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The cave
The Elephant Cave is a 9th-century sanctuary near Ubud
Goa Gajah, meaning the Elephant Cave, is near Ubud on Bali. Built in the 9th century, it served as a sanctuary. The exact origins are uncertain, but it is believed to have been built as a place for spiritual meditation.
Two faiths
The complex carries both Hindu and Buddhist imagery
The cave contains lingam and yoni, symbols of Shiva, and an image of Ganesha. By the river there are carved images of stupas and chattra, imagery of Buddhism.
Seven rivers
Seven women with water pitchers stand for seven holy rivers
The complex contains seven statues of women holding water pitchers, which depict seven holy rivers of India, among them the Ganga River and the Yamuna River. One of the statues has been destroyed by an earthquake.
Found again
Dutch archaeologists found the cave in 1923 and the pool in 1954
The cave was rediscovered by Dutch archaeologists in 1923, but the fountains and bathing pool were not discovered until 1954. The site is mentioned in the Javanese poem Desawarnana, written in 1365.
Day 3, afternoon
It comes after Puri Lukisan Museum.
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The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Goa Gajah, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.