Pura Rambut Siwi is the largest temple in Jembrana, on Bali's quiet western coast, set on a clifftop overlooking the Indian Ocean. It is one of Bali's seven most important sea temples. The temple forms a group with Pura Segara, closer to the shore, and Pura Penataran, and the three are visited in sequence during major ceremonies.
Its name means venerated hair. Tradition holds that the priest Dang Hyang Nirartha, traveling through Bali in the 16th century, left a lock of his hair here to protect the temple. Red-brick walls are carved with reliefs from the Arjuna Wiwaha, a Javanese epic, and a statue of Nirartha guards a cave shrine on the beach.
A path and long flight of steps lead from the cliff down to a dark-sand beach, where waves break and small cave shrines open into the rock. A freshwater spring at beach level is used for purification. Few tourists come this far west, so visits are usually calm. A roadside shrine on the main highway blesses travelers on the way to Gilimanuk.
Highlights
- Clifftop temple above the ocean
- Legend of Nirartha's hair
- Red-brick Arjuna Wiwaha reliefs
- Beach cave shrines
Photos
Photos: Baldersdod · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited / WMWis · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Good to know
- Stop here on the way to Pemuteran or the ferry at Gilimanuk.
- Take care on the steps down to the beach, which can be steep and slippery.
- Leave the cave shrines to worshippers and priests, and view them from outside.
On the map
Bali: Culture, Tradition & Religion
Offerings, ceremonies, temples and beliefs: 100 short chapters on what makes Balinese culture unlike anywhere else.
