Taman Ayun temple was the royal temple of Mengwi Kingdom that survived until 1891 when it was conquered by the neighboring kingdoms of Tabanan and Badung. The name Taman Ayun means beautiful garden. This temple was built by the King of Mengwi, I Gusti Agung Anom in 1634. The date of construction is expressed on a carved door with chronogram reads ‘Sad Bhuta Yaksa Dewa‘ means 1634 AD. The temple has been renovated in 1949 and in 1972 all black fiber roofs were renewed, the last in 1976 was built the pavilion tower called ‘Bale Kulkul‘.

The Taman Ayun temple is the second largest temple in Bali, covering an area of 250 x 100 square meters. The temple is built on a high tableland that is partly surrounded by ponds, creating an impression that the temple is foating on the water. The temple is surrounded by a massive moat that looks lovely and is divided into 4 courtyards each courtyard situated on a spacious rising level.

The temple consists of fifty separate structures scattered on a wide green area, surround by beautiful pond, a sight that evokes a palpable sense of calm and beauty. There are twenty-nine buildings in the innermost court, which function as the symbolization of the various God, Goddess, and the power points of the kingdom. Each power point was represented by a multiple roofed tower called a meru.

The main one was for Mount Agung, the highest mountain in Bali. It has eleven tiers that represented the eight directions, up, down and centre the totality of outer and inner space. The meru for Mount Batukaru also has eleven tiers and a nine tiers meru represents Mount Batur. Other merus represented the dominant natural features in the Mengwi kingdom, or regions of landscape that held special power, such as the mountains, the lakes the slopes, the plains and the ocean.

The Taman Ayun temple not just offers the magnificent temple structure but also the beauty of the surrounding ponds and landscape. On the western side of the temple complex is the natural pool by constructing dam across the small river on the southern end of the temple area. A tour with a bout around the surrounding pond will give the visitors a new point of view on the beauty of the Taman Ayun temple. A visit on this temple ceremony will also provides the visitors with excellent views of women file over the bridge carrying high, multicolored offering, dance and musical performance.

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