Bangli, Indonesia Tourism

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Bangli, chief town of one of the nine administrative districts (kabupaten) of Bali, was once an independent princedom. A little to the north of the town are the foothills of the Gunung Agung volcano.

The town itself lies 39 km (25 mi.) north-east of Denpasar at the upper end of the well watered central uplands, in good and productive agricultural country. The crater lake of Batur, Bali's largest lake, lies within the area of the town.

The town of Bangli is dominated by the magnificent backdrop of Mt Batur, which is particularly impressive in the morning; later in the day it is almost always capped with clouds.

In the town itself there are a series of interesting temples, five of them dedicated to the powers of the underworld.

History

The town of Bangli, now one of the cultural centers of Bali, first appears in the records in 1204, when a great religious festival was celebrated here. Later Bangli became capital of an independent princedom, though its rulers never enjoyed great influence, looking to the powerful Rajas of Klungkung for help or protection when required.