This was once the state temple of the Pejeng kingdom. In the inner courtyard, high up in a pavilion and difficult to see, is the huge bronze drum known as the Fallen Moon of Pejeng. The hourglass-shaped drum is 186cm long, the largest single-piece cast drum in the world. Estimates of its age vary from 1000 to 2000 years. The temple is in Pejeng, 5km east of central Ubud.
It is not certain whether the drum was made locally or imported – the intricate geometric decorations are said to resemble patterns from places as far apart as West Papua and Vietnam.
Balinese legend relates that the drum came to earth as a fallen moon, landing in a tree and shining so brightly that it prevented a band of thieves from going about their unlawful purpose. One of the thieves decided to put the light out by urinating on it, but the moon exploded and fell to earth as a drum, with a crack across its base as a result of the fall.
Although the big noise here is all about the drum, be sure to notice the statuary in the temple courtyard that dates from the 10th to the 12th century.
