Pura Gaduh Blahbatuh: The Giant Stone Head of Kebo Iwa, 20 Minutes from Ubud

The route from Ubud to the east-coast beaches — Saba, Keramas, Lebih — runs through Blahbatuh every day, and hardly anybody stops. Yet about 200 metres east of Blahbatuh market, on Jalan Kebo Iwa, Pura Gaduh keeps one of the strangest statues in Bali: a giant stone head with bulging eyes and no body at all.

The stone head believed to be Kebo Iwa's face

The statue, roughly a metre tall, really is only a head — bulging eyes, wide ears, loose hair and protruding fangs. Villagers believe it shows the face of Kebo Iwa, the chief minister of ancient Bali under King Astasura Ratna Bumi Banten, who fell to a Majapahit stratagem. Local accounts say only the head is displayed as a sign of humility, and as a reminder that both good and bad deeds begin in the head.

A village temple that survived the 1917 earthquake

The original buildings of Pura Gaduh collapsed in the great earthquake of 1917 and were later rebuilt, but the stone head survived. The temple is also known as Pura Kebo Iwa and is still in active use by the people of Banjar Tengah, Desa Adat Blahbatuh — so you are far more likely to meet residents coming to pray than a tour bus group.

Getting there and the best time

• Distance: about 13 km from central Ubud (20–30 minutes), around 10 km west of Gianyar town, roughly 45 minutes from Sanur.
• Access: smooth sealed roads, easy by scooter or car; park at the roadside or in the temple forecourt.
• Best time: mornings before 10.00 or late afternoons after 16.00, which also lets you drop into Blahbatuh market, busy from before dawn.
• How long: 20–30 minutes is enough; pair it with a run down to Saba or Keramas beach.

Practical Info & Booking

• Location: Jalan Kebo Iwa, Banjar Tengah, Blahbatuh, Gianyar — View on Google Maps
• Hours & donation: a village temple with no ticket booth; generally accessible during daylight, roughly 08.00–17.00, so bring a voluntary donation of about Rp10,000–20,000 for the donation box.
• Etiquette: wear a sarong and sash — bring your own, as rentals are not always available. Ask the priest or a resident before photographing the statue, and do not enter during a piodalan or ceremony without permission.
• Social: search on Instagram

Blahbatuh is best explored from Ubud or Sanur. Have a look at AccessiaPass hotel vouchers for a stay in either area, then slot in half an hour for a stone head that has been watching this road since long before tourists arrived.