Hindu

Pura Taman Ayun

“Tiered towers mirrored in the moat, a garden raised upon water”

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Photo: Chainwit. · CC BY 4.0

Scenes

Tiered meru towers seen from the inner courtyardAnandajoti Bhikkhu · CC BY-SA 4.0

Balinese carving on the mossy stone bridge across the moat — Carving on the stone bridge across the moatAnandajoti Bhikkhu · CC BY-SA 4.0

Meaning

Crossing the lotus-strewn moat into the inner court, rows of towers under black thatched roofs rise side by side into the sky and stand mirrored in the still water.

Tradition holds that it was built in the 18th century as the royal temple of the Mengwi kingdom, and it is inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list as part of Bali's subak cultural landscape, an expression of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy of harmony among people, nature, and the divine.

Field notes

Location: Mengwi, Bali · Indonesia · S8.5° · E115.2°
Best time: In the early morning light, when the moat lies still
Getting there: About a 40-minute drive from Denpasar, in Mengwi.
Etiquette: Part of the inner court is reserved for worshippers; wear a sarong and keep to the visiting areas.

Sources

· UNESCO: Cultural Landscape of Bali Province (Subak System)
· Encyclopaedia Britannica: Bali

Wikipedia

Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.