 Pura Tanah Lot | |
  Tanah Lot  Tanah Lot | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Indonesia |
| Coordinates | 8°37′16″S115°05′14″E / 8.62107°S 115.08716°E /-8.62107; 115.08716 |
Tanah Lot (Balinese:ᬢᬦᬄᬮᭀᬢ᭄) is arock formation off theIndonesian island ofBali. It is home to the ancient HindupilgrimagetemplePura Tanah Lot (literally "Tanah Lot temple"), a popular tourist and cultural icon for photography.[1]
Tanah Lot is in Beraban,[2] Kediri district,Tabanan Regency, approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles) south ofTabanan and 20 kilometres (12 mi) northwest ofDenpasar. It sits on a large offshore rock and is only accessible on foot at low tide.[3]
Tanah Lot means "Land [in the] Sea" in theBalinese language.[4][5] The main deity of the temple isDewa Baruna orBhatara Segara, who is the sea god or sea power. These days,Nirartha is also worshipped here.[6]
Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of 16th-century religious figureDang Hyang Nirartha, who was significantly influenced byHinduism and who allegedly spent a night there in the course of his extensive travels in Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa.[a] He is at the origin of the chain ofsea temples that surrounds Bali. Each of the sea temples was established within eyesight of the next.[3]
Tanah Lot is one of the seven mainsea temples,[8] located along the south-western coast
The Tanah Lot temple is close to theBalinese mythology. At the base of the rocky island, venomoussea 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'sselendang (a type of sash) when he established the island.
In 1980, the temple's rock face started to crumble and the area around and inside the temple was becoming dangerous.[9] TheJapanese government then provided a loan to the Indonesian government ofRp 800billion (approximately US$480 million[10]) 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.
According to a 2019 study, Tanah Lot is one of the most visited places in Indonesia, averaging 500,000 visitors each year.[11]
In 2024, entrance tickets costRp 30,000 for Indonesian nationals (Rp 20,000 for children 5-10 y.o.) and Rp 75,000 for foreigners (Rp 40,000 for children 5-10 y.o.).[12] Nowadays only Balinese Hindu visitors can climb the stairway to the temple.[3]
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.
The smaller Pura Mas Suka, at the southernmost tip of Bukit peninsula and of Bali, presents the same stunning setting on an off-shore cliff.
Tanah Lot travel guide from Wikivoyage