Pura Sada

“Lost, little bird?” an old woman tending her small garden near Pura Sada chuckled, startling me. I realized I’d been staring at the temple’s towering form, lost in thought. Pura Sada. Even its name, meaning “one hundred”, whispers of ancient stories. This temple, nestled in Kapal, around 15 kilometers from Denpasar, isn’t just another beautiful Balinese temple. It’s a historical tapestry woven with threads from different eras, primarily the Majapahit Kingdom. Pura Sada was built by the Mengwi Kingdom, not to worship gods, but to honor their ancestors. The architecture is a striking departure from typical Balinese temples, echoing the candi style of East Java. The oldest parts of Pura Sada even predate the Mengwi Kingdom, harking back to the powerful Majapahit era. Imagine the ceremonies held here centuries ago, the echoes of ancient chants reverberating off these very stones. The temple we see today stands as a testament to resilience. The devastating earthquake of 1917 caused significant damage, but thanks to the efforts of the Bali Archaeological Service, Pura Sada was painstakingly restored. A local man, I Made Nama, played a crucial role in this restoration, his intimate knowledge of the temple’s original structure proving invaluable. The result? A majestic temple, 16 meters tall, its solid form radiating a sense of timeless strength. Inside the complex, a special niche holds the statue of Dewa Siwa during ceremonies. Three other niches house the Trimurti: Wisnu, Brahma, and Siwa. Statues of the eight directional guardian deities, the Asatadikpalaka, and the Saptaresi, the seven seers, also reside within these sacred walls. The candi bentar, the split gate, features the imposing kala head, split in two, a motif mirrored in another Mengwi temple, Taman Ayun. At the back, a four-meter-high brick paibon, an offering place for ancestor worship, stands adorned with the same split kala motif. Pura Sada is more than just a temple. It’s a living echo of Bali’s rich past, a place where the whispers of ancient kingdoms still linger in the air.