'Bali' is one of the worlds most beautiful islands which resides within the lands of Indonesia where it is known as the 'land of the gods' and the 'island of a thousand temples' so named as its said to be a country which possess more temples than houses.

 

'Bali' is a word from the ancient language of Sanskrit whose meaning is to 'offer' to 'worship' to 'tribute' its most famous as the name of Bali Marharaj who 'offered' everything to Visnu and this became the name of this beautiful island whose daily life is one of 'offerings' to the gods.

 

According to the ancient culture of the Vedas, these temples are 'tirthas' a word formed from 'Tr' a root from the language of Sanskrit whose meaning is to 'cross over' hence these 'tirthas' are 'bridges' and 'crossings' where one can connect to the gods and cross over to the celestial realms.

 

 

Bali is an island which has preserved its ancient culture whose philosophy is known as 'tri hita karana' words from the ancient language of Sanskrit whose meanings are the three ( tri ) causes ( karana ) of well being ( hita ) as in 'harmony with god' as in 'harmony with people' as in 'harmony with nature'.

 

One of the practices of this philosophy is known as 'agama tirtha' words from the language of Sanskrit whose meanings are the sacred knowledge ( agama ) of holy water ( tirtha ) a practice which is seen throughout the land as water is one of the most prominent features of this beautiful island.

 

The three causes of well being ( tri hita karana ) and the sacred knowledge of holy water ( agama tirtha ) come together to create 'subak' an irrigation system where the water which grows their food and feeds their rice paddies passes through a network of sacred monuments such as the temples and the lingams.

 

 

Above we see the central pivot of this sacred irrigation system which is the 'Pura Ulul Danu Bratam' a temple whose name means 'the goddess danu is in charge of this lake' the goddess Danu being a river goddess who is mentioned throughout the ancient Vedas of India.

 

'Danu' is a name from the language of Sanskrit whose meaning is she who gives ( da ) waters ( nu ) and although the meaning of this root 'nu' seems to have been lost we see it within 'nun' the personification of the primal waters of Egypt and we see it within 'nubs' a word from Latin whose meaning is 'cloud'.

 

'Danu' has her footprints throughout the globe as the river 'Danube' which springs from the black forest of Germany, as the rivers 'Don' seen throughout Russia and Britain, as the rivers 'Dnieper' and 'Dniester' seen throughout Europe and here we see her on the island of Bali as the central temple connecting a vast network of temples which purifies the irrigation system of Bali.

 

 

As well as the island of Bali we also have the lands of Cambodia which are famous for the great wonder of the world known as 'Angkor Wat' a temple which was built by the great Vedic dynasty known as the 'Khmers' who also applied this ancient system of irrigation.

 

Upon a river bed within the Cambodian city of 'Siem Reap' we find thousands of Siva lingas whose purpose is to purify the waters as they journey towards the paddy fields and as the temple of Danu is the centre of irrigation within Bali, it just may be that Angkor Wat was once the centre of irrigation within Cambodia.

 

Water has the unique ability to make things grow and wash away impurities both physical and spiritual and so within the language of Sanskrit we have over 100 names for water which describe its many qualities, and within the Vedas it describes rivers such as the 'Ganges' the 'Yamuna' and the 'Sarasvati' as sacred and it also describes 'Danu' as a goddess of the rivers and one who is in charge of the waters of Bali.

 

 

Throughout the lands of Bali we find many place names which are from the ancient language of Sanskrit such as 'Negara' which is the capital of the Jembrana province and whose origin is 'nagara' a word from Sanskrit whose meaning is 'town' and 'city'.

 

We also discover the capital of the Buleleng province which is known as 'Singaraj' a name from the language of Sanskrit whose meaning is the lion ( singa ) king ( raj ) and we have 'Amlapura' a city within the province of Karangasem whose meaning is city ( pura ) of fruits ( amalaka ).

 

'Semarapura' serves as the capital of the Klungkung province and its name which is Sanskrit means the place ( pura ) which is accompanied by the gods ( samara ) and we have 'Mangapura' the capital of the province of Badung whose Sanskrit name means the place ( pura ) of happiness ( mangala ).

 

 

The beautiful village of 'Kintanami' is a popular tourist destination where people enjoy the most beautiful scenic landscapes and the name of this village is from the language of Sanskrit whose meaning is the jewel ( mani ) of the mind ( cinta ) as in the wish fulfilling jewel as in the philosophers stone.

 

'Kamasan' is a village within the island of Bali which is famous for its traditional style of painting as well as its gold smiths, musicians, dancers and puppeteers and its name which is from the language of Sanskrit is said to mean that which fulfils ( san ) all desires ( kama ).

 

We also have the highlands of 'Wanagiri' which is surrounded by the most amazing forests and views of the lakes 'Buyan' and 'Tamblingan' and its name is from the language of Sanskrit where 'varna' whose meaning is 'covering' has come to mean 'hidden' and 'giri' means 'hill' hence its meaning is the hidden ( varna ) hill ( giri ).

 

 

'Sukawati' is a district within the Gianyar regency of Bali whose name is from the language of Sanskrit meaning that which is full of ( vat ) happiness ( sukha ) and we also have 'Kuta' one of the top tourist destinations within Bali and within the language of Sanskrit the word 'Kuta' means 'house' 'dwelling' 'mountain' 'horn'.

 

'Desa Pancasari' is a region of Bali whose name is from the language of Sanskrit with the 'desa' whose meaning is 'province' 'region' 'place' and 'pancasari' is 'panca' whose meaning is 'five' and 'shari' whose meaning is 'arrow' a name which refers to 'Kamadeva' the god of love who possesses 'five arrows'.

 

'Tirta Gangga' was once the royal palace of Bali which was built in 1946 and its name is from the language of Sanskrit whose meaning is the holy waters ( tirtha ) of the river Ganges and we also have the region of 'Sukasada' whose name is from the language of Sanskrit and may mean eternal ( sada ) happiness ( sukha ).

 

 

'Mount Agung' is the highest peak within Bali and seen by the Balinese to be their Mount Meru, the home of the gods, and rising majestically upon this mountain is the mother temple of Bali whose name is 'Pura Besakih' ( pictured above ) a temple complex which dates back to prehistoric times, the bases of some of these temples are said to resemble megalithic stepped pyramids going back in time thousands of years.

The centrepiece of this temple is the 'padmasana' whose meaning is the lotus ( padma ) throne ( asana ) and this houses the three principles deities of Lord Brahma who is the creator and Lord Visnu who is the maintainer and Lord Siva who is the destroyer, all of whom are known as the Trimurti and the Guna Avatars.

 

'Pura Besakih' the name for this beautiful temple is formed from 'Vasuki' a name from the language of Sanskrit which describes the divine King of the Nagas as mentioned within the Gita and the Puranas and this is confirmed within the Balinese tradition which describes 'Besakih' as 'Naga Besukian'.

 

 

Above we see the 'Tirtha Empul' whose meaning is the temple of the holy spring ( tirtha ) a temple which was built over a thousand years ago upon a large natural spring and then was made as an offering to Lord Visnu by the Vamanadeva dynasty.

 

We also have the the 'Pura Taman Sarasvati' a temple which is dedicated to the great Vedic goddess of learning and language  known as 'Sarasvati' one of the most popular tourist attractions which is built upon a lotus pond and lotus garden.

 

'Goa Gajah' is a temple within the lands of Bali which is formed of Sanskrit words whose meanings are the elephant ( gaja ) cave ( guha ) a temple which is dedicated to Siva and Ganesh and Kali and one which is also admired for its ever present bathing facilities.

"This was the time of the great Indian expansion, when seafaring merchants fanned out across the Indian Ocean and brought to Southeast Asia a seething ferment of new ideas. From Burma to Indonesia, they established a chain of settlements along the coasts from which they traded for gold, precious stones, perfumes, and spices. The merchants brought with them their religion, Hinduism and Buddhism, their literary language, Sanskrit, their art and technology; and their science and mathematics." (source: Splendors of the Past: Lost Cities of the Ancient World - National Geographic Society. p.186-190).

 

“Looking at the cultures of the peoples of Asia in general and south east Asia in particular, the awareness grows upon us that what we see in Burma or Siam or Indonesia is but an extension of Indian culture – they could be legitimately called a Greater India.” Wilhelm Von Humboldt (1767-1835) German Indologist, Prussian minister of education, a brilliant linguist and the founder of the science of general linguistics.

 

"In the veins of every one of my people flows the blood of Indian ancestors and the culture that we possess is steeped through and through with Indian influences. Two thousand years ago people from your country came to Jawadvipa and Suvarnadvipa in the spirit of brotherly love. They gave the initiative to found powerful kingdoms such as those of Sri Vijaya, Mataram and Majapahit. We then learnt to worship the very Gods that you now worship still and we fashioned a culture that even today is largely identical with your own". Suharto Sukarno (1901- 1970) Indonesian nationalist leader and the first President of Indonesia.