Pura Luhur Batukaru Temple is located on the slopes of Mount Batukaru in Bali. At an altitude of 800 meters above sea level, the temperature here is cooler than in Bali’s main cities.
When we arrived at the temple, the staff provided us with sarongs to wrap around our waists, following the custom for temple visitors. My clients and I were then allowed to enter.
This 11th-century Balinese Hindu temple is indeed a beautiful site. Balinese architecture and intricate carvings adorn the temple buildings, shrines, and walls. Flowers and greenery grow in the temple yards, making it even more pleasant to the eye.
A Balinese Hindu temple is an open structure divided into three courtyards, each representing different levels of purity. The outermost courtyard is the least sacred, becoming progressively more sacred as one moves to the third courtyard, the innermost section.
After passing through the split gates of the first and second courtyards, we saw several structures, such as platforms for offerings. We then continued to the third courtyard, where the main shrines are located. This area is reserved for worship.
Visitors are only allowed in certain sections, at a distance from the prayer areas. Some Balinese were praying, facing the main shrines and led by a priest.
After finishing here, we exited to explore the surroundings. There was plenty of greenery and a pond. We noticed stairs leading to another temple, part of the main complex, called Beji Temple. Beji Temple serves as a purification site, where people may conduct a cleansing ritual before praying in the main temple.
We strolled along the pond in the forest area, gradually approaching the parking lot. Our tour concluded once we reached the parking area, and we then left the temple continued our journey.