Tirtagangga was built by the King of Karangasem, Anak Agung Anglurah Ketut K
arangasem in 1948. The architecture is the combination of Balinese and Chinese style. Tirta Gangga was originally the bathing and resting place for the king of Karangasem and numerous pools still exist in the complex. In the north of the complex, a large natural spring shoots out of the ground believed to be sacred and directly derived from the River Gangga. It was totally destroyed by the Mount Agung eruption in 1963 and being abandoned for years.
Tirtagangga royal water garden are composed mainly by water, gardens and sculptures. It is situated in the middle of rice fields around the natural springs of Rejasa, approximately 7 km. (5 miles) north of Amlapura, the main town of east Bali, Indonesia.
Tirtagangga is a well-known cultural object of Bali. It belongs to the royal family of Karangasem.
The area of the watergarden is about 1.2 ha (3 acres), consisting of three levels of ground stretching from east to west. On the highest northern Swah level there are the spring under the banyan tree, the upper swimming pool and two decorative ponds, one with four fountains reminiscent of Versailles, and the other with Victoria lotuses.
The first thing one sees when entering the garden is the elegant eleven-tiered
Nawa Sanga fountain which rises from the middle of the complex. This fountain together with the two ponds form the middle Bwah level.The larger lowest Bhur level, on the left side of the straight foot path running from the entrance to the west, is occupied by the big South pond with the long Demon island in the middle.
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, the holy river in India. The holy water is required for ceremonies of the temples in the surrounding as far as Tirtagangga can be reached by foot.
At cert
ain celebration days the people from the villages around will come in colourful 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.
