Gianyar

About Gianyar

Gianyar is the regency that wraps around Ubud and contains some of the most significant sacred sites on the island. The water temple at Tirta Empul — where Balinese Hindus have bathed in spring-fed pools for spiritual purification for over a thousand years — is here. So are the workshops of Batuan village, where painters still work in the traditional Batuan style, filling every inch of canvas with mythological narratives. The Goa Gajah elephant cave, carved in the eleventh century, is a short walk from the main road. Celuk village is Bali's silversmith centre, where family workshops turn out intricate filigree and repousse work from studios that have operated for generations. Visiting Gianyar means moving between these layers — sacred and craft, ancient and living — in a way that is almost impossible to do in Ubud itself.