Pura Luhur Batukaru in Bali is a Hindu temple built on the slope of Mount Batukaru, which is the second largest volcano on this Indonesian island. The temple itself is one of nine kayangan jagat, i.e. shrines meant to protect the inhabitants of the island against the influence of evil spirits. The building was built in the eleventh century in honor of ancestors of the rajah of Tabanan. However, it was completely destroyed in the seventeenth century and rebuilt only in 1959. It is now one of the most important places of worship of the Balinese Hindu population. Among other things, it serves as the first stop of pilgrims going to the summit of holy Mount Batukaru.
