Enchantment of the Beauty of Nature in Tanah Lot Temple
Which part of Bali is
not attractive? Answering this question is certainly difficult, yes. Bali seems
to have a strong magnet with an endless appeal. The beauty of nature,
especially the beaches, do not need to be explained anymore. The island is also
called the Thousand Temples Island because of the strong influence of Hinduism
here.
Now, what if the beauty
of the beach in Bali is united with the temple as a Hindu house of worship? The
answer is just visit Tanah Lot. Tanah Lot is a religious tourism site with a
beautiful beach panorama. Consisting of two temples, each of which is located
on a chunk of rock and cliffs jutting into the sea, Tanah Lot looks pretty
earthy. Now, what if the beauty of the beach in Bali is united with the temple
as a house of worship for Hindus? The answer is just visit Tanah Lot. Tanah Lot
is a religious tourism site with a beautiful beach panorama. Consisting of two
temples, each of which is above a chunk of rock and cliffs jutting into the
sea, Tanah Lot looks pretty earthy.
At high tide, you can
see Tanah Lot Temple like floating on the water. Another case during low tide,
under the temple there are small holes like a cave that is occupied by many
flat-tailed snakes with black yellow capped. It is said that this snake is the
guardian of the temple and has poison 3 times stronger than a cobra. These
snakes are relatively docile and will not attack unless disturbed.
Another uniqueness of
Tanah Lot is the existence of a source of fresh water called Clean Water. The
source of this spring is of course a miracle in itself because it is located in
the middle of a salty watery beach. According to local residents, this
freshwater spring is also one of the reasons for choosing this beach as the
location of the establishment of Tanah Lot Temple because it is considered a
sacred place.
Tanah Lot is about 1
hour from the airport or about 45 minutes from Kuta Beach which is another
popular tourist spot in Bali. This tourist spot is visited a lot, especially at
dusk because of the beautiful sunset views.
The price of admission
to Tanah Lot is 15,000 Rupiah. The price is quite cheap to be able to enjoy
religious tourism as well as the beach in one tourist spot in Bali.
The History of Tanah Lot
Tanah Lot comes from
two words namely 'land' which means island and 'lot' which means sea. Together,
they have the meaning 'island in the middle of the sea'. Apart from the origin
of the name, this tourist attraction also has a story or legend that is
believed to be the beginning of the establishment of Tanah Lot Temple.
In the past, there was
a propagator of Hinduism from Java named Danghyang Nirartha and wandered to the
land of Bali. He managed to strengthen the trust of the local population, but a
village ruler named Bendesa Beraban did not like the presence of Nirartha.
Beraban and his
followers tried to drive Nirartha away. By Nirartha, his desire will be
fulfilled, but first he moves a giant stone to the middle of the beach. There,
Nirartha continued his meditation. He also threw the scarf he was wearing into
the middle of the sea. The shawl then turns into a black snake with a yellow
tail and a flat tail that is in charge of guarding its place of meditation. The
snake can still be seen in Tanah Lot until now.
Seeing Nirartha's
extraordinary ability, Beraban was amazed. That said, Beraban stopped his
intention to expel Nirartha and turned into his followers. Then two temples
were built for the village's place of worship, one temple on a chunk of rock
that was moved to the middle of the beach, another temple at the end of a cliff
jutting out into the sea.
What can be done in Tanah Lot
Although you are not
allowed to enter the temple, there are still other interesting things you can
do in Tanah Lot. Here is the summary:
Photo Hunting
What is more
interesting than capturing the beauty of a tourist spot into a picture frame?
By taking pictures, you can remember the beauty of Tanah Lot from anywhere.
Prepare your camera.
The view of the sunset at this tourist spot has become the object of photos
that many amateur and professional photographers are eyeing. Tanah Lot Temple
with a reddish twilight background will make your photos very beautiful to show
off to friends and family when you get home later.
Souvenir Hunting
Along the entrance to
Tanah Lot Temple there is an art market that offers a variety of Balinese
handicrafts. You can find carved wooden necklaces and bracelets, key chains
from shells, ashtrays with sand and starfish decorations and also T-shirts with
a variety of Balinese writings.
When shopping at this
art market, you should use your bargaining skills. The price offered is
relatively high initially, but it is quite possible you can get a more
affordable price if you can offer it well. Shhh, one of the tricks when bidding
is to use local languages, so that traders feel familiar with you.
Test the Myth
Each tourist site has
unique myths that are widely believed. In Tanah Lot too. Here, the myth
develops that if tourists wash their faces with Tirta Pabersih while saying
their wishes, then soon their wishes will come true.
Apart from the Tirta
Pabucian myth, another myth developed. You can hold the flat-tailed snake of
the temple guard while putting coins in the bottom of the water and making a
wish. Remember, don't be too harsh when handling snakes so they don't attack
you.
What else is interesting from Tanah Lot?
Odalan Rituals
Odalan is a ritual or
ceremony that is usually done before Galungan and Kuningan. On that day, Tanah
Lot Temple will be full of Hindus who come from all over Bali to pray here.
Location and Transportation
Tanah Lot is located in
Beraban Village, Kediri District, Tabanan, Bali. To be able to reach this
location, the most practical way is to use travel services, rent a vehicle or
take a taxi. If you rent a vehicle, you don't need to worry about getting lost,
there are a lot of signposts heading to Tanah Lot because this tourist spot is
very popular in Bali.
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