Pura Taman Ayun: The garden temple of Bali

by - 9/13/2022

 

As soon as you start researching about Bali (to plan a trip), you realize that the entire island is littered with temples or Pura. It's a no surprise though owing to its rich cultural heritage and Hindu history. But as soon as you land here, you realize that the 'Puras' are literally everywhere! From small shrines to temple complexes spread over several acres, the land of temples takes over a new meaning altogether.


It's impossible to visit all the big ones, since they are so many. However you should not miss out the six main temples (mentioned in my post on Uluwatu Temple) blog post. So today I would love to elaborate on Pura Taman Ayun, which literally translates into the Garden Temple.

This temple is located in Mengwi, and is a temple with a garden and water features. This temple had been built as a family temple for the Mengwi empire and was reserved only for the royals. Built in the 17th century, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the prettiest temples of Bali.

How to reach:

We were staying in Ubud so it was not much of a long ride (only 8 kms). And it is 18 kms from Denpasar, the capital. I would highly suggest to hire a scooter (if you are two people) as it is definitely the fastest way to get around.

The Taman Ayun temple is spread over an area of 100X250 metre square and consists of 4 courts. The temple which literally means " A Beautiful Garden" will be welcoming you with fountains and well manicured lawns. What fascinated me the most were the lineup of thatched roof shrines. Most of the temples in Bali have thatched roofs but this Pura has lots of them, clustered together, which gives the temple such a unique look.

There are 9 different Gods guarding the cardinal directions of the second court.

In one of the halls, there is a Barong, which is a Balinese mythological character. He is a panther like creature and the king of spirits, the leader of good and the nemesis of Rangda. Of course and the main character of the Barong dance to represent the eternal battle between the good and the evil.

All these things were very novel to us, and hence we took lots of pictures. Everything is so exotic in Bali!

Then what's even travelling without interacting with locals? Over the years, we have found out that the best way to interact with them/ break the ice is to request them for a photograph. If they are friendly, a conversation is bound to start! These two sweet cyclists were really nice to talk to, and we are connected on social media even now! Despite running against time, we had quite a chat with them. These experiences are what makes a trip so special. We try to make friends wherever we go!

Are you an introvert when travelling abroad? Or do you like to make friends like us? 

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Baked Happily Ever After.

Even the policemen were dressed in fancy sarongs and were friendly!

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26 comments

  1. Thanks for sharing it so much of clarity. It saved my research time for Bali trip. My plan to go Bali is getting firm after reading this.

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  2. This is a place I dream of visiting on my bucket list. You both sure know how to have fun when traveling and go to amazing places.

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  3. Saving this post as it gives good info on garden temple of Bali. and yeah, we too love making friends with locals:)

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  4. 6. The Taman Ayun Temple is such a beauty. It is like icon of Bali. This temples still practice Hinduism but then the processes are so different from us!. Would love to know more about their culture.

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  5. Yes I like to make friends during travel.
    Bali is in my wish list & would like to visit temples.
    Your pics are alluring enough & u are pretty good woman 😊

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  6. The pictures are so beautiful. You are making everyone so tempted to travel to Bali with these posts

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  7. Hi, what beautiful pictures you have added in this post.

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  8. Lovely pix. Maybe I become extrovert depending on whom I travel with! Hahahaha!

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  9. Me and my husband love travelling. Your pics look superb. The garden seems so amazing. Seeing your posts on Bali I feel like planning the next travel there.

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  10. "Built in the 17th century, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the prettiest temples of Bali." which makes it a biggest tourist attraction. A trip to Bali is complete only with a visit to the Garden temple.

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  11. Such a nice travel experience! The place looks so relaxing and there's tons to see! You'll never get bored! I love your photos as well. With travelling back, I hope to visit this place soon too!-MommyWithAGoal

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  12. Just love the way you described the destination so beautifully and I felt as if I am right with your vizualizing the beauty of the place. Got to know so many things about this prettiest temples of Bali.

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  13. Yes, indeed, interacting with locals is what makes a trip so memorable. I love Bali. We planned to visit it also, but due to the pandemic, we missed it. After reading this, we are even more committed to traveling to Bali.
    -Anjali

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  14. Lovely suggestions and cute pictures. Its like dreamland in some of ur pics.

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  15. Beautiful pictures. This is really a pretty temple. I am notorious for chatting with strangers. It is the best way to enjoy traveling according to me.

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  16. Cute pictures, it looks like you guys had a great time being there. Thanks for sharing. I too am notorious for chatting with strangers - it's a way to share the joy with other travelers - the joy of witnessing beauty in a place and time together.

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  17. I think my Bali trip is complete virtually. You describe it so well that I can feel I am over there traveling with you.

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  18. Such a beautiful temple. The name is so apt. I went back and checked those thatched roofs. Indeed fascinating. Thanks for all these virtual tours on Bali. Bookmarking this one too.

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  19. I wouldn't say i like to make friends cuz thats a commitment, but I like to be friendly and talk to the local people as much as I can. Love your pics as usual Mandira and your detailed account of Pura Taman Ayun. The shrines reminded me of the 108 stupas we saw in bhutan(coming up in my next blog). Keep travelling girly!

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  20. I've seen pictures of this temple but didn't know so much about it. Thanks for this detailed post. It's so beautiful and definitely a must-visit when in Bali.

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  21. I love this Bali series of yours and the pictures are superb with perfect descriptions.

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  22. Another detailed post Mandira. Your posts on Bali are quite detailed and iam earmarking all of them for when we travel either this year or the next. Keep them coming... looking forward to reading them

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  23. I am loving your posts on Bali and I have pinned it on top of my bucket list. Just crossing my fingers and manifesting that i am there already :_

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  24. I've saved your posts to manifest these trips so I can then refer to your posts to plan my trips!

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  25. This is a lovely place to visit. Bali is now on my travel wishlist.

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  26. How beautiful this garden temple looks!
    Noor

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