Gunung Kawi
Just a short way north of Ubud is Gunung Kawi, a group of large stone memorials carved into the cliffs on either side of the picturesque river Pakrisan.
To reach it you have to walk through the main street of Tampaksiring until you reach a lookout at the end of the road.
This affords you an impressive view of the river valley below with what appear to be its guardians hewn into the rock. From here you can take a long stairway cut into the rock which takes you down into the valley itself winding past a beautiful patchwork of rice paddies cascading down the sides of the hills on either side of you.
As you reach the rivers edge, you can see a row of five of the 7 metre high memorials on the other side of the river and you have a choice to cross a stone bridge to the other side, or on your left is a path that takes you to another row of four memorials that face the others across the small gorge cut by the river, and a complex of monk's cells cut into the rock nearby.
On crossing the river, you find that as well as the memorials on the other side there is also a large temple complex which stands eerily empty...
There is a legend that a gigantic strongman named Kebo lwa carved out all of the monuments one night with his fingernails.
Short inscriptions on some of the memorials have enabled archaeologists to date them to the end of the 11th century, soon after the death of Anak Wungsu in about 1077, and that they served as memorials to deified royalty.
The identity of those honoured has not been determined with certainty, however one theory says the main group of five memorials honoured Udayana, his queen, his concubine, and his two sons, Marakata and Anak Wungsu. Another theory suggests they honored Anak Wungsu and his royal wives and that the other group of four honours his concubines.
Given that they are almost a thousand years old they are remarkably preserved and well worth what is the modern day equivalent of a pilgrimage to see them. It was a magical setting and a memorable trip...
To reach it you have to walk through the main street of Tampaksiring until you reach a lookout at the end of the road.
This affords you an impressive view of the river valley below with what appear to be its guardians hewn into the rock. From here you can take a long stairway cut into the rock which takes you down into the valley itself winding past a beautiful patchwork of rice paddies cascading down the sides of the hills on either side of you.
As you reach the rivers edge, you can see a row of five of the 7 metre high memorials on the other side of the river and you have a choice to cross a stone bridge to the other side, or on your left is a path that takes you to another row of four memorials that face the others across the small gorge cut by the river, and a complex of monk's cells cut into the rock nearby.
On crossing the river, you find that as well as the memorials on the other side there is also a large temple complex which stands eerily empty...
There is a legend that a gigantic strongman named Kebo lwa carved out all of the monuments one night with his fingernails.
Short inscriptions on some of the memorials have enabled archaeologists to date them to the end of the 11th century, soon after the death of Anak Wungsu in about 1077, and that they served as memorials to deified royalty.
The identity of those honoured has not been determined with certainty, however one theory says the main group of five memorials honoured Udayana, his queen, his concubine, and his two sons, Marakata and Anak Wungsu. Another theory suggests they honored Anak Wungsu and his royal wives and that the other group of four honours his concubines.
Given that they are almost a thousand years old they are remarkably preserved and well worth what is the modern day equivalent of a pilgrimage to see them. It was a magical setting and a memorable trip...
posted by I Made in Jpn at 10:43 AM
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