Pura Labuhan Aji, Temukus: Temple, Kwan Im and a Wali Pitu Tomb

Pura Labuhan Aji sits in Labuhan Aji hamlet, Temukus village, Banjar district, about 15 km west of Singaraja and only a few kilometres from the busy strip of Kalibukbuk in Lovina. What sets it apart from other coastal temples in Buleleng: this Hindu temple holds a Dwi Kwan Im statue and Buddhist-style lanterns, and the same hamlet is home to the sacred tomb of a Chinese-born preacher of Islam.

What you can see

According to the priests interviewed by Puputan.com, the temple grounds have thirteen shrines, with three main shrines in the central court for Ida Bhatara Sakti Mentang Yudha Tulak Sanjata. Local tradition links the temple to the journey of Dang Hyang Nirartha (Dang Hyang Dwijendra) along the north coast.

The Buddhist elements are not a recent add-on. Research by Komang Heriyanti of STAHN Mpu Kuturan Singaraja (Jurnal Penelitian Agama Hindu, August 2025) documents the lanterns and the Dwi Kwan Im statue, and Buddhists who join the ngayah work and bring offerings at the temple festival dressed in Balinese attire.

In the same hamlet is the Karang Rupit sacred tomb of Syekh Abdul Qadir Muhammad, born The Kwan Lie, one of Bali's Wali Pitu (Seven Saints). The tomb stands beside Pura Segara and the Temukus village cemetery, is open 24 hours, and is kept by a caretaker funded by pilgrims' donation boxes (Koran Buleleng, December 2023).

When it is busy and when it is quiet

• The temple's piodalan (anniversary festival) falls once a year on Purnama Kapat, the same day as Pura Pulaki's. Worshippers come from across Buleleng.
• Before Pagerwesi, Galungan and Kuningan, people usually queue to pray.
• It is also a melasti (purification) destination. In October 2025 Banjar district staff volunteered here to prepare the Nyanggra Ida Betara Ulun Danu Tamblingan ceremony, a major ritual that includes a procession to the sea at Labuhan Aji.
• Karang Rupit is busiest on Rabu Wekasan (the last Wednesday of the month of Safar), before Ramadan and around Eid. Pilgrims come from Java, Sumatra and as far as Aceh.

Outside those dates it is very quiet. The beach north of the temple is black sand, calm, and faces both sunrise and sunset.

Who it does not suit

• Anyone after a swimming beach with cafes. Buleleng's environment agency (2020) described Labuan Aji beach as undeveloped, and we found no evidence of organised visitor facilities as of October 2026.
• Visitors who want guided tours and signboards. This is an active place of worship, not a ticketed attraction; we found no official entry fee.
• Women who are menstruating: they may not enter the temple, and the Karang Rupit caretaker's rules also bar them from the tomb chamber.
• Day-trippers from south Bali. Ngurah Rai Airport to Lovina is about 3 hours on the winding Bedugul road, so this works best as a stop while you stay in Lovina.

Before you go

• Temple location: View on Google Maps. Tomb location: Karang Rupit on Google Maps.
• Dress: sarong and sash to enter the temple. At the tomb, take off your shoes and keep quiet when people are praying.
• Carry small cash for the temple donation (dana punia) or the tomb's donation box.
• Staying overnight at the tomb requires the caretaker's permission and an ID card.
• Checked October 2026. Festival dates follow the Balinese calendar, so ask villagers or the temple committee.

Also in Temukus is Sing Sing Waterfall for a short walk. If the melasti story has you curious, Lake Tamblingan lies in the hills to the south via the Munduk road.