Rambut Siwi Temple

Rambut Siwi Temple is located on the top of a cliff, overlooking a breathtaking view of paddy fields on one side and the black sandy beach on the other.

This spot is a favorite hangout for painters. The temple itself was built by Dang Hyang Nirartha. Legend has it that he dedicated his hair to the temple. Therefore, the temple is known as Rambut Siwi which literally means ‘hair worship’.

Pulaki

Pulaki Temple is located in Bayupoh Village, about 53km west of Singaraja. It is situated on a hill that is about 25m from the beach. This temple is inhabited by monkeys which are considered as the descendants of Dewa (Gods).

Pulaki Temple is one of the Sad Kahyangan Temples (the main temples) in Bali. There are also Pabena Temple and Pemuteran Temple which is well-known for its hot water nearby

Taman Ayun Temple

Taman Ayun which means beautiful garden, is located in Mengwi Village, 18 km northwest of Denpasar. It was built in 1634 by I Gusti Agung Anom, a founder of the Mengwi Kingdom, and became the main temple for the ancient Mengwi Kingdom. The temple is surrounded by ponds which give the effect from a distance as if the temple is floating on water.

Taman Ayun Temple was renovated in 1937. The grassy area of the outermost courtyard, the fine array of roofs (merus) and pavilions in the inner courtyard, and its well-kept appearance make it one of the most beautiful temples in Bali.

The temple complex consists of three ground areas. In the outermost court is Bale Wantilan which is used for all events, religious ceremonies, dance performances or cock fighting. To the west, there is a decorative fountain called Padma Sana. In the innermost court, surrounded by a small pond, there are 29 buildings which function as places for the gods and goddesses, called Bale Pelik with beautiful carvings, interesting relics and statues of the nine gods, Dewa Nawa Sanga. The whole complex of temple symbolizes the great Mandhara Mountain turning in a sea of milk.

Pura Luhur Watukaru

Luhur Watukaru Temple is located in Wangaya Gede village, approximately 21 km northwest of Tabanan. This temple is one of six sacred temples (Sad Kahyangan) in Bali.

The temple is surrounded by thick foliage and refreshing fresh air. There are old Balinese remains in this temple. Numerous local and foreign visitors visit this temple, especially on its temple festival, which is usually held on Umanis Galungan, one day after Galungan.

Uluwatu

Located at the western most tip of Bukit Peninsula, this temple is one of Bali's Kayangan Jagat Temples. Its location is dramatic, perched on the edge of a high cliff with a picturesque sunset view. The temple is carved from the enormous limestone rock. ‘Ulu’ means head, ‘watu’ means rock, and ‘Luhur’ implies heavenly, ancestral, original and transcendent all at once.

Uluwatu Temple was first used for worship by the holy 11th century priest, Empu Kuturan, who came to Bali to convey religious law and to form Desa Adat (traditional villages).

This temple was then used for worship by the next holy priest, Dang Hyang Nirartha, who came to Bali at the end of 1550 and ended his holy voyage in this area.

Mekori

Mekori Temple is located in Blimbing village, 55km from Denpasar or 32km from Tabanan. This temple consists of many stones hidden in the forest. It does not similar to other temple in Bali, but it is a place where people pray to their God.

Sakenan

Sakenan Temple is built in the 13th century by a holy priest ‘Dang Hyang Dwijendra’ on a small island called Serangan Island near Benoa Harbour and Nusa Dua.

This temple is divided into two parts. Inside the first part, there is a shrine of Cri Cedana or Dewi Sri, the goddess of prosperity and welfare. In the second part of Sakenan Temple, there are shrines for the Prasanak, the relatives of Dewi Sri who come to visit the temple on its anniversary day.

On the holy day of Manis Kuningan, Sakenan Temple commemorates the anniversary of its founder Mpu Kuturan. The festival is held in two days which begins on the last day of Kuningan Wuku and ends on the first day of Langkir Wuku.

Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot, located on the west coast of Bali, in Beraban village in Tabanan regency, is one of the most popular sites in Bali. Tanah Lot means the ancient land as well as the land to the south.

This temple was built in the 15th century by the priest Pedanda Bahu Rawuh or Danghyang Nirartha from Majapahit Kingdom. During his voyage along the south coast he caught sight of a rock island and rested there. Some fishermen noticed him and invited him to stay at their hut. Nirartha refused, saying he preferred to spend the night on the little island. That evening, he talked to the fishermen and advised them to build a shrine on the rock. Nirartha felt it would be a holy and appropriate place to worship God.

Built on a small cape, Tanah Lot is only accessible at low tide. During high tide, the rock appears as a large ship at sea. There are several small and big shrines nearby, the biggest one is Pekendungan Temple. There is a spring considered sacred not far from this temple.

Poisonous snakes inhabit the nearby caves as the guardian of the temple. The perfect time to visit Tanah Lot is at the sunset when the golden red sky surrounds the temple and the wave crashes into the rocks.

Though Tanah Lot is a small sanctuary, it is related to several sea temples on the south coast of Bali: Pura Sakenan, Pura Uluwatu, Pura Rambut Siwi and Pura Petitenget. All these temples are related to the primary mountain sanctuaries: Besakih at Mount Agung, Pura Batur at Batur and Pura Luhur at Mount Batukaru.

Besakih Temple

Besakih Temple, over 900 meters up the slopes of Mount Agung, is the largest and most sacred Hindu temples in the island. It is named after Naga Besukian, the dragon god thought by pre-Hindu Balinese to inhabit Mount Agung, the highest mountain in Bali. Besakih Temple has been regarded as a central, holy temple for the entire island since the Gelgel Dynasty of the 15th century. Today, it is referred by all Balinese as the mother temple of Bali.
Over a thousand years and more, Besakih Temple was extended to the present complex of about 30 temples. There are three main temples within Besakih Temple; Pura Penataran Agung, dedicated to Sang Hyang Widi Wasa. Inside the main courtyard stands the three-seated shrine enthroning the Trisakti, the trinity of Brahma, Visnu and Siwa. During festivals the shrines are wrapped in colored cloth symbolic of the deities.

The other two main temples are Pura Kiduling Kreteg, dedicated to Brahma; and Pura Batu Madeg, dedicated to Wisnu.

For Balinese people, a visit to the temple sanctuaries at Besakih is a special pilgrimage. Each temple has its own anniversary ceremony (Odalan) and on the full moon (Kedasa) the entire compound of Besakih commemorates the visit of the gods with an enormous mass of visiting pilgrims.