{"id":1950,"date":"2016-07-21T14:40:32","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T18:40:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/?p=1950"},"modified":"2016-07-21T14:40:32","modified_gmt":"2016-07-21T18:40:32","slug":"uluwatu-temple-and-kecak-dance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/indonesian\/uluwatu-temple-and-kecak-dance\/","title":{"rendered":"Uluwatu Temple and Kecak Dance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bali is home to\u00a0over a thousand pura<\/strong><\/em> (temples), which play a vital role in the daily lives of the island’s inhabitants. Temples in every village across the island host important ceremonies, such as Purnama<\/em><\/strong> (full moon) and funerals.\u00a0While each temple is important in its own right, the nine directional temples are a step above the rest. Known collectively as\u00a0Pura Kahyangan Jagat<\/em><\/strong>, these temples all occupy auspicious locations – in the side of a mountain, in a cave, or on a cliff top. One such temple is\u00a0Pura Luhur Uluwatu<\/b><\/i>. This temple is one of the most popular to visit, thanks to its stunning cliffside location, naughty monkeys, beautiful sunsets, and spectacular kecak<\/strong><\/em> performance.<\/p>\n

Uluwatu Temple<\/h2>\n
\"A<\/a>

A few scenes of Uluwatu.<\/p><\/div>\n

Uluwatu is a pura segara<\/strong><\/em> (sea temple) perched on a steep cliff 70 meters above the sea. In Balinese, Ulu means “top” or “tip,” while Watu means “stone” or “rock” – the temple on top of the rock. Thanks to its location, Uluwatu boasts some of the best views on the island.<\/p>\n

\"Amazing<\/a>

Amazing views at Uluwatu.<\/p><\/div>\n

Balinese Hindus believe that Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu become one here. This makes Uluwatu Temple a place of worship of\u00a0Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa<\/strong> (the supreme god of Indonesian Hinduism) in his manifestation as Rudra<\/strong>. Thanks to its location, Uluwatu also helps to guard the island from evil sea spirits.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A closer look at the temple.<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s believed that a small temple existed here earlier, but that a Javanese sage named Empu Kuturan substantially expanded it in the 11th century. Another sage named\u00a0Dang Hyang Nirartha is credited with building the shrines here, and it’s believed that he attained moksha<\/em> here – the release from the cycle of of death and rebirth. Locally, this is known as ngeluhur<\/strong><\/em> (to go up), which is why Luhur is added to the temple’s name.<\/p>\n

Naughty Monkeys<\/h2>\n
\"Monkey<\/a>

Monkey very naughty…<\/p><\/div>\n

You won’t be alone when visiting Uluwatu temple, as it’s home to hundreds of crab-eating macaques, also known as Balinese long-tailed monkeys. While it may seem like a nice idea to buy a little bag of snacks to feed the monkeys, you’ll regret the decision before too long. These cheeky monyet<\/strong><\/em> (monkies) will stop at nothing to get the entire bag of treats – just look at the series of photos above to see what happened to my wife on our visit.<\/p>\n

\"So<\/a>

So many monkeys.<\/p><\/div>\n

Unlike their counterparts at the Monkey Forest in Ubud<\/a> – who are actually quite friendly – the monkeys at Uluwatu are expert thieves. Any loose items are fair game – hats, sunglasses, and cell phones are all stolen from unsuspecting tourists on a daily basis. The Uluwatu monkeys are so notorious, they even made a BBC list of “World’s Naughtiest Animals.” See for yourself:<\/p>\n