Location: Pecatu, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia
Timings: The temple timings are from 7 am to 7 pm from Monday to Sunday.
Price: The entrance fee of the temple is 15,000 IDR for local tourists and 30,000 IDR for foreigners visiting Bali. All payments need to be made in Indonesian Rupiah. You must wear a sash and sarong for a temple visit and these are included in the entrance fee.
History of Uluwatu Temple
According to the temple inscriptions, a Majapahit monk, Mpu Kuturan, initiated the construction of Uluwatu Temple. Mpu was also known for the construction of many other temples on the island of Bali.
A sacred priest hailing from eastern Java, Dang Hyang Dwijendra, preferred Uluwatu Temple to become the final destination of his pious journey. Many devotees consider that Dhang attained the peak point of his spiritual oneness by the striking of lightning and then the saint vanished.
Dhang after finishing a pious journey in Bali and thereafter returned to this temple, attaining Moksha. He passed away, completely disappeared, leaving his worldly existence and entering heaven or swargaloka. The temple was not accessible to the people until the year 1983 and after a lightning strike back in 1999, some portions of Uluwatu Temple were ablaze.
Since that time, the temple witnessed many renovation efforts to make it accessible to tourists. The legend goes as Dhang Hyang Dwijendra also called Danghyang Nirartha was the key designer of this spectacular temple and many others on the beautiful island of Bali, Sumbawa, and Lombok.
Another perception relating to the history of this temple is that Empu Kuturan has constructed Uluwatu Temple in the ninth century AD during the reign of Marakata.
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Architectural Features of Uluwatu Temple
The two key entrances of the temple features split gates having floral and leave carvings. The front portion of these gates have a few sculptures resembling the human body with the head of an elephant. The temple represents Balinese architecture.
One of the striking architectural features of Uluwatu Temple is the 16th century Pura Dalem Jurit, featuring three statues and one of them is that of Lord Brahma.The other architectural marvels are dual troughs in the temple region, and if both are joined, they form a sarcophagus or Megalithic Coffin.
The major attractions of Uluwatu Temple are its traditional gateways, Balinese-style structural design, and old sculptures to mesmerize tourists from all over the world. The temple’s architectural style is a one-off with its palm-leaf black roof massed into the color black.
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Uluwatu Temple Highlights and Features
The inner court of Uluwatu Temple features an open space with stone flooring and wooden building close to the north gate. Behind the key shrine, you will find a statue of a Brahmin, which faces the Indian Ocean. It is believed that the statue represents Dang Hyang Dwijendra.
Towards the west, from the entry path, you will notice a Paduraksa Gate opening the path right into the subsequent inner court. The roof here, unlike the others outside, the stone gate is complete with a proper roof. The door represents an arch enclosed with a collection of stones and a huge sculpture of a head just over the frame.
The top of this gate resembles a crown adorned with relief sculpture, which is a sight to behold. Next, you will find a small rectangle-shaped court towards the south that extends above the ocean expanse. The wooden structure at the court’s end appears like a sitting area, where tourists can relax and take in the beauty of the ocean.
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Uluwatu Kecak Dance
You will get an interesting glimpse into Balinese culture and performing arts when you visit Uluwatu Temple in Bali. Take delight in the Kecak dance hosted on the open stage of this temple. The dance performance commences at 6 pm and ends soon after sundown.
A dance troupe of 75 male dancers moves down onto the open stage with arms stretched and shaky hands held up in the air while singing their quick-paced Chak choruses over and over again.
The prelude consists of the five episodes of the great epic Ramayana with graceful dancers attired in decorative costumes enacting the epic with fast or slow tempos. The dance troupe looks marvelous on stage complementing a scene of love or trepidation.
The synopsis of Kecak dance is the story of Lord Rama, the Ayodhya prince exiled by his father, King Dasaratha after a conspiracy hatched by Rama’s stepmother Queen Kaikeyi. Then, Rama’s wife follows him and gets kidnapped by Ravana of Lanka. Then, Rama with the aid of monkey King Hanuman and his army set Sita free from Ravana’s clutches, after Ravana is killed in the battle.
The two lovers, Rama and Sita reunite once the sunsets and the fire burns and flickers in the middle of the stage against the backdrop of the dark sky and chants subsiding. Watch the fire dance with the sunset in the background.
The ticket prices of Kecak dance is 100,000 IDR per head. Book tickets in advance to avoid the rush and get the best seats. Head for the stage before 5 pm.
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