Pura Samuantiga

Pura Samuan Tiga had been built at the same century of Pura Tirta Empul, which is about the tenth century. The Construction of this temple was in order to implement the religious conception in the Bali Kuna. Bali historian R. Goris said that each kingdom should have three main temples Pura Gunung, Pura Penataran and Pura Segara. Pura Tirta Empul as the mountain temple and Pura Samuantiga as Pura Penataran located at the center of kingdom.

According to Goris, at that time there were nine sects in Bali that is Pasupata, Bhairawa, Sidhanta Shiva, Vaishnava, Bodha, Brahma, Resi, Sora and Ganapatya. Each sect adores a god or goddess they believe as God’s personification. Among these sects, Ciwa Sidhanta is the most dominant sect.

Sectarian religious life was often led to tension and conflict. To maintain the stability of his kingdom, the king Udayana and his wife Gunapriyadharmapatni held a consultation of sect’s head and led by the MPU Kuturan who came from East Java.