The Island of a Thousand Temples (10)
Kemulan Taksu - Site of Ancestral Prayers

We have described types and functions of temples, including the concepts applied in structure and construction of Hindu spiritual principles in line with the need to provide a proper site for prayers for Balinese Hindu families on this island. The site is known as Pura Kawitan (Ancestral Temple), consisting of Sanggah or Merajan Kemulan, Merajan Gede/Kamulan Agung, Pura Ibu, Dadia/Panti, Batur, and Padharman. The Ancestral Temple is a medium to honor ancestors, referred to as Dewa Pitara or Bhatara Hyang Guru.

Prayer to ancestors at the Ancestral Temple has a similar sense to interpreting the system in detail of the Balinese Hindu religion, having a very wide dimension. Essentially, the structural system of ritual is a medium for the development of the spiritual conscience, elevating it and building power towards the reconstruction of life in sectors such as economy, socio-culture, security and pleasure. These sections would further function as a base to strengthen spiritual conscience.
Such development is in harmony with religious reference, initiating the use of tiered ancestral rituals (devoted to Dewa Pitara Bhatara Hyang Guru), gradually stepping up towards prayer to God Almighty. This systemic prayer and devotion produces a total and balanced way of life both physically and spiritually, for individuals and social creatures to further facilitate personal development and social environment. By this way, parents can educate their children within a familiar community with respect to sradha (confidence) and bhakti (sincerity) in relation to God and the ancestors. At the same time, the development of conviction and sincerity has a positive effect on the children’s personality and social environment encouraging a sustainable, skillful and professional life.
People as social beings can develop harmony in their lives by means of dedication of spirit horizontally (amongst each other), vertically (towards ancestors and The Creator/God) and downward (towards nature).
In essence, the focus of ritual activity at the ‘Kemulan Taksu’ is a family activity to prepare individuals to live in the community while looking to the future with optimism. In other words, everybody should be able to live both individually and socially.
With regards to installation of the Kemulan Taksu, we should take care not only of its physical structure, but also concentrate on the more important question of how to manage the holy building to the benefit of the family according to the principles of bakti and srada.
In everyday life, certain quarters in Bali wrongly opine that the Kemulan Taksu or rong tiga triple-room structure is a site of worshipping Dewa Tri Murti. This notion has no literary base at present such as a Dewa Lontar Usana, Gong Wesi or Lontar Siwagama, which clarify in detail that the Kamulan Taksu is a site for honoring Sang Hyang Atma (ancestors) who have achieved a position of Dewa Pitara or Sidha Dewata. Thus, ancestors we honor by means of the Pelinggih Kamulan holy implement are termed Dewa Pitara or Sidha Dewata.
Our deceased ancestors should firstly undergo cremation in the process of Ngaben/Pitra Yadnya to become atman and secondly the process of Atma Wedana to purify the atman. This process is also termed Ngeroras or Nyekah or Memukur or Maligia, to leave just karma wasana, the remainder of what has been done during life, especially good deeds, to guide Sang Atma to Heaven.
Religious rituals performed by descendants of the dead in the first and the second phases and the ritual held in Kemulan Taksu, aim to multiplying good karma for the ancestor. According to the book of Manawa Dharmasastra (III.37), good deeds done by descendants would give pahala (fruit) to the descendants which balance the sins committed by the latter’s’ ancestors. We can conclude that every human deed brings about three consequences - to our ancestors, to ourselves as doers and our descendants. One of the good deeds is executing a religious ceremony for the sake of ancestors.
Following the three phases of rituals is a ceremony termed Ngalinggihang Dewa Pitara (installing the holy soul) at Kemulan Taksu. The term is also synonymous with Nuntun Dewa Pitara. After having been installed at Kemulan Taksu, the Dewa Pitara becomes the family’s spiritual guru or Bhatara Hyang Guru. Bhatara in Sanskrit means ‘protector’, Hyang is ‘holy’, and Guru is ‘leader’. Thus, Bhatara Hyang Guru means holy leader praised as a protector and leader.
The process of installing the holy soul has id described in the scripts Lontar Purwa Bumi Kamulan, Lontar Siwagama, and Lontar Lebur Gangsa.
Sometimes, a man or a group of men in the Balinese Hindu religious system, not necessarily from a certain family, may decline to eat lungsuran (sacred sacrifice) which is the remainder of an offering at Kemulan Taksu. Lungsuran may mean a post-offering banten (implement of offering), termed in India prasadam.(Ketut Wiana and Berata Ashrama, editor)