VUE

Sometimes referred to as the "Water Palace," the Temple is symbolically dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, music, art, wisdom and learning; Saraswati translates to "one who leads to essence of self-knowledge." e Goddess is a patron deity of Ubud, so it should come as no surprise that the town itself is very expressive and artistic in its own right. Many of the temple's carvings and sandstone bas-reliefs were created in her honor. Pura Taman Saraswati was designed by Gusti Nyoman Lempad, an art master whose team began the construction of the Temple in 1951 (which was completed by 1952). Lempad arrived in Ubud aer moving away from the royal court of Blahbatuh and was considered one of the most talented artists of the pre- war Balinese modernist painters. Employed by the Sukawati Royal Family, Lempad was a notable stone sculptor and architect who built palaces and temples throughout Ubud and its neighboring villages. e Pura Taman Saraswati Temple was constructed to conform with the rules of Tri Mandala, a concept of Balinese space allocation. e design of the Temple consists of the three divine mandala zones arranged according to a sacred hierarchy: Nista mandala, Madya mandala, and Utama mandala. e Nista mandala, the outer less-sacred realm, directly connects the temple to the outer world and holds the entrance to the temple; a sweeping lotus pond and water garden marks the outer region of the Pura Taman Saraswati Temple. As plumeria trees embellish the perimeter of the pond, a straight bridge-like path is lined with Hindu mythological sculptures made from tuff, a type of rock formed of volcanic ash. Many of which were the original works of Lempad himself. VUE ON TRAVEL V U E N J . C O M 133

• Cover