Family and Clan Temples
We are now familiar with the three most important kinds of temples for territorial groups of worshippers. They are by far outnumbered by temples for genealogical groups, rang-ing from the individual household temples of single families (sanggah, pamerajan) to the temple of origin of whole clans (pura kawitan, pura dadya). In the smallest territorial unit, the more or less extensive compound found in all castes and on all economic levels, there is always an area for the purified souls of family ancestors, which is located at the highest spot and directed to wards the Gunung Agung and the rising sun. The shrines, covered with dark fibre and inverted clay vessels, project
above the walls of the farms, revealing the direction of the divine mountain to the traveller. The household temples of the nobility (pamerajan) have often become small, independent temples, which are also accessible from outside the residences (puri). Larger family units erect a clan temple (pura dadya) where they can worship the purified souls of the clan’s ancestors, the mountain and sun god plus a special cultural hero, Bhatara Maospait or Maspait, who has ties to the ancestors from Majapahit.
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