Travel Guide Batuan

It was here that the fates of several dynasties of dancers and painters were decided. The origin of the word Batuan, which refers to Batu, the stone, is not exactly known. Historians don't know whether it refers to ancient megalithic rites or to a quip about its inhabitants. Nevertheless, an inscription in the Pura Desa Batuan dating back to 1022 attests to the relationship between Batuan and Ubud. Pura Gede Metjaling is said to have been built on the site of the old palace of Jero Gedé Metjaling, the demon king of Nusa Penida and Bali's most important god. Legend has it that this king, who first settled in Batuan, later settled in Nusa Penida. The Balinese are so afraid of the exiled demon that they've left the temple abandoned!