Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot (Balinese: ) is a rock formation off the Indonesian island of Bali. It is home to the ancient Hindu pilgrimage 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, approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles) south of Tabanan and 20 km northwest of Denpasar. It sits on a large offshore rock and is only accessible on foot at low tide.

Tanah Lot temple
Tanah Lot means "Land [in the] Sea" in the Balinese language. The main deity of the temple is Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, who is the sea god or sea power. These days, Nirartha is also worshipped here.

Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of 16th-century religious figure Dang Hyang Nirartha, who was significantly influenced by Hinduism and who allegedly spent a night there in the course of his extensive travels in Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa. He is at the origin of the chain of sea temples that surrounds Bali. Each of the sea temples was established within eyesight of the next. Tanah Lot is one of the seven main sea temples, located along the south-western coast

The Tanah Lot temple is close to the Balinese mythology. At the base of the rocky island, venomous sea 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's selendang (a type of sash) when he established the island.

Restoration
In 1980, the temple's rock face started to crumble and the area around and inside the temple was becoming 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 actually cleverly 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 visitors each year.

In 2024, entrance tickets cost Rp 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.). Nowadays only Balinese Hindu visitors can climb the stairway to the temple.

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 southermost tip of Bukit peninsula and of Bali, presents the same stunning setting on an off-shore cliff.