Lempuyang is a chain of seven temples climbing Mount Lempuyang in Karangasem. At the bottom, Pura Penataran Agung Lempuyang has a white split gate that frames Mount Agung on clear days, the view that earned it the name Gates of Heaven. At the top stands Pura Lempuyang Luhur, one of the Sad Kahyangan and the directional temple of the east, among the holiest sites in Bali.
Lempuyang Luhur is dedicated to Ida Betara Hyang Iswara, guardian of the east. Lower down, Penataran Agung rises in terraces, its three staircases flanked by naga serpents and figures from the Mahabharata. An inscription at the temple recounts a figure named Jayacakti being sent to build a temple on the mountain, and the central portal of the inner gate opens only during major festivals.
Most visitors stop at Penataran Agung, where the gate faces Agung across the valley and a queue forms for photographs. Those who continue walk a long forest path of roughly 1,700 steps past smaller temples to the summit shrine, a climb of around two hours that many Balinese make as a pilgrimage. Macaques sometimes watch from the trees.
Highlights
- Split gate framing Mount Agung
- Naga staircases at Penataran Agung
- Pilgrim climb to Lempuyang Luhur
- Temple of the east, one of the Sad Kahyangan
Good to know
- Arrive at dawn: Agung is usually clearest early, and the photo queue at the gate grows quickly.
- Local drivers offer rides from the parking area up toward Penataran Agung; agree on the fare before you set off.
- If you climb to the summit, bring water and treat the walk as a pilgrimage rather than a workout.
- Do not climb on the gate or shrines for photographs.
On the map
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