The Shift Doctors at the Temple at Uluwatu in Bali, Indonesia

While in Bali, Indonesia The Shift Doctors (Tracy Latz, MD & Marion Ross, PhD), visited the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple, dedicated to the spirits of the sea. The Uluwatu temple is an architectural wonder in black coral rock. It is beautifully designed with spectacular views and is located high on a cliff at the edge of a plateau 250 feet above the churning waves of the Indian Ocean. This is one of the favorite spots in Bali to watch the spectacular sunsets.

This is one of Bali’s 9 directional temples which guard Bali from evil spirits. The Uluwatu Temple guards Bali from the Southwest, the direction in which dwell major deities, including Bhatara Rudra, God of the elements and of cosmic forces. Though a small temple was claimed to have previously existed here, the original structure was thought to have been significantly expanded by a Javanese sage, Empu Kuturan in the 11th Century. Another sage from East Java, Dang Hyang Nirartha is credited for constructing the padmasana shrines and is claimed to have attained Moksha (liberation from samsara and suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation) here.

On our visit to the temple we bought a bag of peanuts for our own consumption not knowing that loads of hungry monkeys abound on the temple grounds and that the peanuts were most likely sold at this site to feed them not us. Some times it’s better to give up your peanuts than be swarmed by monkeys! They are also extremely adept at snatching visitors’ belongings, including bags, cameras and eyewear which we witnessed. 🙂

At sunset, the Kecak dance is held here daily This dance is based on the Hindu epic Ramayana and tells the story of Prince Rama and his rescue of Princess Sita, who has been kidnapped by the evil King of Lanka. Unlike other dances in Bali, there is no gamelan orchestra accompanying it. Instead, a troupe of over 150 bare-chested men serve as the chorus, making a wonderous cacophony of synchronized “chak-achak-achak” clicking sounds while swaying their bodies and waving their hands. We had the honor of sitting next to the chorus which was an interesting experience to say the least! See our video below 🙂