Let Spirit Lead You to Bali
The Holy Springs of Tirta Empul
A visit to the holy springs of Tirta Empul is a glimpse inside Bali’s spiritual heart. Almost devoid of tourists but brimming with locals come to take the holy waters, Tirta Empul is at once crowded, joyful, raucous, and deeply uplifting.
Tirta Empul, the “Ganges” of Bali, is a centuries-old place of purification. The legend is that the god Wisnu refreshed the embattled humans fighting a demon army by striking a rock, causing the waters to pour forth. The Balinese have been returning ever since.
On a typical visit, we arrive with our group late morning, and spend fifteen minutes in the parking lot on a sarong-tying lesson. Sarong Tying Lesson It’s important to get it right because we are not here as mere observers; like the Balinese, we will be immersing ourselves in the spring waters which pour out of carved spouts, dousing us with a fervent cleansing of water and Spirit.
We receive a few curious glances from the locals as we troupe towards the locker room; our color-burst sarongs and white shirts tied with narrow sashes telegraph our intentions. For about fifty cents each, we lock our belongings in a wooden wall and make our way through the dozens of Balinese in various states of undress—both men and women alike in this unisex space—the wet, muddy tile floor reeking of the thousands of worshippers who have passed through before us, and back out into the clean air of the sunlit afternoon.
