Pegulingan Temple

Buried Secrets - The Rediscovery of Pegulingan

Hidden within the vast green rice fields of Tampaksiring, Pura Pegulingan rests in quiet seclusion, wrapped in silence and half forgotten prayer. Built in 978 AD, it stands as one of Bali’s oldest temples, a rare site where archaeologists have confirmed the remains of a complete Buddhist sanctuary beneath a functioning Hindu complex. The buried structure is not a random scatter of stones but an intentionally designed stupa base with symmetrical terraces, showing that a thriving Mahayana Buddhist community once flourished here centuries before Hindu influence took hold. Over time, the temple became layered in both faith and memory, creating a site where history, ritual and spirituality converge.

The temple’s ancient layout reveals a carefully planned sacred landscape. The stupa foundation aligns with two now vanished structures along an east west ritual axis, suggesting Pegulingan was part of a small ceremonial district rather than a solitary shrine. Ground depressions, stone fragments and subtle terraces hint at a once connected network of shrines and living quarters for monks, revealing that this part of central Bali was home to a vibrant Buddhist settlement. The very name “Pegulingan,” tied to rotation or circular motion in meditation, underscores the spiritual practices once performed here. Excavated ritual fragments, including miniature turnable reliquaries, confirm that motion and meditation were central to devotion at the site.

Rediscovery came by accident in 1982, when villagers digging a foundation for a new shrine struck stone where soil should have been. What began as a simple construction project quickly turned into one of the most significant archaeological finds on the Island. Antiquity experts uncovered a sealed stone container filled with clay stamps, metal plates and fragments of bronze etched with Sanskrit and Pre-Nagari script. It was a pripih box, a ritual vessel used to bind sacred energy to temple foundations. Nearby stood a miniature stupa and several Buddhist artefacts that confirmed Pegulingan’s ancient dual faith. The find brought excavation to a cautious halt as priests and heritage officials performed ceremonies of respect before sealing the ground once more. Today Pegulingan Temple remains a quiet place of worship but locals still say the air grows heavy near the old foundations as though the earth remembers what it was made to guard.

The archaeological record shows the temple’s original collapse was abrupt. A dark ash layer sealed beneath later Hindu construction contains fallen stones and scorched wood, pointing to a sudden fire or ashfall that forced the Buddhist community to abandon the site. Yet the Hindu Balinese who later restored Pegulingan did not erase this past. They built shrines directly above the buried stupa, preserving the older foundation while constructing new sacred spaces above it. The result is a living palimpsest of religious continuity, where Hindu devotion envelopes Buddhist practice without obliterating it.

Artifacts recovered from Pegulingan testify to a rich cultural exchange. Lotus carvings, miniature clay stupas and early Balinese kala faces were found together, suggesting artisans drew from multiple iconographic traditions circulating across Bali, Java and Sumatra. Bronze bodhisattvas and votive figures further illustrate the temple’s blended religious heritage. Even the entrance bears carved elephant statues, thought to mark the Saka year 898 (circa 976 AD), which local legends claim move in another realm during moonless nights, their tusks exuding resin and heavy footsteps echoing faintly across the rice terraces.

Pura Pegulingan’s physical design mirrors its spiritual duality. Following the traditional Balinese Tri Mandala layout, the temple moves devotees through three concentric zones: the outer Nista Mandala for gatherings and offerings, the middle Madya Mandala housing pavilions and ritual preparation, and the inner Utama Mandala, where shrines and the central stupa reside. Here, Buddha statues rest beside shrines to Shiva and Vishnu, reflecting centuries of coexisting devotion. The courtyard emptiness preserves the meditative aura of the original stupa, while devotees circumambulate in clockwise ritual, echoing ancient Buddhist practice even as Hindu rites continue around them.

At dusk, Pegulingan Temple settles into quiet harmony, broken only by the song of frogs and the gentle rustle of rice grass across the fields. The air feels dense with centuries of devotion and the layered architecture of stupa and shrines casts long shadows across the courtyards. Here, the traces of Buddhist and Hindu practice coexist visibly in the stones, carvings and temple layout, offering a rare window into Bali’s syncretic spiritual history. Standing within the Utama Mandala, one can sense how devotion, artistry and ritual have been continuously woven together for over a thousand years, making Pegulingan not just a site of worship but a living testament to the island’s enduring sacred heritage.

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🗺️ Location

Banjar Basangambu, Manukaya Village, Tampaksiring District, Gianyar Regency, Bali, Indonesia

🚆 How to get there

From downtown Ubud, reaching Pegulingan Temple takes about 40 minutes by car, over a distance of roughly 16km's. Head east along Jalan Raya Ubud toward Jalan Raya Tampaksiring, continue past Pura Tirta Empul, then turn left onto Jalan Basangambu, which leads directly to the temple. I travelled with a private driver on his motorbike and it cost me 450,000 IDR for the full day. A private driver with a car will cost between 800,000 - 1,000,000 IDR for a full day. There is plenty to see in the area

⭐ Attraction Info

Pura Pegulingan is open daily with no set hours and entry is free. Visitors are required to dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees. There is a small selection of sarongs and sashes beside the donation box and wearing them is mandatory. I always travel with my own anyway. The best time to visit is in the morning when the site is quiet and the early light highlights the stone carvings and courtyards. Most visitors spend about 30 minutes exploring the temple grounds, it is quite small. Nearby, you can also visit the famous Pura Tirta Empul for its holy spring rituals, as well as the surrounding rice terraces and traditional villages. There isn't much around this particular temple and most locals don't know about this place. I would suggest going here only if you're in the area and if you really like archaeological sites.

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