Buleleng Northern Lights

Jagatnatha, Singaraja

Singaraja’s Pura Agung Jagatnatha, inaugurated by the Governor of Bali, Ida Bagus Oka on 1 July 1993, is unique because of housing a standing statue of Ganesa in its central courtyard. This is the only temple with such a standing Ganesa statue on this island. Apart from this, the two-hectare temple has a main padmasana residing place nearby the holy sites of Pelinggih Ratu Murah Pengenter and Dewa Ayu Pengenter.

The second-rank priest of pemangku in charge of the temple, Jero Mang-ku Gede Wayan Suyasa, said that the standing Ganesa statue has exposed a special meaning of reflecting people’s readiness in Buleleng to develop their region. The Ganesha statue also shows that Singaraja wishes to be a Centre of Education, especially education for promoting Hindu religion.
Further buildings existing in the temple are amongst others pavilion, kitchen, and pemangku hall, which was designed by a famous architect, Ida Bagus Tugur. The design was a combination of Balinese architecture of northern and southern parts of this island. The material used for the building was specific sands and pumice of Buleleng region, apart from stones from Gunung Agung, while the carving was a result of combining styles of north and south Bali.
The combining of styles also showed a specific sense related to the fact that Buleleng Regency, especially its capital city of Singaraja, is famous as a site inhabited by migrants from outside the island and other parts of Bali, living in harmony with each other without caring about their place of origin.
In addition to its annual ‘odalan’ ceremony held on Purnama Kasa or first full moon according to the Balinese traditional calendar, the temple is also to perform rituals on every full and dark moon, and on other holy days accompanied with dharma wacana (religious counselling) and dharma tula (religious dialogue). (Ole)