Tirtagangga

Water gardens / Vodní zahrady

Exploring East Bali with your own transport is truly a great thing to do. If you give yourself some time and are prepared to take the scenic route, sometimes not knowing exactly where it will end, you will be rewarded. when the scenery craving is fulfilled and you need a pit-stop to recharge the batteries one place you might consider is the water gardens at Tirtagangga.

Taking the main road north from Amlapura following the signs for Tirtagangga, one will notice the emerald rice fields on both sides. Indeed as the road passes the water-palace and swings round to Abang and Culik there is equally stunning scenery to be found if one is willing to take a detour down one of the unmarked local roads.

The area of the water garden is about 1.2 ha (3 acres), consisting of three levels of ground stretching from east to west. On the highest northern Swah level there are the spring under the banyan tree, the upper swimming pool and two decorative ponds, one with four fountains reminiscent of Versailles, and the other with Victoria lotuses. The first thing one sees when entering the garden is the elegant eleven-tiered Nawa Sanga fountain which rises from the middle of the complex. This fountain together with the two ponds form the middle Bwah level. The larger lowest Bhur level, on the left side of the straight foot path running from the entrance to the west, is occupied by the big South pond with the long Demon island in the middle.

The water from one of the natural springs of Tirtagangga has always been regarded as holy. It is used for religious ceremonies in the temples in the area until today. Tirta means blessed water, gangga cames from Ganges, the holy river in India. The holy water is required for ceremonies of the temples in the surrounding as far as Tirtagangga can be reached by foot. At certain celebration days the people from the villages around will come in colourful processions with offerings, umbrellas, flags and other attributes. Led by their temple priest they hold ceremonies around the spring under the sounds of hymns and the music of the beleganjur. The springs have a huge output of pure water. The water is first led to a reservoir where it is divided in two parts. One third provides drinking water for the town Amlapura. The remainder goes into the upper swimming pool through an underground pipe. The overflow of water goes into the lower swimming pool, the other ponds and finally to the rice fields.