Balinese temple are not conceived as places where the gods are permanently in residence, but rather as temporary sanctuaries where the gods alight when descend from the heavens to attend a temple ceremony.
Unlike Hindu temple in India and in ancient Java, there are no physical representations of the deities housed in the various pavilions and shrines that provide a sanctuary for the gods during Balinese temple festivals. The gods are, however, invited to inhabit small wooden effigies called pratima. The latter come in pairs, the larger, more animal-like, of the two representing the mount upon which the deity rides.
The most important ritual structures are situated in the in the inner sanctum, or jeroan, but there are places for offerings located at other strategic points in the temple complex for example, on either side of the principal gateways which lead from one courtyard to another. Gateways themselves play an important part in the symbolic order of Balinese temple architecture, creating the secular world outside and the realm of the sacred within.
Padmasana
There are two principal types of shrine-the padmasana, or `lotus seat`, and the meru, a wooden house-like structure with a masonry base and a multi-tiered roof. The padmasana is a small stone seat, raised some one and a half metres off the ground, and is intended as a resting place for the gods when they attend a temple festival.
There are three basic types which are classified according to the number of seats provided. The single-seater version is identified as the throne of Siwa, or alternatively, the sun-god Surya. Then there is a double-seated version which is dedicated to the deified ancestors- one male and one female. Finally there is a triple-seated version which may also be dedicated to the ancestors, or alternatively to the Hindu trinity (trimurti) of Brahma, Siwa, and Vishnu. The most important padmasana is placed in the most sacred (kaja-kangin) corner of the inner courtyard with its back to Gunung Agung. This shrines is dedicated to the Supreme Deity, Ida Sanghyang Widhi Wasa in his manifestation as Siwa Raditya, the Balinese courtpart of the ancient Hindu-sun god, Surya.
Meru
As its name suggest, the meru symbolizes the Legendary Mount Meru of Indian mythology which is identified as the abode of the gods. Individual meru will either be dedicatedto specific gods in the Balinese Hindu pantheon, or a deified ancestor, or else the diety of a particular location or geographical feature, such as a mountain or lake. Meru are constructed from wood and are raised on stilts, like miniature houses. They stand on a masonry base and are surmounted by a series of thatched roofs of diminishing size. The number of roofs is always odd and reflects the status of deity to whom the shrine is dedicated, the most prestigious being accorded 11 tiers.
Meru are regularly erected in honour of the deities associated with the island`s two highest peaks, Gunung Agung and Gunung Batur,- Ida Bhatara Gunung Agung qualifies for a meru with an 11-storey roof.
