Tanah Lot ( Balinese: ) is a

rock formation A rock formation is an isolated, scenic, or spectacular surface rock (geology), rock outcrop. Rock formations are usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock. The term ''rock Geological formation, formation ...

off the Indonesian island of

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

. It is home to the ancient Hindu

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

temple ''Pura Tanah Lot'' (literally "Tanah Lot temple"), a popular tourist and cultural icon for photography..

Location

Tanah Lot is in Beraban, Kediri district,

Tabanan Regency Tabanan Regency (, ) is a List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, regency (''kabupaten'') of the province of Bali, Indonesia. It has an area of 839.33 km2 and had a population of 478.390 in 2024 census.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 F ...

, approximately south of Tabanan and northwest of

Denpasar Denpasar (; Balinese script, Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ, ''Dénpasar'') is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. Denpasar is the largest city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the second largest city in Eastern Indonesia after ...

. It sits on a large offshore rock and is only accessible on foot at low tide. Pura Tanah Lot Bali10.jpg, Tanah Lot Pura Tanah Lot Bali08.jpg, Statue in Tanah Lot Pura Tanah Lot, Bali, Indonesia, 20220827 1009 1162.jpg, General view Jl. Tanah Lot, Beraban, Kediri, Kabupaten Tabanan, Bali, Indonesia - panoramio.jpg, Nearby cliffs

Tanah Lot temple

Tanah Lot is one of the seven main Balinese "sea temples", located along the southwestern coast of the island. The name means "land n thesea" in the

Balinese language Balinese is an Austronesian language spoken on the Indonesian island of Bali, as well as Northern Nusa Penida, Western Lombok, Southern Sumatra, and Sulawesi. Most Balinese speakers also use Indonesian. The 2000 national census recorded 3.3 ...

. The main deity of the temple is ''Dewa Baruna'', or ''Bhatara Segara'', the sea god, or sea power. Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of the 16th-century religious figure

Dang Hyang Nirartha Danghyang Nirartha, also known as Pedanda Shakti Wawu Rauh, was a Shaivite religious figure in Bali and a Hindu traveler, during either the 15th or the 16th century. He was the founder of the Shaivite priesthood in Bali. Nirartha is also called P ...

, who was significantly influenced by

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

and who allegedly spent a night there in the course of his extensive travels in Bali,

Lombok Lombok, is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is rou ...

, and

Sumbawa Sumbawa, is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. Along with Lombok, it forms the province of West Nusa Tenggara, but th ...

. In the present day, Nirartha is also worshipped at Tanah Lot. 1 pura batu balong tanah lot

Restoration

In the 1980s, the temple's rock face started to crumble, and the area around and inside the temple became dangerous. The Japanese government then provided a loan to the Indonesian government of Rp 800 billion (approximately US$480 million) to conserve the historic temple and other significant locations around Bali. As a result, over one-third of Tanah Lot's "rock" is disguised artificial rock created during the Japanese-funded and supervised renovation and stabilization program.

Tourism

According to a 2019 study, Tanah Lot is one of the most visited places in Indonesia, averaging 500,000 tourists each year. To reach the temple, visitors must walk through a set of outdoor souvenir shops that cover each side of a path down to the sea. On the mainland clifftops, there are restaurants. 032 Guardians of the Gate, The Tanah Lot Area, Tabanan, Bali, photograph by Anandajoti Bhikkhu.jpg, Guardians of the gate 031 Makara, The Tanah Lot Area, Tabanan, Bali, photograph by Anandajoti Bhikkhu.jpg, Stair dragon Pura Tanah Lot Bali17.jpg, Sacred water at Tanah Lot temple Tanah Lot odalan ritual.jpg, Odalan ritual Kecak Dance Tanah Lot 2.jpg, Kecak Dance, 14 August 2022

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

* {{Hindu temples in Indonesia Tourist attractions in Bali Tabanan Regency Hindu temples in Indonesia Archaeological sites in Indonesia