BALI, Indonesia - ULUWATU - Day 1 (2 of 3)

Uluwatu is a Hindu Temple located on the Southwestern tip of Bali, originally used as a place to worship the holy priest Kuturan, from the 11th century. After we arranged admittance and paid, we then rented sarongs / sashes, since as a sacred site, they are required. Uluwatu Temple, or Pura Luhur Uluwatu, was built before the 9th century, with evidence of an ancient candi kurung (the name for the “split” gate we saw in many places) bearing a candrasengkala (chronogram or a secret code with numbers & symbols representing words ) indicating the year 808 Isaka (886 AD, on the Balinese Hindu calendar it starts with 78AD). It is the only Balinese sea temple that is also one of the 9 directional temples, protecting the SW coastline. Balinese Hindus regularly visit Uluwatu Temple to offer prayers, seek blessings, and participate in religious ceremonies, particularly during Piodalan, the temple’s anniversary.

The Temple is at the top and at the tip of a very steep cliff 318’ above the water providing a beautiful sea view (after we climbed all the way to the top). Surrounding the temple, some believe it’s the temples spiritual guardians, there is a forest inhabited by “mischievous” monkeys. We watched them steal glasses off people’s faces as well as anything else they could get including cameras. Although these monkeys were small, they were actually so aggressive that I found them quite scary. The temple’s inhabited macaques (monkeys) can be persuaded into ransoming the items for fruit, nuts, or candies, although this only encourages them to steal more. Scientists and experts on primate behavior have conducted studies on the Macaque monkeys in the area and have collected data suggesting that they learn bartering behavior. This trade is passed down to the young offspring. New groups of macaque monkeys introduced into the area quickly adapt and learn the new skill from the locals.

Our guide took us around the entrance level of the property and got some photos and then he left us there as we hiked up the hill which was made more “interesting” by the pouring rain as well as the monkeys everywhere. At the top, we saw a funeral ending. I happened to speak with the grandson of the man who died and we were told a little about their week-long ceremony. We walked around the temple and respectfully took photos without actually going inside the open temple.

Interestingly, in 2009, a spatial planning regulation prohibiting construction in a 3 miles radius zone from the temple's outer wall. All homes and businesses that were currently there would have needed to be taken down. After lawsuits and much debate of this sacred area, in 2013 the Supreme Court decided to establish three types of protection for all temples, with three zones (core zone, buffer zone and utilization zone) of varying proportions according to the degree of urbanization in the area surrounding the temples. The Uluwatu Temple came as type II, with a core zone of up to 1 mile radius; a buffer zone of 1-2 miles radius, and a utilization zone of 2-3 miles radius.

Visiting this temple and watching the others visiting, was a very interesting experience. As it poured during the last part of our time there, our guide came to the entrance to retrieve us with umbrellas and take us onto the next adventure (an open theater) just as the sky cleared up. (3 videos)Read more