Pura Tanah Lot
Pura Tanah Lot - also called "Sea Temple" in German - is a Hindu temple on the coast in the southwest of the Indonesian island of Bali . Literally translated Tanah Lot means "land in the middle of the sea ". Since the temple name pura is generally added to every Balinese temple, the name is often abbreviated to "Tanah Lot".
General
The temple is located on a crag in the sea close to the shore . On the footpath, Tanah Lot can only be reached at low tide without getting wet . From the beach you can reach the temple after a 50 meter long walk over washed stones and fine dark sand to get to the rock island. Once there, a short ascent towards the temple follows, where a fence prevents entry to the actual temple. In the inner courtyard ( jeroan ), the access of which is reserved for the faithful, the multi-storey, pagoda-like shrines ( merus ) are lined up, representing the mountain of the gods Meru . In the case of Tanah Lot, five merus soar into the sky. Access is also possible at high tide , when Tanah Lot acquires its actual island character, because it is then completely bathed by the water .
In a small cave at the foot of the temple rock there is a fresh water source, which thus springs from the sea. It is considered sacred and is constantly guarded by priests . Opposite the source there is another cave, the Ular Suci, in the cliffs on the mainland. The sacred snakes live here and are also looked after by priests. Although the snakes are highly poisonous, they are said to have never bitten.
Along with Bali's rice fields, the temple is the most popular and well-known photo opportunity in Bali.
Founding history
The temple is attributed to the Javanese Hindu priest Danghyang Nirartha (also: Pedanda Sakti Bau Rau). He lived on Java and, like many Hindus and Buddhists , fled to Bali from the spread of Islam at the end of the 15th century . During a trip at the beginning of the 16th century (exact dates do not seem to exist), according to a legend, one day he saw a light rising from the west coast . As he approached this light, he noticed a small, rocky and enchanting island a few meters from the coast . He rested and meditated . As a result, students from the surrounding area soon gathered around him. In order to avoid confrontations with the resident priest, Nirartha relocated his meditation place on the rocky island in the middle of the sea and in this way created Tanah Lot.
rank
The rank of the Balinese temples is hierarchically finely graduated. In this structure, the sea temple is a rather small sanctuary , but it belongs to a chain of sea temples on the south coast of Bali, which also includes Pura Sakenan, Pura Ulu Watu, Pura Rambut Siwi and Pura Petitenget. This chain of sea temples is connected to the large mountain temples Besakih on the Agung volcano , Pura Batur on the Batur volcano and Pura Luhur on the Batukau volcano. While the deities related to mountains and mountain lakes are worshiped in the mountain temples, this is the case in the sea temples for all spirits and deities connected to the sea. These sea and mountain temples are among the state temples , the sad-kahyan-gan , and are venerated by all Balinese people.
Geographical
location
Pura Tanah Lot is located in the southwest of the Indonesian island of Bali in the Tabanan district directly on the coast; the coastline runs from the northwest to the southeast at this point. The next larger town to the southeast is Kuta , in the northwest you have to drive quite far to the next bigger city Rambut Siwi. To the north you reach the city of Tabanan, capital of the district of the same name.
getting there
From Kuta you can reach the temple along the coast by a long walk on the beach or by bike. On the road, head northwest from Kuta and west from Denpasar towards Tabanan. On this path, before Tabanan, turn left towards Kediri. In Kediri itself, a side street leads down to the coast.
Tourist features
The classic photo shows the temple at sunset ; however, the influx of visitors is then also greatest. The temple may only be entered by believers. If you want to reach Tanah Lot on foot at high tide, you have to fight the ocean current on the way over the stones, which are then quite smooth through the water. It is customary to drink the holy water at the fresh water spring at the foot of the rock for a small gift or to wash your face with it. Also for a small fee, visitors can enter the Ular Suci cave (see above) located in the cliffs of the mainland and be shown the sacred snakes.
Web links
See also
Coordinates: 8 ° 37 ′ 16.1 ″ S , 115 ° 5 ′ 12.3 ″ E