Melanting Temple, A Place of Worship To Worship the Goddess of Money

Balitraveldiary.com – The island of Bali is inhabited by people who are mostly Hindus. That is why there are many temples built all over the island as places of worship. There are several types of temples based on their function and the purpose for which they were founded. One of them is the temple of melanting.

Types of Temples in Bali Based on Their Functions

There are several types of temples in Bali as a place of worship for Hindus. Each type of temple has its own function and characteristics. Places of worship are grouped into four types. Furthermore, below will be explained about the division of types according to their function.

1. Pura Kahyangan Jagat and Dang Kahyangan Jagat

This is a type of temple that serves to perform worship in worshiping God. Hindu society worships the gods they profess. The Dang Kahyangan Jagat Temple is a place to worship the holy teacher for his services in spreading Hinduism in Bali.

2. Kahyangan Tiga Temple

Pura Kahyangan Tiga is a type of sacred building which is a place to worship Lord Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. In every traditional village in Bali, you will surely find these three main holy places. This is a manifestation of the respect and obedience of the community to expect a good life.

3. Kawitan Temple

The next type is the Kawitan Temple. This is a temple whose construction is intended to honor origins or ancestors in a lineage. This building is a form of respect for the sacred ancestral spirits in a kinship group.

In every house of Hindus there is also a place of family worship called merajan. Various religious ceremonies can also be performed here. The piodalan ceremony in merajan can also be done every six months. Of course, on a small scale because it is Piodalan alit.

4. Swagina Temple

This temple is a group of temples whose function is as a place of worship for Hindus according to their livelihood. This temple is divided into temples for fishermen, farmers and traders. This place of worship for traders is called Pura Melanting. This temple is intended as a place of worship for Bhatari Melanting or Ida Ayu Swabawa.

History of Melanting Temple in Buleleng

One of the many places of worship in the Buleleng area, Bali, is the Singaraja Melanting Temple. This temple is used to worship Bhatari Melanting. The position of this sacred building is close to Pulaki Temple, Customs, and several other Hindu places of worship. All of these buildings have historical links between each other.

This temple to worship Ida Ayu Swabawa is indeed intended for people who have a livelihood as traders or have work ties. Because, Ida Ayu Swabawa is considered the Goddess of sustenance and prosperity. This is related to the story that the daughter of Dang Hyang Nirartha is very good at trading and teaches it to the local people.

One of the most important teachings is honesty in business. Bhatari Melanting teaches that every Hindu who buys and sells, avoids fraudulent practices. For example, by cheating the scales in order to get more profit. This is to avoid unwanted losses.

If they cheat, the merchant will suffer the consequences. His merchandise may be very crowded, but he is not able to collect the profits. There are always obstacles that make him run out of money. This is what makes the adherents of Dewi Melanting’s teachings highly uphold honesty in business.

According to the story, formerly Ida Ayu was assigned by her father, Dang Hyang Niratha, to look after her mother who was pregnant. They were on their way to the east. However, because his mother was not strong enough to continue the journey, it was decided that he would rest and be looked after by Ida Ayu Swabawa and some of his followers.

Princess Dang Hyang Niratha’s expertise is her ability to trade. Thanks to their expertise, the location where they lived became a thriving commercial center. Unfortunately, the father never returned. Finally, his mother begged the gods to have eternal life to continue the wait.

This continuous request was finally granted by the gods. However, there is a condition that must be agreed, namely that they will not be seen by other living humans. Finally, Ida Ayu Swabawa, his mother, and everyone in the village lived eternally, but were not seen. The village disappeared from the sight of the common people.

That was the story about the Melanting Temple in Bali. There are several versions that tell the story of his journey. However, in general, it tells about Ida Ayu Swabawa’s expertise in

source kintamani.id