Pura Samuan Tiga

Serving as the royal temple of the ancient Warmadewa dynasty, Pura Samuan Tiga is one of the area’s most intriguing tourist attractions. According to the beliefs of the Balinese people, Pura Samuan Tiga served as the meeting place of the deities, gods and saints, as its name means ‘temple of three meeting’ in the local dialect. This is a place of intense natural beauty, with the temple flanked by the rivers Pande and the Tegending and a number of sacred banyan trees close by.

While most Balinese temples feature three courtyards, Pura Samuan Tiga actually consists of seven, separated by walls containing split gates. The innermost courtyard is reserved as the meeting place of the gods and can only be reached by climbing a stone staircase.

Eight smaller temples surround Pura Samuan Tiga, each decorated in a slightly different style. This is still an important place of worship for the people who live in the surrounding area and a large number of rituals are held at Pura Samuan Tiga throughout the year.

Two of the most unusual are Siyat Sampian and Sanghyang Jaran. The first ritual is an ancient Balinese Hindu ritual in which young female devotees battle each other with coconut leaf weapons. The second also features a battle with coconut leaves, this time carried out by male devotees.

Pura Samuan Tiga can be found just five kilometers from Ubud, making this a popular hiking destination with visitors based in the city. A number of other interesting attractions are a short walk away, such as the sacred cave sanctuary of Goa Gajah and the rock reliefs of Yeh Pulu.