Gunung Kawi Cliff Temple, Monumental Archaeological Heritage in Bali
The Gunung Kawi site is one of the monumental archaeological remains in Bali and is one of the sacred buildings of the Ancient Balinese period which is located in the Pakerisan River Basin (DAS). This site was built in the X-XI century AD, during the reign of King Udayana and Anak Wungsu.
The Gunung Kawi site consists of two groups of buildings, namely the cliff temple group and the hermitage niche group. The cliff temple group consists of ten temples carved into the rock cliffs. The hermitage niche group consists of hermitage niches carved into the rock cliffs.
The Gunung Kawi site has important values both from a religious, educational, environmental, science and technology and economic perspective. From a religious perspective, this site functions as a medium for worshiping ancestral spirits. From an educational perspective, this site functions as a place for meditation and religious education. From an environmental perspective, this site was built taking into account the surrounding environment, such as selecting watershed locations and water use. From a science and technology perspective, this site shows ancestral local wisdom in building relatively difficult buildings on difficult land. From an economic perspective, managing water sources on this site is beneficial for irrigating rice fields.
Until now, the Gunung Kawi site is still used for various purposes, both for religious activities, meditation, irrigating rice fields, and as a tourist attraction. This site has been designated as a cultural heritage and is being preserved by the community and government.
