Often called as the island of Gods, Bali is one of the most well-known tourist destinations which offers stunning natural beauty like white-sandy beach with crystal-clear water, lush rice terrace, volcanic mountains and the most renowned of Bali is of course their spiritual belief and practice.

Most of the Balinese have a belief in a unique blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, and animistic beliefs which often connects nature, spirits,and ancestors alongside Hindu deities. And now, those spiritual practices and belief has assimilated into Balinese daily life that you can see on their daily activities such as Yadnya which is a daily offerings to the deities delivered in a woven baskets filled with flowers, incense, and sometimes also foods to express gratitude to the gods and appease spirits and many other things that you can only in enjoy in Bali such as their temple along with their iconic Purification Ritual.

Here are spiritual things that you can experience in the “Island of Gods”, Bali.

Bali is well-known for its temples, which not only offer a spiritual need, but also offer stunning panoramic views and the refreshing nature that is surely able to relieve your body and spirits altogether. Besides, you might also get a chance to witness the traditional dance such as Kecak Dance, or spiritual practice such as Melukat which is the traditional Balinese water Purification Ritual done by Balinese Priest to cleanse your spirits and remove negativity from your body.

Some of the temples that you might want to consider visiting are;

Located in a unique location which is on top of a cliff, where visitors would be able to hear and see the crashing waves under their feet. Uluwatu Temple houses high layered pagodas, statues of the guardian deities, and a beautiful courtyard. Near this temple usually holds one of the most famous traditional dances, Kecak dance performance in the evening, where visitors can take their time and get immersed into the dance, or even participate in the dance.

Tirta Empul Temple which also has another nickname as the Holy Water Temple. As the name says, it houses collections of purification pools that are naturally made by the natural spring and considered to be holy by Balinese Hindus. The devotees often came to this temple to bathe in the spring water to cleanse themself spiritually and seek the blessing from God, which is known as the Purification Rituals.

Not only can you witness Melukat, which is the Purification Ritual in Bali, you could also participate in these iconic activities to purify your spirits and souls and remove negativity. Many temples in Bali offer Melukat ceremonies, where the most popular temples include Tirta Empul Temple that is known for its holy water pools and Besakih Temple which is often known as the “Mother Temple” in Bali.

The ceremony would typically be guided by the priests in Bali who are chanting prayers and preparing offerings. You would likely be asked to wear sarong or shash that is prepared by the temple, and then the Priest would sprinkle holy water on you and guide you through a series of blessings at multiple water sources within the temple.

As for the offerings for the ceremonies, it is customary to participants bring something by themself from flowers, incense, or fruit. But no worries if you didn’t have the time to buy outside, because usually the temple also prepared offerings available to purchase.

If you have decided to participate in the Purification Ritual, you might want to book your Melukat beforehand. Some of the temples might allow walk-ins but not all of the temples like that. Besides, during peak season where the place is quite crowded, you might not be able to participate because the quota has been reached, which will likely make you need to reschedule to another day.

Bali is a renowned paradise for Yoga and Meditation that provides an environment to experience not only for their physical well-being but also for their spiritual connections.

On the “Island of Gods” you would be able to find various Yoga that focuses more on their Spiritual Side such as Vinyasa Flow, and Yoga Nidra where the movement they are practises can help to get more focus on Meditation, white the Mantra that are used for the music along with the Yoga movement are believed to have spiritual significance and also able to help focus your mind, and deepen your spiritual connections.

If you plan on doing Yoga in Bali, you can either participate in Yoga Retreats or visit the Yoga Studios and classes that are scattered along the Bali Island. As for the Yoga Retreats. Ubud is one of the recommended places to experience the retreats to the fullest, where you can practice yoga while enjoying the serene setting that is surrounded by rice paddies and lush greenery.

More than merely entertainment, Balinese Dance Performance is deeply rooted in spirituality which it also serves as the offerings to the divine. Many of the traditional Dance Performances in Bali are believed to be one of the ways to communicate with the divine beings, where people would ask for the blessing from the Gods. Some of them also act to symbolize the balance between good and evil, by performing narrative dance which shows the importance of maintaining harmony in the universe.

Here are some Dance Performance with Religious and belief significance that you can see in Bali;

The most popular traditional dance and performance that is situated in Bali is of course, the Kecak Dance or also known as Ramayana Monkey Chant is a dramatic and enchanting performance that has been held throughout the years which is deeply rooted in Balinese belief. The dance is held by making a circle with over 50 bare-chested men sitting around surrounding the pit of fire placed in the middle and chanting “cak,cak,cak” in a specific pattern. Even from the viewer's perspective, you would be able to feel the energy of the collective voice that creates a powerful and almost hypnotic atmosphere.

A truly spiritual Balinese dance which is absolutely more than just a performance, but it is one ritual which is believed that the young girls who perform the stunning dance become possessed by the divine spirits named ‘Dedari’. It is a ritual that was originally performed in order to appease the Gods and ask for their blessings for good health, safety and prosperity. Different from the other dance performance, in this typical ritual, they would choose a girl with purity where later to be believed will be able to become the vessel for the spirits Dedari throughout the performance.

Here are all the unique spiritual things that you can only experience in Bali Island, the “Island of Gods”. From visiting all the temples, to participating in Purification Ritual and even witnessing dance rituals that are only held in Bali. If you would like to visit Bali soon, Traveloka would gladly help you in booking the flights, hotels, and numerous tourist attractions and activities mentioned above with the best price! Traveloka often offers a combo, promotion and discount which will make your trip feel much more enjoyable and unforgettable!