Gunung Kawi Temple – One of the results of physical culture that can be seen in Bali is the temple (pura)—a place of worship for Hindus. But the most special is Gunung Kawi Temple.
Not a temple built in modern times, but this is a historic temple hundreds of years old. Interestingly, like the Petra site in Jordan, this place offers many interesting spots for taking pictures.
Relics of the 11th Century AD, Indonesia’s Petra
According to existing inscriptions, Gunung Kawi Temple was built during the reign of King Sri Haji Paduka Dharmawangsa Marakata Pangkaja Stanttunggadewa (1049-1080 AD). He is the son of King Udayana—the greatest king of Bali.
The temple was built as a place to worship the spirit of the king. Given its old age, this temple is now an ancient site protected by the Government of Indonesia.
Luckily, this place was also opened as a tourist destination. Thus, you can also see the splendor of the legacy of Balinese civilization in the past.
Gunung Kawi Temple Sculpture on the Mountain
The specialty of Gunung Kawi Temple lies in its location. As mentioned at the beginning, the temple is a place of worship for Hindus. Then Gunung means mountain and kawi means sculpture.
This name describes the temple built on the mountain. Interestingly, several parts of the temple are deliberately carved into the ‘body’ of the mountain. There are ten temples carved into the sandstone cliff walls. It recalls the world-famous site, the site of the ancient city, Petra, in South Jordan.
Meanwhile, the position of this temple is in a valley on the banks of the Pakerisan River. This was also revealed from the Tengkulak Inscription dated 945 Saka or 1023 AD for Gunung Kawi Temple.
Adventure in ancient buildings and interesting spots
Located at the foot of the mountain, this temple faces fertile land. Also in this place, you can see views of various green plants, including coconut trees – typical tropical plants. However, to be able to see the beauty of nature and the temple building, you have to go down 230 steps.
Nevertheless, this adventure will be fun. Moreover, in this place, there are many interesting spots. The various temples are very interesting objects to be photographed or used as a background for your selfie.
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Location
Meanwhile, Gunung Kawi Temple located in Banjar Panaka, Tampaksiring Village, Gianyar Regency. The distance of this place from Denpasar is about 30 km. You can reach it by renting an automatic Bali scooter at Gotravela Indonesia.
The trip to the location will take approximately 1 hour. Along the way, you will encounter interesting sights.
Especially for you tourists from outside Indonesia, make sure to obey some important rules about riding a motorbike on the Island of the Gods so that your picnic will run smoothly. Things shouldn’t do while riding a motorbike in Bali, Check here about it.
Finally, I hope this information will help you find beautiful alternative tourist destinations besides beaches on the Island of the Gods.
Don’t forget to share this article, so that more of your friends also know about the uniqueness of Gunung Kawi Temple. Then, don’t hesitate to schedule your next vacation to this place.
Gotravela Indonesia will help make your vacation in Bali very memorable. Contact us anytime for complete information. Have a great adventure! (y)
