page_title: Balinese temple
section_title: Etymology
hierarchical_section_title: Balinese temple / Etymology
caption_attribution_description: Hindu temple on Lake Bratan next to Bedugul
context_page_description: A pura is a Balinese Hindu temple, and the place of worship for adherents of Balinese Hinduism in Indonesia. Puras are built in accordance to rules, style, guidance and rituals found in Balinese architecture. Most puras are found on the island of Bali, where Hinduism is the predominant religion; however many puras exist in other parts of Indonesia where significant numbers of Balinese people reside. Mother Temple of Besakih is the most important, largest and holiest temple in Bali. Many puras have been built in Bali, leading it to be titled "the Island of a Thousand Puras".
context_section_description: The term pura originates from the Sanskrit word (-pur, -puri, -pura, -puram, -pore), meaning "city", "walled city", "towered city", or "palace", which was adopted with the Indianization of Southeast Asia and the spread of Hinduism, specially in the Indosphere. During the development of the Balinese language the term pura came to refer to a religious temple complex, while the term puri came to refer to palace, the residence of kings and nobles, similar to Javanese kratons.
caption: The pagoda-like Pelinggih Meru shrine of Pura Ulun Danu Bratan is a distinctive feature of a Balinese temple.
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