Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot is one of the famous background when tourist want to take a picture when they visiting Bali Island (include myself). The silhouette of Temple in tanah lot create a special beauty,  especially on sunset. There is two Temple or pura which located on a big stone above sea. One of them is on the top of the stone, and the other is on the bank. In a good weather, you also can see Pura Uluwatu from here. Tanah Lot is a rock formation off the indonesian island of Bali. It is home of a pilgrimage temple, the Pure Tanah Lot and a popular tourist and cultural icon for photography and general exocitism

The word of Tanah Lot is consisted of two words that are Tanah word interpreted as a reef looking like gili or isle. Lot or Lod word has meaning the sea. So Tanah Lot is

meaning the small island floating on the sea. The location is now called as Tanah Lot has been used at a Megalithic period as a place that looked into holy, proven from the existence of menhir. Pursuant to environmental condition, hence the structure of Tanah Lot Temple is built at irregular reef plain of its angle which is only consisted of one plain yard as Jeroan.

Tanah Lot Temple is located in coastal side of Beraban countryside, Kediri sub district and Tabanan Regency. It is situated in 30 Km in west side of Denpasar town and about 11 Km in south side of Tabanan town. The temple is built on the rock with 3 acre size and reachable in a few minute by walk, because it is just 20 meters from the coastal lip. This temple is very famous among tourist destinations in Bali with spectacular view of sunset.

Pura Tanah Lot is a part of Pura Sad Kahyangan (the big holy temple in Bali), which is the “heart” of the Bali Island, and Pura Tanah Lot is a place for balinese people to pray for the god’s of ocean, Dewa Baruna or Bathara Segara. The media of worship to this god is the temple building with 5 storied meanwhile the 3 storied temple building in north part of this area is purposing to worship. By the legend, this Temple or pura is built by a brahmana (a wise person in hindu’s religion - Priest) who called Sanghyang Nirantha, who have travel along from Java Island.

The Priest have succed to strengthen balinese people’s trust to hindu’s religion and he build Sad Kahyangan on 16^th century. At that moment, Tanah Lot in command of Bendesa Beraben. He feel envy to the priest and command to the priest to leave Tanah Lot. But, before Sanghyang Nirantha leaved Tanah Lot, with his power, he remove some huge stone to the midle of coast and build a Temple on it. He also alter his shawl to become a big snake who will guard the Temple from bad influence, and the snake is still there until now. If you were lucky, you can meet the snake when the sea water ebb. But beware, the holy tame snake with a yellow striped black color on skin have a thrice more noxious than Cobra Snake.

As a favorite tourism destination in Bali, Tanah Lot owns a magnificent view in particular at the sunset time where the sun slows down to the earth stomach. Every visitor who is paying a visit to this place will be marveled to see the beauty panorama of Tanah Lot. Beside of this temple, there are other temples which can be seen on your visit to Tanah Lot like Batu Bolong Temple, Batumejan Temple and Enjung Galuh Temple.

There is a lot of art shop that you can find on Tanah Lot. From the parking area, to the shrine/temple area, you can find many kind of bali’s traditional souvenir, like clothes, bag, statue, and still many other. Also you can find a fine food and beverage in the same place, and I believe, it will bewild you … J

~ ista lastu ~

source : google, yahoo, altavista, local magazine, wikipedia, national geography, etc,