New temple found near Mt. Agung

AMLAPURA (The Jakarta Post): An expedition team that examined an ancient temple, discovered on the slopes of Mount Agung in 2002, said Thursday it might become an addition to Bali's group of Sad Kahyangan temples -- the island's six most prominent.

Sad Kahyangan temples include Besakih, Lempuyang, and Andakasa temples in Karangasem, Batur Temple in Bangli, Batukaru Temple in Tabanan, Goa Lawah Temple in Klungkung, and Uluwatu and Puncak Mangu temples in Badung.

Expedition team member I Gusti Ngurah Ariawan from the Gung Tap Sai foundation said an ancient inscription had been found in September.

According to Ariawan, from the inscription, the temple's name was Tunggal Besi Dingarata Temukus.

"There were clues in the temple found in Temukus village at the end of September. At that time we found an ancient inscription," he said as quoted by beritabali.com.

Ariawan said that the temple could be classified as a Sad Kahyangan temple according to the inscription. He said that the inscription had been read by priest Ida Pedanda Gde Nyoman Gunung, as witnessed by the expedition team. -- JP