Pura Goa Gajah is a Hindu temple with its inner sanctum carved into the hillside. Buddhist relics on the site date back to the 8th century, with the Hindu temple dating back to the 11th century. The entrance to the main temple has the appearance of the mouth of a demon as you enter the small T-shaped space. Inside you’ll find a statue of the Hindu god Ganesh, as well as remains of lingam (phallic representations of the Hindu god Shiva) and its female version, yoni.

As to the origin of the nickname of the temple, “Elephant cave”, the jury is still out. It could derive from the previous name of one of the nearby rivers (despite no elephants in Bali). It could also reference some of the carvings visible on the entrance to the cave. Lastly, it may be a reference to the statues of Ganesh (the “elephant god”).