Oldest Historical Site in Bali – The Belanjong Pillar in Sanur

The Belanjong Pillar is the oldest historical artefact in Bali, found in the southern section of Sanur. This stone pillar dates back to 914AD, built by the first King of the Balinese Warmadewa dynasty, Sri Kesari Warmadewa. Now this may not be a tourist attraction for everyone but for anyone interested in history or a budding archaeologist, put this on your list of things to do in Sanur. It is free to visit the Belanjong Pillar. The Indonesian name for the pillar is Prasasti Belanjong, pronounced Blanjong. For me it is fascinating that this stone pillar has been standing in this location for more than 1000 years.

This stone pillar was found in 1932. It has inscriptions on the stone pillar in both Sanskrit text and ancient Balinese language. The stone pillar had been open to the elements for hundreds of years so much of the inscriptions had been worn away. From what historians can decipher from the remaining text, the inscriptions tell of the awesome military achievements of this King of Bali, who originated from the island of Sumatra, and conquered many areas of Indonesia, from Sumatra, down through Java and into Bali.

The Belanjong Pillar is found in the southern section of Sanur, down a small pathway just off Jalan Danau Poso. It is located right next to a Balinese Hindu temple also called Belanjong (Pura Belanjong).

I had visited this pillar in 2009 and it had a roof over the top of it but the sides were open so you got direct views of the historical stone pillar. In recent years the hut has been rebuilt and has glass walls to protect this precious historical site from further erosion from the weather.

If you are traveling along Danau Poso, towards the Bypass Highway which takes you to the airport, you may miss the sign to the Belanjong Pillar. You will just see the back of the sign. Only if you are heading towards the centre of Sanur will you see the sign.

The entrance to the Belanjong Pillar is directly opposite this Circle K convenience Store.

On the other side the temple is another very old stone pillar which is used for various ceremonies as part of the Hindu temple. I am unable to find any more details for this old pillar so unsure of how old it is. As I do more research I will update this page with the age and more information for this other stone pillar.

Check out the location of The Belanjong Pillar in the southern section of Sanur