Pura Ulun Danu Batur

Pura Ulun Danu Batur (also known as "Pura Batur" or "Pura Ulun Danu") is a Hindu Balinese temple located in the island of Bali, Indonesia. As one of the Pura Kahyangan Jagat, Pura Ulun Danu Batur is one of the most important temples in Bali which acted as the maintainer of harmony and stability of the entire island. Pura Ulun Danu Batur represents the direction of North and is dedicated to the god Vishnu and the local goddess Dewi Danu, goddess of Lake Batur, the largest lake in Bali. Following the destruction of the original temple compound, the temple was relocated and rebuilt in 1926.

Batur village

Batur village is located in close proximity to the caldera of Mount Batur. The village is divided into three perbekelan (administrative division), namely Batur Utara (north), Batur Tengah (middle), and Batur Selatan (south). The villagers make their living as farmers, craftsmen, tradesmen, government workers and in the tourism industry.

History

Pura Batur or Pura Ulun Danu was first established in the 17th-century. The temple was dedicated to the god Vishnu and to the goddess of the lake Dewi Danu. The Lake Batur, the largest lake in Bali, is considered to be of utmost importance in the island of Bali as the primary water source for the agricultural activities in Bali. The word Pura means "temple", while the two words ulun ("head" or "source") and danu ("lake", referring to Lake Batur) is translated as "lake source"; and so the temple name literally means "Lake Source Temple". The word batur, after the village of Batur where the temple is located, means "pure" or "spiritually clean". The definition of Pura Ulun Danu illustrates the significance of the water for the prosperity of the villagers of Batur and for the entire Bali's Hindu community, especially in watering the island's rice paddy fields.

Pura Ulun Danu Batur was mentioned several times in several ancient lontars as one of the sad kahyangan,...