Yeh Pulu, Bali Overview

Located in the village of Bedulu, Bali is Yeh Pulu, a 25m long stretch of intricate relics, a less visited but just as breathtaking neighbour of Goa Gajah. These are vivid stone carvings of Hindu gods and shadow puppets, which display the rural everyday lives of people. Set amidst lush paddy fields, the ritual of blessing visitors by a small spring of holy water completes the visual treat.

Amidst the central jungles of Bali, Yeh Pulu is situated between two of the most historically significant rivers of Bali: Pakerisan and Petanu. The name “Yeh Pulu” refers to “water from the stone vessel” from archaic Balinese, in accordance with the natural rugged setting in combination with stone carvings and hot springs. This place was earlier used as a place to keep rice for the locals.

As a result, one can find a real container here that is shaped like a barrel at the centre of the holy water. Compared to other Balinese carvings, figures at Yeh Pulu are much more natural. Set amid rice terraces, visitors are often left alone here, making it one of the special attractions in Bali.

Things to Do

Visitors are mainly attracted to the stone reliefs and shrines here, the prominent reliefs and stone carvings being the elephant-headed god Ganesh, an ascetic, horseman, and a seated woman. The ceruk-ceruk or the meditation room is also an often visited area.

The entire relief is divided into 5 episodes: a figure of a man holding a guci (palm wine) in his hand, a dwarf-like figure with a turban which represents the modern-day Bali’s priest crown, a man sitting on the horse and figures depicting a bear hunt, two men carrying a bear pole and lastly, a woman holding the tail of a horse.

What’s more, visitors can also roam around the lush green forests of this area among the paddy fields and coconut groves as they may encounter caretakers and hermits of this ancient site.

History

The history of Yeh Pulu goes back to the 14th century, this place depicts the stories of local villagers. Common stories include fairytales of Wayang (puppet show). Iconographic studies suggest that a few of these carvings are from East Java, the ancient relief of Candi Penataran.

Around the 16th century, the Bali kingdom controlled the Blambangan Kingdom. According to the chronicle, during the attack of Blambangan, a number of boxes filled with Wayang puppets were confiscated and brought to the kingdom in Klungklung. The first-ever Wayang puppet show, inspired by Wayang from Java, was introduced here by a painter. This place soon came to be known as Kamasan Village and archaeologists believe that these rock carvings were made around this era.

The deep hole inside one of the temples on this site is considered to be the meditation spot for King Bedahulu in the past circa in 1343, something that was discovered by the Rice Grower’s Association in Bali. This site was excavated by the Dutch authorities during the occupation of Indonesia in 1929.

How To Reach Yeh Pulu

Yeh Pulu is located in Bedulu village which is nearly 300 metres into the east of Batulumbang around 26 kilometres (44 minutes) from Denpasar via JI. WR Supratman.
The closest airport to this temple is Ngurah International Airport (DPS) which is 41.5 kilometres away and it would take around an hour via JI. WR Supratman.
Visitors can take a cab, taxi or a bus from Denpasar or from the airport.
People often use a bicycle to get here.