Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot, located on the west coast of Bali, in Beraban village in Tabanan regency, is one of the most popular sites in Bali. Tanah Lot means the ancient land as well as the land to the south.

This temple was built in the 15th century by the priest Pedanda Bahu Rawuh or Danghyang Nirartha from Majapahit Kingdom. During his voyage along the south coast he caught sight of a rock island and rested there. Some fishermen noticed him and invited him to stay at their hut. Nirartha refused, saying he preferred to spend the night on the little island. That evening, he talked to the fishermen and advised them to build a shrine on the rock. Nirartha felt it would be a holy and appropriate place to worship God.

Built on a small cape, Tanah Lot is only accessible at low tide. During high tide, the rock appears as a large ship at sea. There are several small and big shrines nearby, the biggest one is Pekendungan Temple. There is a spring considered sacred not far from this temple.

Poisonous snakes inhabit the nearby caves as the guardian of the temple. The perfect time to visit Tanah Lot is at the sunset when the golden red sky surrounds the temple and the wave crashes into the rocks.

Though Tanah Lot is a small sanctuary, it is related to several sea temples on the south coast of Bali: Pura Sakenan, Pura Uluwatu, Pura Rambut Siwi and Pura Petitenget. All these temples are related to the primary mountain sanctuaries: Besakih at Mount Agung, Pura Batur at Batur and Pura Luhur at Mount Batukaru.