Translated "Pura Goa Lawah" means "the bat cave temple". This is because the cave next to the temple is home to thousands, perhaps millions, of Lesser Dawn Bats (Eonycteris spelaea, also called "cave nectar bat").
The cave is several kilometers long and is thought (though it has not been confirmed) to connect with Besakih temple, 30 km away. Balinese story-tellers reveal that the "mythical serpent of the Universe and caretaker of the Earth´s equilibrium" lives in the form of a dragon deep within the cave. The bats are therefore considered as sacred guardians of the cave and the temple. For this reason and for the purpose of conservation, entering the cave is forbidden.
The temple itself is among a ring of six temples that the Balinese consider to be the island´s most important temples, as these temples house the spiritual-protectors of Bali (as represented by the Goa Lawah mythical cave dragon). The Goa Lawah temple´s religious significance is as a gate to and guardian of the afterlife. The temple attracts thousands of Hindu worshippers on holy days, who come with offerings for the God of the Sea and for the spiritual world.
Like their cousins worldwide, the Lesser Dawn bat at Goa Lawah shares two specific threats to the survival of its species: development and human ignorance of bats. Although it is forbidden to enter the cave, the demands of the tourist industry have made a significant impact on the bats´ habitat area outside the cave. The other threat is human ignorance, which is reflected by the killing of bats by local fruit-growers because of the mistaken belief that fruit bats destroy crops. Rather than destroy crops, the bats help to pollinate the crops (see http://www.odec.ca/projects/2005/mcal5r0/public_html/bats.html).
The Lesser Dawn Bat is a medium sized fruit bat with a long nose and soft fur that contains a blend of browns. Males weigh from 55-82 grams, whereas females are quite a bit smaller. Their wingspan is 37-40 cm. They do not use echolocation, but instead have a very acute sense of smell and very keen eyesight (unlike insectivorous bats, which have bad eyesight and use echolocation). They are nocturnal hunters, meaning they hunt between sunset and sunrise. They feed on fruit and nectar.
Click on the following links for more information about Lesser Dawn Bats:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eonycteris_spelaea.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_Nectar_Bat
And for information on the Pura Goa Lawah temple:
http://www.buravi.com/place/noted/pura-goa-lawah.html
http://www.panoramicearth.com/639/Bali/Goa_Lawah_Temple
By JF Powell
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