Even though Goa Gajah translates into Elephant Cave, you won’t find any pachyderms here.
One theory is that the elephant aspect came from the stone figure inside the cave depicting the Hindu lord Ganesha, characterised by an elephant’s head. Inside, you can also find the three mysterious stones whose meaning I forgot and can't seem to find - maybe they represented heaven, earth & humans? - but they are interesting in their simplicity surrounded by so much carving. The cloth around them is believed to be sacred. The cave’s entrance shows a menacing giant face considered to be an elephant with its wide open mouth as the door, together with some forest and animals motifs. Goa Gajah was built on a hillside, since 2 rivers meet here, the site and its waters are considered sacred, you can see the holy fountains at the entrance as well as our driver washing his hands in this purity.
The complex is open daily 08:00 - 16.00. As with any temple in Bali, women during their periods are forbidden entrance and wearing a sarong and waist sash is a must.
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