Inner Gate

Pura Taman Ayun, Mengwi

The ceremonial gate, shown here, leads into the inner courtyard, the most sacred part of the temple that contains the ancestor shrines and other shrines and pavilions. The gate has three entrances, closed by plain wooden replacement doors, seemingly in the Chinese fashion; probably the tallest, center, entrance would have been reserved for the king and other high ranking royals, while temple personnel and officials would have used the lesser entrances on the side.

The guardians in front of the gate wear European-style crowns, and the gate's roof is decorated with Garuda heads , lotus bud finials, and figures of children (following pages).