TANAH LOT
Tanah Lot temple is one of the famous temple as a tourist destination in Bali, located in costal side of Baraban Village, Kediri sub distric and Tabanan regency. It is about 30 km in west side of Denpasar city and about 11 km south of Tabanan town and 20 meters away from the costal lip.
The temple was built on the rock 3 acre size by Dang HyangNirartha on 16th century. He is a Hindus religeous leaders from java (Majapahit Kingdom) and he is one of the founder of hindus religion in Bali, Lombok & Sumbawa.
He came to Bali in 1489AD, during the rign of king Sri Dalem Waturenggong. Nirartha came to Bali because in Java when it was undergoing a chaotic situation, which Islam want to dominate the area of Java.
*Philosophy
Tanah Lot consists of two words there are Tanah & Lot. Tanah Means a reef looking like gili or isle, and Lot or Lod means the sea. So Tanah Lot is small island floating on the sea. the location now called as Tanah Lot hass been used at a Megalithic period as a place that looked into holy, proven from the existence of menhir (huge rock). Pursuant to enviromental 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.
*Function
The function of this temple can be relized from the function of the main temple building which is located in the temple main area. In this place, there is a main temple to worship the god in form of Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, the sea power. 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 to Dang HyangNirartha.
In order to know the status of Tanah Lot temple can be relized from the temple history, function and also incoming devotee existence pray when temple ceremony is held. In this case can be relized as follows :
* Tanah Lot temple as Dang Kahyangan (the big holly temples in Bali), because the history and the Penyiwi (the people taking care of the temple) are from the local people from Tabanan regency and surrounding area
* Tanah Lot temple as Segara temple, Because its function as sanctum to worship the Bhatara Segara, the God with manifestation as the ocean Power Deity
The unique animal can be seen in this temple area is the snakes which are generally can be met in the coast. Part of stomach there are no athwart skin, there is only small skin, but this sea water snake very noxious but snakebite case are very seldom happened, because the sea water snake generally very passive.
*What To See In Tanah Lot
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, Batu Mejan temple and Enjung Galuh Temple.
