Whilst on our Bali vacation, we had the opportunity to visit one of the Bali tourist attractions, the Goa Gajah, also known as Elephant Cave Bali, which is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. This is located in Bali, near Ubud.
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| Goa Gajah |
Entry charges...
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| Entry charges |
As this is the site of a temple, there is a dress code. As you can see from the picture below, a general rule of thumb is that you are required to wear a 'sarong' if your knee can be seen. This is a sign of respect as this is a religious site.
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| In sarong if your knees are showing |
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| Size of the trunk of a tree on the site |
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| Beautiful view from the top |
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| Inside the cave are various gods to whom the locals worship |
At the facade of the cave is a relief of various menacing creatures and demons carved right into the rock at the cave entrance. The primary
figure was once thought to be an elephant, hence the nickname
Elephant Cave. This is also the entrance to the cave.
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| Facade of Elephant Cave |
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| Various Gods |
Sunk into the courtyard is a pair of bathing pools. This extensive bathing temple was not excavated until the 1950s. Water trickles
into the pools through water jars held by maidens carved into the rock
wall. Legend has it that the pools were considered a sort of fountain
of youth. Bathing in them was supposed to keep you young.
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| Bathing Temple |
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| Relics arranged neatly |
Goa Gajah (the Elephant Cave), is located in a steep valley just outside of Ubud near the town of Bedulu. Built at least 700 years ago, the cave was rediscovered in the 1920s and fully excavated 30 years later.
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