Pura Luhur Batukaru, Hindu sanctuary at Mount Batukaru, Tabanan, Indonesia.
Pura Luhur Batukaru is a Balinese Hindu temple built into the southern slope of Mount Batukaru in the Tabanan region of Bali, Indonesia. It is arranged across several terraced courtyards surrounded by dense rainforest, with shrines and multi-tiered pagodas set among the trees.
The temple was founded in the 11th century as the state sanctuary of the Tabanan royal family. It was destroyed in 1604 and lay in ruin for centuries before being rebuilt in 1959.
The temple takes its name from Mount Batukaru and remains a living place of worship where visitors can watch offerings of flowers and incense being placed at the shrines. Ceremonies take place throughout the year, and the forest setting adds to the sense of devotion that fills the air.
The temple sits far from the main tourist routes and requires a drive along winding mountain roads, so allow extra travel time. Visitors are expected to wear a sarong inside the grounds, and sarongs can usually be borrowed at the entrance.
A sacred spring below the temple provides water that local Subak farming groups collect for agricultural rituals linked to the rice harvest. This connection between a mountain temple and working rice fields shows how faith and farming have shaped each other on Bali for a very long time.
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