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Meru
HISTORY & CULTURESbeginner
Definition
A multi-tiered shrine tower found in Balinese Hindu temples (pura), with an odd number of thatched roofs stacked vertically — from 3 to 11 tiers — where the number of tiers indicates the rank of the deity or ancestor enshrined within. The meru form represents Mount Meru, the cosmic mountain at the centre of the Hindu universe. Structurally, meru are timber-framed towers with ijuk (sugar palm fibre) thatched roofs that must be periodically replaced.
Example
The 11-tiered meru at Pura Besakih is the highest rank possible and is dedicated to the supreme deity — its stack of diminishing thatched roofs rising over 15 metres creates the iconic silhouette that defines the Balinese temple skyline.