01The split gate (candi bentar)
The tall, narrow gateway split down the middle — as if a single structure were cut in two and pulled apart — is one of the most recognisable features of Balinese temple architecture, marking the entrance to a temple complex. Symbolically, it represents duality: the gate appears whole from a distance but reveals its split as you approach, echoing Balinese Hindu concepts of complementary opposites.
02Meru: the tiered towers
The distinctive multi-tiered thatched towers seen at temples like Ulun Danu Bratan are called meru, representing the cosmic mountain at the centre of the universe in Hindu cosmology. The number of tiers is significant and always odd — generally, more tiers signal a higher-status deity being honoured, with the largest merus at major temples reaching eleven tiers.
03The three-courtyard layout
Most Balinese temples are organised into three zones of increasing sanctity: an outer courtyard (jaba) for general activity and preparation, a middle courtyard for ceremonial functions, and an innermost sanctum (jeroan) housing the most sacred shrines — often closed to non-worshippers, which is why visitors typically view the innermost area from just outside rather than entering directly.
04Materials & craftsmanship
Traditional temple construction uses local volcanic stone and brick for structural elements, with intricate hand-carved relief work depicting deities, demons and natural motifs covering nearly every surface — see our arts & crafts guide for more on the carving traditions behind this. Thatched alang-alang grass roofing tops the meru towers, requiring regular maintenance and periodic replacement as part of ongoing temple upkeep.
05Reading a temple once you know this
Next time you visit Taman Ayun or Besakih, try counting the meru tiers and noting the courtyard progression — it turns a temple visit from simply admiring a pretty building into actually reading the structure's intended meaning, the way this architecture was designed to be understood.