Pura Ulun Siwi

Considered as the most important of the temples for Subaks, cooperatives that manage water rights for the cultivation of rice, the temple was built in the eighteenth century but its origins seem to date back to the 11th century. Perhaps it is his long story that brings with it the difference of Ulun Siwi from the other temples, its structure is in fact unusually facing East (not to the South) and the devotees pray by looking to the West instead of North. It was probably its manufacturer Mpu Kuturan, who oriented it towards Mount Semeru located in Eastern Java, instead of towards Monte Agung in the North of Bali. Fundamental for rice farmers, who pray there for the fertility of the earth, the temple is the place where it is believed to obtain a particularly effective holy water against insects. The area where the building stands is relatively central, but finding itself on a hill the air is fresh and pleasant especially during the evening ceremonies. Although it is faced with the morning market, Ulun Siwi maintains a reserved sacredness, an intimate space dedicated to the local population and to those who need a pause of tranquility.