Tanah Lot

Location : On the seashare near Kediri , about 20 km from Denpasar. Kediri belongs to Tabanan

regency.

Object : A cute and facinating temple on the rockshore of the beach.

Date : Round fourteenth century.

Explanation:

The word "Tanah Lot" mean a piece of land in the sea. These word had been taken for naming the beach where the temple is situated. Since then both the beach and Temple are called Tanah-Lot. It is believed that the land on which the temple is situated was a part of the main land. Because of being attacked by the strong waves of the sea for hundreds of years, theshore of the beach was cut apart from the main land. Whwn the sea is in up tide the smaller land looks like an islet.

Tanah Lot has connection with the history of Hindu religion spreading in Bali a few hundred year ago with a holy priest called Dahyang Nirata was the chief of the mission. It was believed that somewhere round this beach was the priest's dwelling place and was considered as holy.

It is the customfor Hindu Balinese people to build a shrine or temple on the ground which is looked upon as holy, especially at the former residence of a priest or an extraordinary religious event ever happened at the place in honour of the soul or deity who ever lived there. Tanah Lot temple is the same.

It was built in honour of Dahyang Nirata's soul, who is believed to return up the heaven and become a deity. As a deity, dahyang Nirata has become the God of Hindu Balinese people all over the island.