Luhur Batukaru temple
Usually silent except for its resident orchestra of cicadas and frogs, Luhur Batukaru temple ( sarong and sash compulsory ) does full justice to the epithet, the “garden temple”. The grassy courtyards are planted with flowering hibiscus, Javanese ixora and cempaka, forest surrounds the temple on three sides, and the monuments are encrusted with moist green moss. Batukau’s bird population finds plenty to feed on here, so you’re likely to see lots of barbets, scarlet minivets and flycatchers at least. Thought to have become a holy site in the eleventh century, Luhur Batukaru temple has been rebuilt several times, most recently in 1959. Its most important shrine is the unusual seven tiered pagoda which is dedicated to Mahadewa, the god of mount Batukaru. To the east of the main temple compound, a large square pond has been dug to represent and honour the gods of nearby Danau Tamblingan, which lies immediately to the north of mount Batukaru. Members of local subak groups come here to draw holy water for use in agricultural ceremonies, and at the annual Galungan festivities truck loads of devotees make offerings here.
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