Goa Gajah

The entrance of the cave, with its menancing face. You can make out the profile of an elephant if you look at the face's hair; the elephant's trunk is hanging over its ear to the right.

In front of the cave are enormous rectangular bathing pools with water fountains.










GOA GAJAH

Goa Gajah is best known for its ancient caves that have a carved stone that are distinctively recognizable as being elephant shaped. Located in the Gianyar district and one of the many areas of interest of the area, the elephant caves of Goa Gajah date back to well before the Hindu times of Bali and represent the Pagan gods that still have a place in the Modern Balinese Hindu beliefs which is one of the things that making Balinese Hinduism completely unique. Located only 27km from the centre of Denpasar and only a an hour or so from the international airport the caves of Goa Gajah are definitely a worth while visit while you are traveling in the northern Gianyar district or staying in any of the nearby areas such as Ubud, Sanur or Mas. There is no real reason to stay in Goa Gajah itself unless you seek to find somewhere outside the touristy areas where there is a lovely culture and some other smaller ruins that can be fond and discovered without alone but as a day trip Goa Gajah is perfect.

Perhaps the ideal way to see the Elephant caves of Goa Gajah is by employing the use of a professional guided tour so it is possible to get informed guidance and also enjoy some of the other nearby areas in the same day if you are short of time or cramming as much into your holiday as possible. These tours are invariably very cheap and usually include pick up from your hotel, comfortable air conditioned transport, as well as lunch and returning to your hotel.

Goa Gajah was originally a Buddhist word meaning temple of monk and is written on the Negarakeetagama Papyrus that was compiled and written in 1365 and is orientated around the river that leads through the hermitage of Goa Gajah where he lived and followed he Buddhist path. Within the area and caves there are statutes of different animals such as the forest pig,, tortoise and specters that are thought to be at least as old as the main ruins within a courtyard that has a very ancient feel and is deeply calming and relaxing even for those who are not on a spiritual journey. There is also the pool of holy water which was discovered in 1954 by Krijgsman from the ancient department and is the holy water with douche statues and was thought to once have a light flow of water from the two holy rivers that flow through the area and have been the major spiritual symbols of the Goa Gajah caves.

When entering the area there are no real cultural rules and respectful behavior to follow although there are still Buddhists that inhabit the area so it is best to be calm and respectful and wear some form of top such as a tee shirt. You may be invited to look at part of a Buddhist ceremony if one happens to fall on the day you are visiting, if so you will find the people very welcoming.