Uluwatu Temple

The cliff

The temple stands at the edge of a 70-meter cliff above the sea

Uluwatu Temple is built at the edge of a 70-meter-high cliff projecting into the sea. In folklore the rock is said to be part of Dewi Danu's petrified barque. It is the only Balinese sea temple that is also one of the nine directional temples.

70-meterheight of the cliff the temple stands on

The sages

Two sages are linked to the temple, one in the 11th century

A small temple may have existed earlier, but Empu Kuturan, a Javanese sage, significantly expanded it in the 11th century. Dang Hyang Nirartha, a sage from East Java, is credited with introducing the padmasana shrines at the turn of the 16th century.

Monkeys

The long-tailed macaques at the temple have learned to barter

The temple is inhabited by long-tailed macaques, who snatch visitors' belongings such as flip-flops, cameras and sunglasses. Studies collected data suggesting that the monkeys learn bartering behavior, and that it is passed down to their young.

The zones

A regulation in 2009 set a protected zone around the temple

A regulation in 2009 set a 5 km zone around the temple's outer wall where construction other than Hindu religious facilities was prohibited. It conflicted with the customary law of Pecatu village. A regulation in 2015 set three zones, with a core zone of up to 1 km.