Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot is a rock formation off the Indonesian island of Bali. It is home to the ancient Hindu pilgrimage temple Pura Tanah Lot, a popular tourist and cultural icon for photography.

Location

Tanah Lot is in Beraban, Kediri district, Tabanan Regency, approximately south of Tabanan and northwest of Denpasar. It sits on a large offshore rock and is only accessible on foot at low tide.

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 sea" in the Balinese language. 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, 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. Nirartha is also worshipped at 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 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.