Goa Gajah (
Balinese: ᬕᭀᬯᬕᬚᬄ), lit. meaning "The Elephant Cave", is located in
Gianyar
Gianyar Regency (; , ''Kabupatén Gyañaŕ'') is a Regency (Indonesia), regency (''kabupaten'') of the province of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 368.0 km2 and had a population 523.973 at mid of 2022 census. It is bordered by Badung Regen ...
on the island of
Bali
Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...
near
Ubud
Ubud () is a town in the Gianyar Regency of Bali, Indonesia. Ubud has no status, that is part of the eponymous Ubud District of Gianyar. Promoted as an arts and culture centre, Ubud has developed a large tourism industry. It forms a northern p ...
, in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. Built-in the 9th century, it served as a
sanctuary
A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...
.
History
Although the exact origins of the cave are uncertain, it is believed to have been built as a place for spiritual meditation. One folklore relates that it was created by the fingernail of the legendary giant Kebo Iwa. However, examining its style, the sanctuary was probably dated from the 11th century
Bali Kingdom. The complex contains both Hindu and Buddhist imagery, as the cave contains lingam and yoni, symbols of
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
, and the image of
Ganesha
Ganesha or Ganesh (, , ), also known as Ganapati, Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the best-known and most worshipped Deva (Hinduism), deities in the Hindu deities, Hindu pantheon and is the Supreme God in the Ganapatya sect. His depictions ...
, while by the river there are carved images of stupas and chattra, imagery of Buddhism.
The cave was rediscovered by Dutch archaeologists in 1923, but the fountains and bathing pool were not discovered until 1954.
Site description
The temple is characterized by menacing faces that are carved into the stone – whose purpose is assumed to be the warding off of evil spirits. The primary figure was once thought to be an elephant, hence the nickname ''Elephant Cave''. Other sources state that it is named after the stone statue of the Hindu God Ganesh (characterized by having the head of an elephant) located inside of the temple. The site is mentioned in the Javanese poem
Desawarnana written in 1365. An extensive bathing place on the site was not excavated until the 1950s. The entrance of the cave is accessed only by walking down a long flight of stairs. The inside of the temple is small and usually has trails of white smoke from the incense burning. Visitors wearing shorts will be issued a sarong to tie around the waist before entering the courtyard. The complex also contains 7 statues of women (out of which 1 has been destroyed due to an earthquake) holding water pitchers that depict seven holy rivers of India: the
Ganga River
The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary riv ...
,
Sarasvati River
The Sarasvati River () is a Apotheosis, deified myth, mythological Rigvedic rivers, river first mentioned in the Rigveda and later in Vedas, Vedic and post-Vedic texts. It played an important role in the Historical Vedic religion, Vedic religio ...
,
Yamuna River
The Yamuna (; ) is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...
,
Godavari River
The Godavari (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, od̪aːʋəɾiː is India's second longest river after the Ganges River, Ganga River and drains the third largest Drainage basin, basin in India, covering about 10% of India's total geographical area. It ...
,
Sindhu River,
Kaveri River
The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery) is a major river flowing across Southern India. It is the third largest river in the region after Godavari and Krishna.
The catchment area of the Kaveri basin is estimated to be and encompasses the states o ...
, and
Narmada River
The Narmada River, previously also known as ''Narbada'' or anglicised as ''Nerbudda'', is the 5th longest river in India and overall the longest west-flowing river in the country. It is also the largest flowing river in the state of Madhya Prade ...
.
World Heritage Status
This site was added to the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
Tentative List on October 19, 1995, in the Cultural category,
Elephant Cave - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
/ref> but was pulled out along with 11 other sites on 2015.
Notes
External links
*
Ubud.id
Information & Tourist Attraction place
References
Elephant Cave - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Accessed 2009-03-06.
*
*
{{coord, 8, 31, 24.20, S, 115, 17, 10.89, E, display=title
Tourist attractions in Bali
Archaeological sites in Indonesia
Buildings and structures in Bali
Cultural Properties of Indonesia in Bali