🌊 Pura Ulun Danu Beratan

About This Sacred Site

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan is a major Balinese Hindu-Buddhist temple on the shores of Lake Beratan in the mountains of central Bali. Built in 1633 by the King of Mengwi, the temple appears to float on the lake's surface when water levels are high, creating one of Bali's most ethereal and photographed scenes. The temple is dedicated to Dewi Danu, the goddess of water, lakes, and rivers, and plays a central role in the Subak water management system, which was inscribed as a UNESCO Cultural Landscape. The temple is featured on the Indonesian 50,000-rupiah banknote.

History & Origins

Constructed in 1633 under the patronage of the Mengwi Kingdom’s royal family, the temple was dedicated to Dewi Danu, the goddess of water, lakes, and rivers. Situated on the shores of Lake Beratan in central Bali, the temple’s multi-tiered meru towers are designed in the traditional Balinese style, with the tallest having 11 thatched roofs symbolizing the highest spiritual status. The temple is famed for its unique location which creates the illusion of floating on water during high lake levels, emphasizing its sacred connection to the aquatic environment. Pura Ulun Danu Beratan has undergone several restorations, particularly after natural wear and the 1917 eruption of Mount Agung that affected the region. The temple is featured on the Indonesian 50,000-rupiah banknote, reflecting its cultural and historical significance. The site serves as a major center for irrigation rituals vital to Bali’s subak rice terrace system, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage cultural landscape.

Spiritual Significance

As the principal temple for the worship of Dewi Danu, the goddess who governs water and fertility, it plays a crucial role in rituals to ensure the fertility of the land and successful harvests. Annual ceremonies involve offerings to the goddess made by local farmers and priests to invoke blessings for irrigation waters that sustain Bali’s agriculture. The temple is central to the Tri Murti concept, linking Dewi Danu with the gods Brahma and Vishnu in Balinese cosmology. The Piodalan festival held every 210 days includes traditional dances, gamelan music, and elaborate offerings, reinforcing communal ties and respect for natural resources. Pilgrims and agriculturists perform purification rites at the lake shores to maintain spiritual and environmental balance, reflecting the temple’s function as a guardian of both the natural ecosystem and cultural traditions.

Key Facts

• •Built in 1633 and dedicated to Dewi Danu, goddess of water
• •Appears to float on Lake Beratan when water levels are high
• •Featured on the Indonesian 50,000-rupiah banknote
• •Part of the Subak water management system, a UNESCO Cultural Landscape
• •Located at 1,200 meters altitude in the cool highlands of Bedugul

Location

Coordinates: -8.2752, 115.1672