Royal Tombs of Gunung Kawi

🛕 Gunung Kawi: the sanctuary of kings carved into the rock

📍 Location

• Located in Tampaksiring, northeast of Ubud, in the Gianyar regency.
• Accessible after a descent of more than 200 steps through rice terraces and lush vegetation.

🏞️ A unique archaeological site

• The Gunung Kawi complex houses 10 monumental sanctuaries called candi, dug directly into the volcanic rock cliffs.
• Each niche measures approximately 7 to 8 meters high, evoking rock temples like those of Ajanta in India.
• The site is divided by the Pakerisan River :

• 5 shrines in the east dedicated to the royal family of King Udayana.
• 4 to the west dedicated to the concubines of King Anak Wungsu.
• 1 isolated sanctuary in the south, probably dedicated to an influential royal minister.

👑 History and legends

• The temple is said to have been built in the 11th century, during the reign of the king Anak Wungsu, son of the famous king Udayana.
• This is a royal memorial, intended to honor ancestors and deify them after their death.
• According to legend, the monuments were carved in a single night by the giant Kebo Iwa, using his powerful nails — a mythical figure believed to protect the kingdom.

💧 Spirituality and meditation

• Gunung Kawi is much more than a historical site: it is a active Hindu place of worship, where the Balinese still come today for rituals and ceremonies.
• At the back of the complex, there are meditation caves, formerly used by Hindu priests and Buddhist monks.
• During the September full moons, the temple is adorned with sacred yellow and white fabrics, and the faithful purify themselves with theholy water contained in an earthenware vase.

🚶‍♂️ Visit experience

• The descent to the temple crosses rice terraces, the stone bridges, and the ancient sculptures.
• The atmosphere is imbued with silence, of freshness, and a feeling of going back in time.
• It is an ideal place for lovers of photography, of spirituality, or simply natural and cultural beauty.

✨ Why Gunung Kawi is unforgettable

It is one of the few places in Bali where history, mythology, nature and spirituality intertwine with such force. You don't visit Gunung Kawi, you feel it.