Temples

Temples have a special meaning to the Balinese and are places where people make contacts with their gods, through numerous social and religious ceremonies.
Yeh Pulu. Not found until 1925, Yeh Pulu site is a selection of impressive life size carvings engraved into a cliff depicting scenes from every day life of the Balinese. Their significance remains a mystery and is ought to date back to the 14th century.
A typical Balinese temple is a reflection of incredibly detailed architectural work of the Balinese. Communities spend a great deal of energy and money on their temples for it is the duty to repay the ancestors for the prosperity they have brought for their progeny.

Temples map

Ubud's most famous temples

The island of the gods

In case you ever wondered why Bali is in many travel articles referred to as "the island of thousand temples" it is certainly not without a reason. There are tens and thousand of them in Bali: temples of households, local clans, courtyards, villages, kingdoms, temples of mountains, lakes and even spring waters. All of which have a special meaning to the Balinese and are places where people make contacts with their gods, through numerous social and religious ceremonies. Occasions for such celebrations are almost infinite. From temple anniversaries, auspicious days, wedding, birth of children, cremation ceremonies to celebrations of kings and goddesses.

Most interesting temples
To see all temples in Ubud could be boring and you may quickly realize that a lot of them are pretty much the same. We recommend temples you should see.

	About temple
Goa Gajah Bedulu, Ubud, Bali Goa Gajah	Located 10 minutes outside of Ubud, discovered in 1920 is temple with a holly spring believed to have a Buddhist heritage; site of a very impressive elephant carving. The name literally means "Elephant Cave", even though there were no elephant in Bali when it was built. Some theories say that the elephant motives originated from God Ganesha from India, others that the Danish anthropologist who discovered had mistaken the head to be that of an elephant.
Yeh Pulu Bedulu, Ubud, Bali Yeh Pulu	A couple of kilometers north of Ubud in an old capital of Bali, Pejeng is a temple with a complex of rock carvings. Impressive collection of carved bas relief is for anyone interested in history very much worth your time.
4Gunung Kawi Tampak Siring, Gianyar, Bali Gunung Kawi	Is besides a picturesque temple, a site of huge memorials. All of them are cut into the hills, set amongst a river valley and are believed to date back to 11th century. Probably one of the most remarkable locations in Bali.
Tirta Empul Tampak Siring, Gianyar, Bali Tirta Empul	Temple of the holly spring, dating back to AD 926 is a often called the purifying temple where many people come to clear their minds and cleans their bodies.