Merajan Kanginan Temple

Merajan Kanginan Temple is situated in the south of Banua Temple—kanginan is the Balinese word meaning east. So, Merajan Kanginan means a sanctum locating in the east. This temple makes use of the term merajan—in Bali, it generally refers to family temple—as it more emphasizes on the homage of holy ancestral souls that have reached the level of Deva Pitara.

In the palm-leaf manuscript Gaya Tri is stated that the souls of newly demise is called petra or preta. Having been cremated along with particular rituals, those souls are named pitara as they have passed religious rituals, ngaben (in Bali) and have been released from the bonds of its corporeal body. Later, it resumed with atma wadana rite named memukur or nyekah that aims at releasing the souls from the fetters of astral body. Ultimately, the status of the souls changes into Deva Pitara—meaning the souls have reached the plane of Deva. It is those souls named Deva Pitara that abided in the merajan shrine.
At Merajan, there is indeed a holy building (shrine) to venerate Deva as the manifestation of God. This matter indicates that the ancestral soul mentioned above has been equal to Deva, manifestation of God. However, the focus in merajan is the adoration of Deva Pitara, while at temple is Deva as manifestation of God.
Similarly, there is always pelinggih or shrine at temple to venerate the sacred ancestral soul. Just like at the temple of Penataran Agung Besakih, there is a shrine that is dedicated to Sang Hyang Siam, Mpu Beradah and Mpu Dang Hyang Markandia. Nevertheless, they are focused on the veneration of Sang Hyang Tri Purusa (Parama Siva, Sadasiva, Siva) at Padma Tiga of Besakih.
So is the Merajan Kanginan Temple, it’s dedicated for the adoration of Ida Manik Angkeran (son of Mpu Sidi Mantra from East Java). In mythology, it’s mentioned that Bali and Java Island were originally an island. When Manik Angkeran studied at Besakih (Bali), Mpu Sidi Mantra cut the land connecting both islands into a sea that is now known as Bali Strait. The cutting was performed to prevent Manik Angkeran from going home too frequently.
The main shrine at Merajan Kanginan Temple is Gedong Simpen, a shrine of four beams and roofed with palm fibre as a means to venerate the sacred soul of Mpu Beradah. There is one that put this into question, why was the soul of Mpu Beradah, not of Mpu Sidi Mantra, abided in the Merajan Kanginan Temple? Wasn’t Mpu Sidi Mantra the father of Manik Angkeran? Probably, it was Mpu Beradah who became spiritual teacher at Besakih and Manik Angkeran made him his spiritual father, while Mpu Sidi Mantra who lived in Java his biological father.
At Merajan Kanginan Temple occurs as well a shrine Bale Tegeh to venerate Bhatara Tirtha. Mainly, hermitage of pandita or Hindu priest is a place where devotees ask for spiritual guidance. One of the functions of priest according to Sarasamusccaya 40 is as ‘sang patirthan.’ It means that the priest at hermitage is a place where devotees to perform self-purification. In extending purification, other than spiritual guidance to devotees who come with holy Sastra (a work of sacred scripture), is also completed with providing with Tirtha (holy water) as symbol of self-purification by physical and inner blessing of the priest. Such holy water is called Tirtha Penglukatan. This Bale Tegeh Pelinggih Tirtha serves as venerating shrine to God by the priest on invoking the purificatory holy water through praying to Gods as of God’s manifestation in advance. By doing so, such holy water represents the divine vibration of God’s grace. On that account, at Merajan Kanginan occurs Bale Tegeh shrine as Pelinggih Tirtha.
If ants spread out to attack the plants, farmers around Besakih will appeal for blessing at this temple symbolically in the form of such purificatory holy water. This holy water is then sprinkled over entire plants that assaulted by those ants. Thus, it’s expected that plants of the farmers can be freed from those ants.
In the tradition of Balinese Hindu, up to current times, the hermitage of priest is called Geria. The priest will extend services to devotees who would like to ask for any religious needs, particularly holy water. Therefore, holy water of Geria is called Tirtha Geria or Toyan Ida. In general, this holy water is used to sprinkle the offerings in Bali prior to be presented. As a consequence, those offerings will be sacred as media to invoke God’s boon. (BTN/Kt. Wiana)