Beji Temple

SANGSIT Village, Sawan Subdistrict is one of the villages in Bali which has a large and sacred temple as well as specially venerated by subak members (farmers). Sacredness of the temple is visible from the carving design of the shrines. In addition, the Beji Temple is very old and even has existed before the establishment of Sangsit Village. It has already stood majestically along with the Dalem Purwa Temple located about one kilometer to the north of the Beji Temple.
Priest of the Beji Temple, Jro Mangku Nyoman Bakti, recounted that history on the founding of the Beji Temple was not known for sure. Historical evidence like inscription regarding the existence of the temple did not exist until today. Nevertheless, based on a number of information from the predecessors, the Beji Temple was estimated to have been established around in the fifteenth century. Additionally, certain information related to the total area of the Beji Temple was not surely recorded.
Bakti explained that supporting devotees of the temple were the entire members of the Subak Beji of Sangsit Village. Additionally, during the piodalan or temple anniversary, many devotees came from other villages to worship in the Beji Temple. Based on the benchmark, the temple anniversary was held three times respectively on the full moon in the fourth month of Balinese calendar or around October. The temple anniversary was known as pengebekan. Entering the full moon in the tenth month was also held another pengaci-aci ritual. Meanwhile, one month after this ritual the devotees also held the ngusaba subak beji denoting a grandiose ritual. Such six-day ritual reached the peak on the full moon.
The area of Beji Temple was estimated to reach two hectares divided into innermost, middle, and outermost courtyard. In the innermost courtyard lay a number of shrines facing west. In the south stood a shrine for the abode of Ida Bhatara Dewa Ayu Pesaren and Dewa Ayu Sangsam having connection with the shrine on the Mount Batur and Mount Agung.
In the meantime, in the south lay the shrine to venerate Ida Ratu Pajenengan as representation of Dewa Bagus Ngurah Pengastulan, and other shrines. Then, in the north occurred the shrines like that of Dewa Bagus Ngurah Penyarikan and Dewa Ngurah Bagus Bupu. Other than the shrines in the innermost courtyard, the temple was also equipped with two piyasan pavilions, gamelan pavilion, storage chamber and resting pavilion.
Innermost courtyard of the temple was bordered by great kori entrance made of rocks stones with classical carving style. In the middle courtyard, could be found sakulu pavilion, kitchen, and pavilion to prepare the content of rituals. Ultimately, the outermost courtyard was connected to the innermost one by a great kori entrance made of the same material and carvings.
In the outermost courtyard lay a pavilion for wooden split drum (kulkul) functioned as a means of communication for devotees during the temple anniversary. The temple is visited by many researchers and tourists because it retained a unique history and only existed in Buleleng. Likewise, the carvings on the great kori entrance and shrine of such classical temple were not the same as in other temples of other regions.

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