The Island of a Thousand Temples (7)
The Distinction of Kawitan Temple

Pura Kawitan is a place for worshipping holy ancestors’ spirits (Sang Hyang Atma). This temple is built by Hindu families, starting from the nuclear family (father, mother, and children) up to the extended family members of soroh (clan).

The temple in the family home is called Sanggah or Merajan Kemulan, which is usually placed on the hilt of the house area of Hindu families. The Balinese Hindu members name that hilt a kewulan. For the nuclear family, this Sanggah or Merajan Kemulan is a media to create a strong religious relationship.
Hinduism actually does not only teach its members to always keep a vertical relationship between humans and their God, but also to defend the harmonic relationship between human and its environment. According to the holy book Siwagama, on the hilt of each house’s yard should be a Merajan Kemulan. If that family develops its land for about 8-10 house yards, a gathering place for praying should be built again and called Merajan Ibu Pertiwi (some people also call it Kemulan or Merajan Agung.) If that family develops again another 20 house yards, another Pura Batur for revering the ancestor’s holy spirit or Sang Hyang Atma must be built. If that family keeps developing up to 40 house yards, they need to have another temple built called Pura Dadia or Pura Panti. Meanwhile, for the entire great family that belongs to one clan, they have their own place of worship that is named Pura Kawitan or some also often call it Padharman. When a family reaches up to 8 or 10 family heads or more, but they still live in one house—then only one Merajan Kemulan should be built for the entire family.
According to the seminar results of The Unity Exegesis of Hindu Aspects, 1980 – that was already relegated by Central PHDI through Maha Sabha – all the family temples are called Pura Kawitan. The result of the research by an expert team of Hindus showed that many people thought that all the Balinese Hindus had their own Padharman. This is correct. Clearly a Padharman is a place to adore Dewa Pitara or the ancestors of a family that come from the royal kingdom. So that, to unite the entire substances, the King permitted the citizens to erect Padharman, that usually stands in the area of Besakih temple. Why Pura Padharman is special will be presented separately.
One important question is why all Hindu families in Bali have their own family place of worship? Manawa Dharmasastra (III, 202 and 203) exemplifies that worshipping our ancestors (Dewa Pitara) will bring prosperity, and can strengthen our adoration for God.
The holy bible Bhagawad Gita (IX.25) tells us, adoring Butha will arrive to Butha, adoring the ancestor will penetrate to the ancestor; adoring Dewa (Gods) will enter Gods realm, and adoring God will reach His realm as well. Some also describe that this sloka (holy verse) is just like giving a sign that it is not proper to adore Butha, Dewa Pitara, or ancestor), just adore God.
That interpretation was not false at all. The one that needs to be understood is the fact of worshipping Butha, Pitara or ancestor, and Gods, whereas in Manawa Dharmasastra holy bible it is claimed that previous adoration will strengthen the next adoration, which is Ida sang Hyang Widhi Wasa (God the Almighty).
The form of adoring Butha is with yadnya (sacrifice) to nature with love and affection, in adoring the ancestor/Dewa Pitara by good behavior, adoring the Gods is the same as worshipping the holy light of God. In short, adoring atman (Holy Spirit) is in Pura Kawitan and adoring Brahman (God manifestation) in Pura Dewa Prathista. This thing has already become a tradition within the Balinese Hindus generally, wherever they are. (By Ketut Wiana and Berata Ashrama, editor).