Tirta Empul is one of Bali’s most important water temples, built around a natural spring at Tampaksiring that Balinese Hindus have held sacred for more than a thousand years. Founded in 962 AD, it takes its name from the clear water that still bubbles up through the sand of a central pool before feeding a series of carved bathing basins. Pilgrims come to perform melukat, a purification ritual that cleanses the mind and spirit. This is a working temple, in daily use, not a monument.
The purification pools
The heart of the temple is a long rectangular pool lined with more than twenty stone spouts, each fed by the sacred spring. Worshippers enter in the bathing sarong, offer a short prayer, then move from spout to spout in sequence, ducking their head beneath the falling water. Each spout carries its own meaning, and a few near the eastern end are reserved for funeral and cleansing rites, so bathers skip them. Visitors are welcome to take part if they follow the etiquette and treat the ritual with respect. Watching for a few minutes before entering makes the order clear.
Courtyards and springs
Beyond the pools, the temple is arranged in the usual Balinese three-part plan, with an outer courtyard, a middle section and an inner sanctuary reserved for prayer. Mossy shrines, split gateways and koi ponds fill the grounds, and you can see the spring welling up through the gravel bed of the source pool, its water startlingly clear. On the hill above stands a presidential rest house built in the 1950s, a reminder of the site’s continued importance.
Etiquette and timing
Modest dress is required, and the sarong and sash that come with your ticket must be worn throughout. Menstruating women are asked not to enter the bathing area, in keeping with temple custom. The temple is busiest in the middle of the day when tour groups arrive from Ubud, so an early start means quieter pools and cleaner water. Full-moon days and Balinese ceremonies draw large numbers of local worshippers, which is a striking sight but crowds the pools.
How to visit
Tirta Empul is about a 40-minute drive north of Ubud at Tampaksiring, reached by scooter, hired car or Grab, though drivers can be scarce for the return, so arranging a wait is wise. It sits on the same road as the Tegallalang Rice Terraces, making an easy half-day pairing. For more on the area, see our guide to Ubud and the full list of things to do in Ubud.
