it online. I found very little about personal experiences at Tirta Empul, specifically about taking my camera. It was another lesson of surrender and letting go. And trust. Yes, trust, a scarce currency at that time in life for me. I decided to bring my Canon 5D, knowing that I could always leave it in the car.

My butler at Como Shambhala prepared what I needed – a sarong and sash, towels, and plastic bags for wet clothing. Tirta Empul is a sacred place so wearing a sarong is a must. You can always borrow one at the temple, if you don’t have one.

My guide showed me how to properly tie my sash at the hotel, so I was already dressed and ready to go.

The Trip

We left on the pilgrimage mid-morning, passing through markets and preparations for an upcoming festival.  My guide also gave me some background information. He comes from a long line of priests, himself in training since young. Inside track, I thought. He told me many tibbits and stories.

Religion and spirituality are an integrated part of life in Bali, woven into everything they do.

Temple of Holy Water

Bali is still thankfully not developed like many popular tourist destinations in Asia so it wasn’t surprising that lush gardens greeted us. Before we entered the temple grounds, my guide made the first of many prayers and offerings. He carried a woven basket of all the offerings we would make at the pools and with the priest. For the ritual of prayers, we had with us different flowers that hold special meaning.

Pura Tirta Empul, like all temples, consists of three parts – the foyer, middle yard, and inner sanctum.

The facilities are very basic and include several shower rooms and lockers. Be careful of the wet floor. Changing into my dry clothes afterwards was quite an exercise in balance. I barely made it, almost falling over a few times.

The Water Purification Ceremony

Dressed in a t-shirt, sarong, and sash, I followed my guide towards the pools. And we began the ceremony with prayers and rituals.

The water was cool as I stepped into the pool, walking on anti-slip mats. These made the pools safer for everyone though to me, they felt weird. I followed my guide, in prayer, at each spout, dunking my head under the jet of water to cleanse. The Balinese believe that each spout purifies something different, from evil and poison to bad dreams.

In silence, I tapped into the spirituality and devotion that breathed through everything on this island. It was beautiful, and ancient. As I let the cold water rush over my head and my back, the world became just the sound of water.

Water symbolizes emotions. Being in holy water and being there for purification, strong feelings welled up, stirring up memories to be released. As the water washed over my body, I felt an ease and a letting go. I let go of pains I had once decided to hold onto. Of memories I once chose to live from. I let go of holding on and tears fell freely. I let go and surrendered. And welcomed home trust.

More Prayers

After we had changed into our dry clothes, my guide showed me the rest of the temple grounds. He spoke of how the level of the spring has been steadily decreasing over the years. He pondered a future without the spring, without the holy water for their rituals.

We sat down behind a priest as he performed a prayer for us. Again, I followed the guide as we made our last offerings of the day.

It was still quite early when we finished our purification ceremony. As we left the priest, the first tourists were just making their way around, adjusting their sarongs, taking photos, and looking around with a somewhat confused look. I would say it makes all the difference to have a local guide or at least a good guidebook to explain the subtleties. And of course to actually participate in the water purification ceremony.

The upside of coming so early was the souvenir stalls were just opening and I could avoid being stuck there, coming home with more unnecessary trinkets, little reminders you buy to preserve the memory with the thought you may never return. Instead, my souvenir was two bottles of holy water. You can buy water-tight containers there. I’d suggest first testing the containers at the hotel, before packing them in your luggage.

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My Bali experience this past March felt quite Eat, Pray, Love. Like the author, it was a pivotal time for myself and for many others I know. 2012 was the beginning of tremendous change that I would experience in my life. My Bali retreat was a time of necessary retreat and self-care.