Vihara Dharmayana: Kuta, Bali

Down a quiet alleyway off Jalan Bakungsari and fronting the very busy Jalan Singo Sari is located the only Bhuddist temple in the Kuta area.

From the main street all you can see is the top of the main temple, its brilliant red roof glistening in the sun. There is a walled area around the klenteng and the entrance is off Jalan Singo Sari. The predominant colours of all Chinese temples are yellow and red and indeed these are brilliantly displayed throughout the temple grounds of the Dharmayana complex.

Once you walk through the entrance, in front of you is the main temple and to the left, a smaller shrine and a gold Bhudda elevated on a circular stone structure in the courtyard. To your right is another Bhudda statue sitting under a pagoda surrounded by a moat filled with Koi fish and small turtles. A gentle cascading waterfall sets the ambience of this quaint temple.

Vihara Dharmayana is a place of pure harmony and peace, brilliantly colourful buildings, and magnificent statues. It is a place where as soon as you step inside off the main busy road, the silence is almost deafening. The complex is open all day of the year. The most spectacular time to see this place is during the Chinese New Year celebrations when you are invited to participate with the worshippers.