Vihara Dharma Giri, Pupuan: Bali's 15-Metre Reclining Buddha

Vihara Dharma Giri in Pupuan, Tabanan, charges no ticket: visitors sign a guest book and leave a voluntary donation (dana punia) for upkeep. The draw is a white reclining Buddha about 15 m long and 3 m high, beside the Pupuan-Singaraja main road, roughly 2 hours from Denpasar or 1 hour from Tabanan town. ANTARA still featured it as a religious-tourism stop in May 2025.

Before you go: seven things people miss

• It is an active place of worship. The monastery's chairman told detikBali it may close to the public during meditation sessions or religious activities. If you are driving a long way, have a backup plan around Pupuan.
• No shorts. Sarongs can be borrowed from the caretakers, but bringing your own is easier.
• Take your shoes off before stepping onto the statue platform and other sacred buildings.
• The statue you see is the second attempt. The first (2010) was dismantled because its proportions were off, then rebuilt using the reclining Buddha at Mendut Temple in Magelang, Central Java, as a reference.
• The complex has three levels. The reclining Buddha is on the second. Above it are a pavilion with a large bell and a hall with a seated golden Buddha, plus a Buddha seated on the coils of a seven-headed naga.
• Photos are fine, manners matter. Do not sit or lean on the statue and skip joke poses in front of it. People still come here to pray.
• The road winds. The Tabanan-Pupuan route climbs and drops through the hills; if you get carsick, come prepared.

Who might skip it?

If you are based in Kuta or Canggu and would drive out just for this, 4 hours round trip is a lot for a visit that takes 30-45 minutes. It makes more sense combined with Blahmantung Waterfall and the rice fields of Belimbing village, both in Pupuan district. If you are staying in Lovina, Brahmavihara-Arama in Banjar is a large monastery much closer to you.

Location and info

• Location: View Vihara Dharma Giri on Google Maps
• Entry: free, sign the guest book, voluntary donation (checked September 2026).
• Hours: no official hours are published; come in daylight and be ready for closures during meditation.
• Latest news: search on Instagram

With a single day in Pupuan, the most time-efficient order is the monastery in the morning, the waterfall around midday when the footpath has dried, and Belimbing's rice terraces in the afternoon before heading back down to Tabanan.