GUMANG TEMPLE
GUMANG TEMPLE IS A BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE WITH AMAZING VIEWS OF THE OCEAN, HILL, AND MOUNTAIN
Gumang Temple is one of the Kahyangan Jagat temples located in the southeastern part of Bali Island. The temple has a long history, dating back to the ancient Balinese era in the year Saka 11, as revealed by several studies on Gumang Temple. This makes Gumang Temple one of the most important ancient temples in Bali. Gumang Temple is located at the top of Gumang Hill, which offers breathtaking views of the surroundings, including mesmerizing views of the hills, ocean, and mountains. The location is perfect for nature lovers who admire the enchanting beauty of nature and is perfect as a place to enjoy the sunrise, where the faint light as the sun appears will add to the beauty of the scenery. You will feel at home here for a long time, enjoying its enchanting natural beauty. Besides its beauty, Gumang Hill is also home to herds of monkeys, which adds to the attraction of this place. This place has recently become popular and is on our list of Karangasem places of interest because the scenery is very suitable to be immortalized in photos, so for those of you who are heading east of Bali Island, it is recommended to stop at Gumang Temple and enjoy the beautiful scenery offered.
If you visit Gumang Temple, here’s what you need to know:
- Location of Gumang Temple
- History Gumang Temple
- How Get to Gumang Temple
- What Will You See at Gumang Temple
- Trekking from Gumang Temple to Virgin Beach
- Unique Ceremony at Gumang Temple
Location of Gumang Temple
The location of Gumang Temple is on Gumang Hill, in the eastern part of Bali Island, precisely in Bug Bug Village, Karangasem. To reach this temple, we have to walk through paths and stairs from the parking lot, enjoying trekking while enjoying the stunning scenery around the temple. The view of the vast, cool, and natural forest is mesmerizing around the temple location. Access to Gumang Temple is getting easier, as is the construction of the Sang Hyang Ambu Gate, which can be accessed from Sang Hyang Ambu Hill. From this gate, we can walk through the stairs to Gumang Hill. The construction of this gate aims to facilitate mobilization during ceremonies and also serve as a new tourist attraction in Bug Bug Village, Karangasem. The location is perfect for healing a wounded heart, as the calm and natural atmosphere here can provide peace of mind. If you are coming from Kuta, it takes about two hours by car. If you find it difficult to come here, we from Bali Driver Hire provide Bali Car Charter service with an affordable price and satisfying service.
History Gumang Temple
Gumang Temple originates from the Byaha Hill Temple, which is on an embankment called Byaha in the middle of the sea to the south of Gumang Hill. From this place, Bhatara Gede Gumang (at that time named Sang Hyang Sinuhun Kidul and residing on Uluwatu Hill) married the daughter of Bhatara on Byaha Hill, named Dewi Ayu Mas, to be used as a maid. After becoming ardhanareswari, or husband and wife, Bhatara Gede Gumang then went to the hill, which is now known as Gumang Hill, where he established Kahyangan Temple as his stana. The local people gave him the name Bhatara Gede Gumang. This is where he has lived until now and is worshiped by the people of Bugbug as Ida Gede. Ida Gde (Bhatara Gede Gumang) taught the people of Bugbug about manners, socializing, farming, cattle raising, fishing, making tools from wood and iron, and other activities. In addition, Ida Gde also cleared rice fields, built huts, taught the people around Gumang Hill about farming and animal husbandry, and established a blacksmith shop in Malegok, which is now Pande Temple. Then, these activities continued in Mel Pahang, Pangiyu, Gantalan, Gorek, Lebah Kangin (Teba Kangin), and Delod Poh villages.
How Get to Gumang Temple
Gumang Temple is at the top of Gumang Hill, where you need to walk through paths and stairs for about an hour to reach it. Although the journey is tiring, when you arrive at the top, you will be amazed by the mesmerizing views. From here, you can see the beautiful expanse of the sea, the largest, majestic mountains on Bali Island, as well as the mesmerizing view of the small forest below the hill. The unspoiled and natural scenery at Gumang Hill gives a very pleasant sensation, especially when watching the sunrise. Because it is located in the forest, the hill is inhabited by monkeys that roam around the temple area. However, all the tiredness during the trip is paid off when you witness the amazing view from Gumang Hill at this Gumang Temple. Seeing a natural green forest full of green trees makes your eyes comfortable, while the vast expanse of blue ocean will amaze your eyes. This natural beauty makes you feel at home to spend a long time at Gumang Hill, an experience that is hard to forget and you probably won’t find anywhere else. Although the journey is tiring, the results are well worth the sensation you get.
What Will You See at Gumang Temple
You will find several interesting things when visiting Gumang Temple. First, you can see the beauty of the temple, which is included in the Kahyangan Jagat Temple, which has existed since ancient times and is included in the ancient temples on Bali Island. In addition, you can enjoy the beautiful view of the sea with its amazing blue expanse and see the virgin beach from above with its beautiful white sand. You can also enjoy the view of Mount Agung from Gumang Temple on Gumang Hill. Mount Agung is the largest mountain on Bali Island, and its mesmerizing view will be even more beautiful if you visit it in the morning. Then, you can see the view of the rice fields from Gumang Hill, which is very beautiful, with the green expanse of rice fields spread out, providing a rare and breathtaking view. In addition, you can see the beauty of the lush hills with green trees that are very rare to enjoy elsewhere because the forest is still natural and untouched by buildings. On the last, you can also see the habitat of several monkeys that roam around this Gumang Temple, adding to the charm of nature and wildlife that is still maintained around the temple. All of which makes the experience of visiting Gumang Temple a tempting and alluring one.
Trekking from Gumang Temple to Virgin Beach
From Gumang Temple, you can enjoy a very beautiful view, including seeing the beauty of the famous Virgin Beach in the Karangasem area with its beautiful white sand and crystal-clear water. From Gumang Temple, you can walk to Virgin Beach through a path that passes through small forests and local houses. The distance is estimated to be about 1 kilometer, and along the way, you will be treated to breathtaking natural scenery. As you walk through the path that winds through the hills, you will be able to enjoy the incredible natural scenery. This journey through the dirt paths will allow you to see the beautiful expanse of the sea and Virgin Beach from the middle of the trekking trail. Although the journey is tiring, as you arrive at the beach, you will be treated to the beauty of Virgin Beach. If you are using a vehicle with a driver and want to experience trekking from Gumang Temple to Virgin Beach, you can ask the driver to wait at Virgin Beach, so you don’t have to go back to Gumang Temple. This experience will be very pleasant because you will pass through unspoiled hills with stunning views of the sea, rice fields, mountains, and hills along the trekking journey from Gumang Temple to Virgin Beach.
Unique Ceremony at Gumang Temple
The ceremony at Gumang Temple has its own uniqueness and characteristics according to the heritage of the ancestors, and until now, this ceremony is still being carried out. This ceremony is known as “Mapuug” and is usually held in conjunction with the Ngusaba ceremony on Purnamaning Kapat day. The villages in charge of the temple (pengempon), consisting of Bugbug, Ngis, Datah, Jasri, and Bebandem villages, will gather to go to Gumang Temple while carrying Jempana containing Pratima. In addition, in this ceremony there is also a tradition called “Nyaik Nasi Puluhan”, where people come together to eat together regardless of their race, social status, or origin. After that, it is followed by the “Mepinton” event, where a pejati containing Babi Guling is served as a form of devotion for the blessings given by Bhatara Gumang. What became very interesting was that on October 14th, 2016, the Mapinton event featured an offering of around 2000 suckling pigs served by the community, which organized a movie screening from midnight to early morning. This was the largest offering of Babi Guling in Bali in a very special ceremony.