This is the
only county in Bali without beaches. Geographically, Bangli
is home to the mountain lakes and water sources that make
Bali so fertile. Numerous villages are scattered across
a landscape of rice terraces, lush valleys and forests.
This mountainous region is a strikingly different site
of Bali Aga traditional communities.
Known for its superb scenery, the mountain of Abang and
Batur tower above the mountain territory and the deep
caldera lake.
The town of Bangli, once the capital of a kingdom, descended
from the early Gelgel Dynasty, the largest and most sanctified
temple of the district is Pura Kehen, a mountain haven
and state temple of Bangli
Here the air is fresh and cool compared with other counties
in Bali. Bali's main psychiatric hospital is located on
the road, which runs westwards from the center of town.
You can find on the northeastern side of the town, a temple
that has survived without any reconstruction.
As the state temple of the Bali
Kingdom, Pura Kehen occupies the site of an earlier temple,
which dates back to the 9th Century. It owes much of its
appeal to its unique ambience, set majestically on a number
of level against the background of a hill forest, large
trees shade the shrines and gates of its courtyards.
A flight of 38 stairs leads to
the meru-shaped gate between rows of wayang statues. Overlooking
the gate is the threatening head of Kala, guardian of
the netherworld. There is a magnificent shrine with eleven
roofs dedicated to the God of Fire, the resident temple
God.
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