Pura Taman Kemuda Saraswati which is more commonly known as Pura Taman Saraswati or Saraswati Temple and sometimes as the Ubud Water Palace is a temple in the heart of Ubud.

It’s dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Saraswati and the grounds are attractive and very popular with holidaymakers in Bali.

Our quick guide to Saraswati Temple will help you better understand what you’re seeing at the temple and what to expect when you get there.

Where Is Saraswati Temple?

The Saraswati Temple is in Central Bali in the town of Ubud.

It’s centrally located in the town and it’s within a 10-minute walk of most other attractions in the town such as the Ubud Art Market and Ubud Royal Palace (both on Jalan Raya Ubud).

The address of Saraswati Temple, Ubud is F7V6+JHX, Jl. Kajeng, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571

How To Get There?

If you’re coming from anywhere in Ubud, it’s going to be a short walk to the temple.

If you’re coming from further afield we’d recommend that you either join a tour of Ubud or hire a car and driver to get here.

We don’t recommend riding a scooter in Bali, even though it’s cheap, because accidents are very common and many people find that when they get to the hospital, their insurer does not consider them to be road-legal and won’t pay up.

It’s best to pay a little more for transport and get to your destination in one piece.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Saraswati Temple

There is never a bad time to come to Bali and we encourage people to come to the island all year round. The rainy season doesn’t see as much rain as you might think and there are an average of 9 hours of sunshine a day!

However, it is a bit hotter and more humid in the rainy season, which can be offset a little by coming to Ubud which is higher up than the beach towns and thus, a bit cooler.

The good news is that the rainy season offers cheaper flights, accomodation and tours.

So, it makes sense to visit Pura Taman Saraswati at this time of year if you can as the temple area is pretty small and you’re not going to spend very long at the site.

However, it’s just as nice in the dry season, it’s just that your trip will cost a little more if you come at this time of year.

When Is Saraswati Temple Open?

The temple opens early in the morning at 7 a.m. but it closes to the public at 5 p.m.

Because it’s a temple and not just a tourist attraction, Pura Taman Saraswati is open to worshippers 24 hours a day.

Is There An Entrance Fee At Saraswati Temple?

No, while there is often an entrance fee at temples in Ubud and Bali, this temple welcomes all visitors for free.

However, there is a Balinese dance performance held at this temple (at the Café Lotus by the lotus pond and there is a fee to watch that performance.

The best seats for the dance require a minimum spend at Café Lotus in addition to the ticket cost.

However, we think the dance at Pura Taman Saraswati is very good and the food at the cafe is good too, so it might be worth your investment if you love Balinese culture.

The History Of Pura Taman Saraswati

The temple was designed by I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, a famous Balinese sculptor, architect and painter) by the Prince of Ubud, Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati.

The architect was taking refuge in the court of Ubud at the time as he’d had a falling out with the royal family in Blahbatuh and was unable to return there.

He began building on the site in 1951 and Saraswati Temple was finished in 1952.

The Hindu Goddess Saraswati

The temple is dedicated to the Goddess Saraswati and she is the Hindu Goddess of knowledge, learning, wisdom, flowing water, literature and art.

She is revered in India and you can also find Jains and Buddhists making offerings to the goddess.

She is commonly depicted as having four arms and holding a book, a rosary, a veena (a kind of musical instrument) and a water pot.

You can find references to the Goddess throughout Hindu folklore and in most epic tales.

She is also regularly associated with a lotus pond which explains the presence of such a pond at this temple.

What To Expect At Saraswati Ubud Temple

There is some unusual Balinese temple architecture at Taman Saraswati temple and some traditional Balinese architecture too, the grounds are full of carvings of Hindu mythological figures and there are three notable features:

The Aling-Aling

An aling-aling is not a common feature of Balinese temples and it’s meant a sort of wall that is used to make evil spirits unhappy and confused and to prevent them from carrying out their intent.

The aling-aling here is actually part of the back of a statue of a rakshasha (a malevolent being in the Hindu lore) known as Jero Gede Mecaling.

Padmasana Shrine

This is the most important shrine here and it’s located in the North East of this beautiful place.

Look at the base and you will see it has been carved with “paras” (carvings from volcanic tuff) showing the cosmic turtle of Hindu lore and some nagas.

The Lotus Pond

The pond is the most popular part of the temple grounds and it is surrounded by attractive Frangipani trees. The pond is covered in pink lotus flowers when they’re in bloom and they’re very pleasing to look at.

The water garden around it has a bridge-like entrance and more paras this time carved by I Gusti Nyoman Lempad himself.

Look at the Kori Agugng gates as you approach the inner courtyard as they are fine examples of this red-bricked design.