July 20, 2020

Sakenan Temple Denpasar Bali - Old Temple With Nice Surroundings

Pura Dalem Sakenan or Sakenan Temple is an important and historic old temple, situated on the north-western edge of Serangan Island with amazing views of the sea. This sacred temple is dedicated to worshiping Hyang Baruna as the god of water and vast ocean. Lord Baruna in Hindu beliefs is often described riding on a mythical sea creature called Makara.

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This holy temple is located in Serangan Village, South Denpasar, Denpasar City, Bali. The temple is easily accessible, about 20 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport via Bali Mandara Toll Road. There is a large parking lot and also many food-stalls with delicious seafood.



When traveling to temples in Bali, visitors are usually asked to wear right attires (the traditional sarong and waist sash). This is common in Bali and also to respect the culture in the temple. It would be nice to prepare some money beforehand, in case you are charged entrance fees into the temple. Women during their period are not allowed to enter the temple.

The history of Sakenan Temple is mentioned in the ancient records of Lontar Usana Bali. In this source, it is said that Mpu Kuturan or Mpu Rajakerta built the Sakenan Temple during the reign of King Masula Masuli. This is known from the Sading Inscription dating to 1172 Saka or 1250 AD.

Sakenan Temple is also mentioned in Lotar Dwijendra Tattwa that the holy priest named Danghyang Nirartha arrived at Serangan Island and was amazed by the beautiful views of the sea and white sand. The priest is said to have arrived in Bali during the reign of Dalem Waturenggong (1411 Saka or 1489 AD). It is said that the priest also built a temple in Sakenan Temple.

Furthermore, according to the Purana Pura Sakenan compiled by the Tim Dinas Kebudayaan Bali, it was mentioned that Pura Sakenan is a sacred temple where subak farmers ask for blessings so that their agricultural crops survive the disease outbreak. It was stated that Hyang Sakenan had power over rice ear bugs or walang sangit and Hyang Masceti had power over rats that damaged plants.

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The name Sakenan is derived from the word "sakhya" in Sanskrit meaning: closeness, familiarity, or companionship. This holy temple does have a quiet atmosphere, situated on a beautiful small island and is surrounded by the sea which gives a sense of calm, full of familiarity and feelings close to nature. An atmosphere that makes it easy to unite the mind (prayer) to the Creator.

This is a sacred temple with beautiful architecture and highly respected. The piodalan ceremony at Pura Sakenan is celebrated once every 210 days according to the Balinese Calendar, which falls on Saniscara Kliwon wuku Kuningan (Saturday-Kliwon of the week Kuningan) or coincides with the celebration of Kuningan Day (Tumpek Kuningan).

When praying to Sakenan Temple, worshipers usually visit three temples: (1) Temple of Susunan Wadon which is about 650 meters to the east of Sakenan Temple, then (2) Temple of Susunan Agung, and finally (3) Pura Dalem Sakenan.

In the past, worshipers who went to Sakenan Temple to pray or bring sacred objects from the surrounding temples were all done on foot through the mangrove forest. While at high tide they use traditional wooden boats or "jukung" to cross to Serangan Island. Then, after the reclamation project around the 90s, the island can be reached via a 110m bridge.

The island itself is a beautiful small island and also one of the turtle conservation sites in Bali (Turtle Conservation and Education Center). The name of the island comes from the words "sira" and "angen", which means feeling of love or longing for a calm atmosphere and beautiful sea. This is a great place for recreation, fishing, spending the weekend while relaxing the mind, or just hunting for interesting photos.


Reference

  1. google.co.id
  2. wikipedia.org _ Pura Dalem Sakenan _ on July 18, 2020
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pura_Dalem_Sakenan
  3. Image : Original Collection

Searches on this site related to Sakenan Temple:

1. Turtle Conservation Serangan


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