I managed to click a few doors on my recent trip to Bali with my friends from college. It was an amazing trip which I still have to write about. However, with so much else happening at my end and around me, I haven’t got down to writing it. But, I thought I’d share the doors I clicked during my four days in the Island
of the Gods.

The below door is in the Silver factory in Depansar. We didn’t go in because of want of time but I wish I had; you get to make your own jewellery at the factory.

I wasn’t surprised to see sculptures at the main entrance because you find it all across Bali. But the sculptures here are quirky- there are pigs (above picture), nymphs and frogs (can you see them sitting on the stairs in the below photo?). The driver said, pork was an essential staple in Balinese culture, hence the sculpture of pigs. The main building inside the premises again is covered in white scultures of dancing ladies and lots more.

The famous ‘Gates of Heaven’, are at the Lempuyang temple in Bali. We did not go to the Lempuyang temple (I had already been there during my last trip to Bali with family). Instead, this time, we went to Besakih temple, which is the biggest temple and holiest temple in Balinese Hinduism. The gates (above picture) are similar to the gates in Lempuyang temple. The layout of the Besakih temple built in the thirteenth century will leave you in awe of the craftsmanship and the planning. A buggy takes you to the main temple after you’ve bought the tickets. This of-course is a recent addition. The ticket price includes the price of the sarong and guide. Once you are at the main temple, you have to climb a flight of stairs to reach the top of the temple which is built on six levels. There are temples on both sides of the stairs at each level. Each level houses temples for people of specific professions. In Hindusim, people were divided into castes based on their profession. While the caste system still exists in India, which was one of the failures of Hinduism, temples are open to all castes now, unlike the past. In Bali, however, people of different castes still visit and offer prayers in the temples specified for their castes. I liked that they had provided for temples for what was considered the downtrodden castes in Hinduism even as early as the thirteenth century, in the same place as the main temple and these temples were built in the same manner as those for Brahmins (highest caste). In India, during that time, lower castes were not allowed into temples.
The highest level is the level that people should work to attaining- to be one with God.

Here’s a view of the temple from the top. I’ll share more of my trip in a different post. This one is exclusively for doors.

I end this post with this last picture of a door and a picture of what was behind the door. All homes in Bali have the idol of Lord Ganesha (remover of obstacles and God of new beginnings) at the entrance. On our way from the temple, I found this door half open and decided to take a picture of it for the Thursday doors challenge hosted by Dan Anton. On second thoughts, I decided to zoom in and take a picture of the idol of Lord Ganesha as well, which turned out to be fortuitious as tomorrow is His birthday ( Ganesh Chaturthi) and it gave me a picture to share.

Lastly, here’s a painting of a door I painted recently.

That’s all from me today. I hope you enjoyed reading this post.

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