Pura Luhur Batukaru is a Hindu temple in

Tabanan Tabanan is one of the regencies (''kabupaten'') in Bali, Indonesia. Relatively underdeveloped (compared with Badung and Denpasar to the east), Tabanan Regency has an area of 1,013.88 km2 and had a population of 386,850 in 2000, rising to 42 ...

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

. Located on the southern slope of Mount Batukaru, Bali's second-highest volcano, the temple is one of nine ''kayangan jagat'' (directional temples) meant to protect Bali from evil spirits. Originally built during the 11th century, Pura Luhur Batukaru was dedicated to the ancestors of the

rajas Rajas (Sanskrit: रजस्) is one of the three Guṇas (tendencies, qualities, attributes), a philosophical and psychological concept developed by the Samkhya school of Hindu philosophy.James G. Lochtefeld, Rajas, in The Illustrated Encycloped ...

of Tabanan. It was destroyed in 1604, but rebuilt in 1959. The temple's most important shrine is a 7-tiered

meru Meru may refer to: Geography Kenya * Meru, Kenya, a city in Meru County, Kenya ** Meru County, created by the merger of *** Meru Central District *** Meru North District *** Meru South District * Meru National Park, a Kenyan wildlife park Tanza ...

dedicated to Mahadewa, the God of Mount Batukaru. Today, Pura Luhur Batukaru remains an extremely sacred site for Bali's

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

population. Many of the complex's grounds remain off-limits to visitors for various ceremonies and events throughout the year. The temple is also the first stop one must take before ascending to the summit of Mount Batukaru. A pilgrimage takes place to the peak once a year, and may see thousands of worshipers walk its trails at once.

External links

Pura Luhur Batukaru on Global Heritage Network

References

Balinese sea temples Hindu temples in Indonesia Cultural Properties of Indonesia in Bali {{Indonesia-religious-struct-stub