The Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is both a famous picturesque landmark and a significant temple complex located on the western side of the Beratan Lake in Bedugul, central Bali. The whole Bedugul area is actually a favorite cool upland weekend and holiday retreat for locals and island visitors alike from the southern and urban areas, as it is strategically located, connecting the island’s north and south.
Ulun Danu Beratan, literally ‘the source temple of Lake Beratan’, is easily the island’s most iconic sanctuary sharing the scenic qualities with the seaside temples of Uluwatu and Tanah Lot. The smooth reflective surface of the lake surrounding most of the temple’s base creates a unique floating impression, while the mountain range of the Bedugul region encircling the lake provides the temple with a scenic backdrop.
The history of the Ulun Danu temple can be traced back to the rise of the Mengwi kingdom. The ‘floating’ temple complex is comprised of four groups of shrines, including the prominent Lingga Petak shrine to its east. There are four gates facing each of the four points of the compass. The second group is located in the west and pays homage to another temple in the hill of Puncak Mangu and is regarded as the symbol of soil fertility. The ‘puncak’ or hilltop of Mangu is northeast of Lake Beratan.
