vicinity of the Kings' Tombs |
vicinity of the Queen's Tomb |
Gunung Kawi, Bali
The chamber in the first photo is located at the right-hand corner of the Kings' Tombs (previous pages). Given its location, it probably housed the chief priest who maintained the site and carried out devotions to the departed rulers. Many similar chambers (example, second photo) were excavated into the rock in and around the site. They are often called "cloisters" or "hermitages" in guidebooks, but neither term is strictly accurate. The people who lived here were priests of the cult, not monks or hermits.