Goa Gajah

The elephant cave guarded by demons was built in the 9th century and is one of the popular tourist attractions close to Ubud. The archaeological site has however nothing to do with elephants but with the elephant god, Ganesha. Inside the cave are the deity and the trinity. The site has been excavated recently and one of my favourites is the graceful stepwell with apsaras carved inside them. You can also see smaller shrines in the forested landscape. The entire cave temple now boasts a lush surrounding filled with trees and rocks strewn around. One of the rock faces is carved in the form of Buddha. Roaming around in the courtyard, you will find several relief figures besides rock cut sculptures.