Meru

The
towering Meru with its tiered sugar
palm fiber roofs and elegant silhouette
is the prima ballerina of many temple
courtyards. This Balinese pagoda,
a shrine to the higher deities, always
has an odd number of roofs, with a
maximum of 11. The number depends
on the status of the divinity in the
local hierarchy. That is why, based
on the concept of Mandala that the
function of each meru are;
1. Meru with 3 tiered
roofs are dedicated for Tri Murti
(Hindhu Trinity )such as Brahma (creator),
Wisnu (preserver) dan Siwa (destroyer/dissolver).
2. Meru with 5 tiered
roofs are dedicated to Panca Dewata
such as: Iswara, Brahma, Mahadewa,
Wisnu dan Siwa.
3. Meru with 7 tiered
roofs are dedicated tor: Sapta Dewata
such as: Iswara, Brahma, Mahadewa,
Wisnu, Siwa, Sada Siwa dan Parama
Siwa.
4. Meru with 9 tiered
roofs are dedicated to Nawa Sanga
Dewata such as: Iswara, Maheswara,
Brahma, Rudra, Mahadewa, Sangkara,
Wisnu, Sambhu dan Siwa.
5. Meru with 11 tiered
roofs are dedicated Eka Dasa Rudra
Dewata such as Iswara, Maheswara,
Brahma, Rudra, Mahadewa, Sangkara,
Wisnu,Sambhu, Siwa, Sada Siwa dan
Parama Siwa. Meru, a shrine with one
tiered roof, one with 2 tiered roofs,
is not called ‘Meru’ but ‘pelinggih
Gedong’ or “Gedong jajar /Gedong Sari”
functioned to worship “Purusa-Pradana
aspects (Male – Female) it is usually
connected with worshiping the ancestors.
Note that the number of tiered roof
of the Meru doesn’t show the height
of the god’ degree the people worship
to.