Uluwatu Temple

Perched high on a cliff over the ocean on Bali's south-western tip is the temple of Ulu Watu. In addition to the fantastic view from the temple, especially at sunset, the temple is famous for its gang of monkeys and perhaps appropriately its Kecak dance performance.

The temple itself is open only to Hindu worshippers. You can visit the rest of the complex every day. The admission cost is 1,000 Rp. The Kecak dance is held every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evening starting around sunset (6 to 7 pm). With the temple and the sun setting in the background, this is easily the best place in Bali to see the Kecak.

Arrive for a performance early so that you'll have time to take in the temple complex and the views from the cliff-top. Be on your guard around the monkeys. They will grab anything they can get ahold of, like baseball caps, handbags, etc.

The Ulu Watu area, especially the beaches just north of the temple, are also world-renowned for their surfing. The Pantai Suluban area is the place to surf on Bali, even though it may involve a hike down a narrow gorge in the cliffs.


Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali's kayangan jagat (directional temples) and guards Bali from evil spirits from the SW, in which dwell major deities, in Uluwatu's case; Bhatara Rudra, God of the elements and of cosmic force majeures.

Uluwatu also boasts one of the oldest temples in Bali, Pura Uluwatu. Most of Bali's regencies have Pura Luhur (literally high temples or ascension temples) which become the focus for massive pilgrimages during three or five day odalan anniversaries. The photogenic Tanah Lot and the Bat Cave temple, Goa Lawah, is also Pura Luhur. Not all Pura Luhur are on the coast, however but all have inspiring locations, overlooking large bodies of water.

Story of Pura Uluwatu
Pura Uluwatu is located on the cliff top close to the famous surf break on the SW of the Bukit peninsula. Empu Kuturan, a Javanese Hindu priest who built the tiered meru, founded the temple in the 10th century and a shrine here as well as at other key locations longs the Balinese coast. In the 15th Century the great pilgrim priest Dhang Hyang Dwijendra, who established the present form of Hindu-Dharma religion, chose Pura Uluwatu as his last earthly abode: history records that Dwijendra achieved moksa (oneness with the godhead, in a flash of blazing light) while meditating at Uluwatu. The temple is regarded, by Brahman's island wide, as his holy 'tomb'. Legend also tells us that Dwijendra was the architect of the beautiful temple, as well as many other major temples on Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa. In the 17th century Niratha also from Java came to Bali and built temples, adding to Uluwatu.

Behind the main pagoda of Pura Uluwatu's small inner sanctum, a limestone statue of a Brahman priest surveys the Indian Ocean-it is said the statue represents the founding priest Dwijendra. Another shrine within the complex represents the boat on which Dwijendra traveled from, then, Hindu Java. According to legend he arrived at Pura Peti Tenget, north of Kuta.
Ref:www.indonesia-tourism.com