Goa Gajah

Goa Gajah, or Elephant Cave, is located on the island of Bali near Ubud, in Indonesia. Built in the 9th century, it served as a sanctuary.^[1]

Site Description

At the facade of the cave is a relief of various menacing creatures and demons carved right into the rock at the cave entrance. The primary figure was once thought to be an elephant, hence the nickname Elephant Cave. The site is mentioned in the Javanese poem Desawarnana written in 1365. An extensive bathing place on the site was not excavated until the 1950s.^[2] These appear to have been built to ward off evil spirits.

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on October 19, 1995 in the Cultural category.^[3]

Notes

^ Davison, J. et al (2003)
^ Pringle, R. (2004) p 61
^ Elephant Cave - UNESCO World Heritage Centre

References

Elephant Cave - UNESCO World Heritage Centre Accessed 2009-03-06.
Pringle, Robert (2004). Bali: Indonesia's Hindu Realm; A short history of. Short History of Asia Series. Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-863-3.
Davison, J. (2003). Introduction to Balinese Architecture. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 0794600719. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

8°31′24.20″S 115°17′10.89″E / 8.5233889°S 115.2863583°E / -8.5233889; 115.2863583

[1] Davison, J. et al (2003)

[2] Pringle, R. (2004) p 61

[3] Elephant Cave - UNESCO World Heritage Centre

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