Tirta Gangga is a beautiful water palace of ponds, bridges and lotuses. There are amazing stone sculptures, fountains and stepping. Tirta Gangga is a village and palace in eastern Bali, about 2 hours drive from Denpasar and owned by Karangasem royalty.
The primary draw in this area for visitors is the Tirta Gangga water palace, a maze of pools and fountains surrounded by a lush garden and stone carvings and statues. The one-hectare complex was built in 1946 by the late King of Karangsem but was destroyed almost entirely by the eruption of nearby Mount Agung in 1963. It has been lovingly re-built and restored and has an air of authentic royal magnificence. The centerpiece of the palace is an eleven-tiered fountain. There are many beautiful carvings and statues adorning the gardens.
Each time we travel to Candidasa we visit Tirta Ganga, not only to walk the gardens and admire the pools but also to eat at the restaurant. This time we were remembered by staff and given a table overlooking the huge Banyan Tree. The food is delightful and we had a very pleasant afternoon sitting back and enjoying this beautiful temple. This is a must visit attraction if you are in the area. The pools full of Koi are beautiful and I highly recommend visitors spend time walking around the temple. A good place to visit if you are in the area or if you have the time to kill. You will enjoy a peaceful walk in the area.
Don’t forget to take photos. Almost every twist and turn you make in this area presents yet another photo opportunity. The terraced rice paddies and other landscapes are especially attractive but do not neglect the water palace itself.
This is a lovely place – but you can see it in half an hour. You don’t really need a guide unless you want to help someone with employment – they will meet you at the gate and just start to take you around – just smile and say “no thanks” and they’ll move on to the next person. There are lots of hawkers coming in – some nice fruit to be had if you’re hungry but bargain hard! There is also a nice silver maker nearby – your driver will know where to go.
A-must see place during your visit in Bali. Even though it’s just a park and pool, but history told it has special meaning for Karangasem villagers (home where Tirta Gangga is located) and was used for wellspring by local community.
The water from one of the natural springs of Tirtagangga has always been regarded as holy. It is used for religious ceremonies in the temples in the area until today. Tirta means blessed water, gangga cames from Ganges. At certain celebration days the people from the villages will come in colorful processions with offerings, umbrellas, flags and other attributes. Led by their temple priest they hold ceremonies around the spring under the sounds of hymns and the music of the beleganjur. The springs have a huge output of pure water. The water is first led to a reservoir where it is divided in two parts. One third provides drinking water for the town Amlapura. The remainder goes into the upper swimming pool through an underground pipe. The overflow of water goes into the lower swimming pool, the other ponds and finally to the rice fields.
One word that we can said: “Beautiful heritage from the king”