How to visit a temple properly
The one thing to remember
Wear the sarong, stay lower than the priest, and never walk in front of someone praying.
The rules are short
Balinese temples are working places of worship, not monuments, and the Balinese are remarkably generous about sharing them. A handful of courtesies covers almost everything. Wear a sarong and sash, which you can borrow or buy at the entrance, and cover your shoulders. Do not climb on shrine walls to take a photograph. Do not use a flash during prayer, and ask before photographing people.
The one about height
Height carries meaning here. Do not sit or stand higher than a priest, and do not put yourself above people who are praying. If a ceremony is underway, stay to the side and to the back. It costs you nothing and it is the single thing that most marks out a respectful visitor from an oblivious one.
The one nobody tells you
Menstruating women are traditionally asked not to enter temple grounds. It is not a judgement, it relates to ideas about ritual purity and blood, and it applies to Balinese women too. Signs at temple entrances often say so directly. Whatever you think of it, it is their house.
It is daily life, not a performance
You will see a girl carrying an offering on her head while checking her phone, and a man in ceremonial white parking a scooter. This is not a tradition being preserved for visitors, it is simply what a Wednesday looks like. Treat it as someone's ordinary religious life rather than a photo opportunity and you will be welcome almost anywhere.
Stay with us
Villa Samaddhi
In Peliatan, a village with a long reputation for Balinese dance. Ask our host what is on while you are here.