About Bali – Part 4 : Tanah Lot Temple

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Fourth week of Balinese Culture.
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Tanah Lot is a rock formation off the Indonesian island of Bali. It is home to the pilgrimage temple Pura Tanah Lot (literally “Tanah Lot temple”), a popular tourist and cultural icon for photography and general exoticism.

Tanah Lot means “Land Sea” in the Balinese language. Located in Tabanan, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Denpasar, the temple sits on a large offshore rock which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide.

Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of the 16th-century Dang Hyang Nirartha. During his travels along the south coast he saw the rock-island’s beautiful setting and rested there. Some fishermen saw him, and bought him gifts. Nirartha then spent the night on the little island. Later he spoke to the fishermen and told them to build a shrine on the rock, for he felt it to be a holy place to worship the Balinese sea gods.The main deity of the temple is Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, who is the sea god or sea power and these days, Nirartha is also worshipped here.

The Tanah Lot temple was built and has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries. The temple is one of seven sea temples around the Balinese coast. Each of the sea temples was established within eyesight of the next to form a chain along the south-western coast. In addition to Balinese mythology, the temple was significantly influenced by Hinduism.

At the base of the rocky island, venomous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders. The temple is purportedly protected by a giant snake, which was created from Nirartha’s selendang (a type of sash) when he established the island.

In 1980, the temple’s rock face was starting to crumble and the area around and inside the temple started to become dangerous. The Japanese government then provided a loan to the Indonesian government of Rp 800 billion (approximately US$130 million) to conserve the historic temple and other significant locations around Bali. As a result, over one third of Tanah Lot’s “rock” is actually cleverly disguised artificial rock created during the Japanese-funded and supervised renovation and stabilization program.

The area leading to Tanah Lot is highly commercialized and people are required to pay to enter the area. To reach the temple, visitors must walk through a set of Balinese market-format souvenir shops which cover each side of the path down to the sea. On the mainland clifftops, restaurants have also been provided for tourists.

Tanah Lot tourist attraction is located in sub-province of Tabanan, precisely in countryside of Beraban, district of Kediri, sub-province of Tabanan. Tanah Lot tourist attraction visited by one million of domestic and foreign tourist every year, so that Tanah Lot becoming one of the tourism icon in Bali. All of that thing because of Tanah Lot have different characteristic with the other, that is, looks like a floating one if the tide is high but when tide is low, people can walk to the temple. Because of erosion many caves, which are inhabited by sea snakes, are formed. People cannot disturb these snakes because according to the belief, they belong to the God in the temple.

Main thing is different like :
1. Tanah Lot temple nearly in the see when tide is high. For many things this location was something that is interesting.
2. A cave of holly snakes which is located in front of the temple. That people believe they are the guards of the temple
3. The view of the sunset combine with Tanah Lot temple, being one set that is very enjoyable to watch.
4. Living cultural present a requral ceremony every six month where there where another ceremony at the same week in Pakendungan temple.
5. Tanah Lot is rocky beaches in effort of making nice wave.