Goa Gajah or Elephant Cave is located in the Gianyar regency, southwest of Bedulu village, next to Yeh Pulu Relief, 6 km from Ubud, 26 km from Denpasar. Known only to local villagers and the bats during centuries of neglect, the cave was revealed to the public in 1923. The bathing place was discovered and restored only in 1954 during archeological investigations done by Mr. Krijgsman. It had become filled in and a temple built upon it, which had to be moved to its present site. The spring and pond there have given the temple its name – Pura Taman.

Carved into the stone above the cave entrance is massive face with bugling eyes and high arched eyebrows. The eyes glance towards the west or the left as you face the cave. The large ear ornaments do not necessarily indicate a female face, for male royalty also wore such ornaments. This figure represents Boma (sometimes also called Kala or Sanskrit: Kittimukha), and it is probably the earliest representation of this figure in Bali. According to Balinese texts (lontar), Boma is the son of the god Wishnu and the goddess Basundari or ibu (mother) pertiwi. Boma may be likened to the child of water and earth, for Wisnu is the god of waters and Parwati is the goddess of the soil or mother earth.
source:Ubud community free magazine