Temple in the ocean

When the sun is setting creating a the mixture and orange colors on the sky and the tide rises, the beauty of Tanah Lot is a very spectacular sight.

The temple is one of the seven famous sea temples in Bali. It is said that each of these temples was to be within eyesight of the next and were made to give a level of protection to the island. Dated in 16th century, the shrine was built by Dang Hyang Nirartha ( a priest from Java) during his travel through south-west coast of Bali. He saw a small island nearby the main land where spent the night. The next morning he asked the local fisherman to build a shrine to worship God on the Sea on the rock as he felt a holy atmosphere on the rocky island.

The temple is considered as one of the most sacred places in Bali. It is not accessible to visitors but reserved for pilgrimage only. However, superb views of the temple backed by the glowing sunset can be seen from so many points nearby. There is a line of souvenir shops and also a line of cafe's where Es Kelapa Muda (Fresh young coconut with ice) and a variety of food and beverages are served. Some cafes even have panoramic sunset views from their terrace.

When it is ebb tide, the crowd usually is centered at the beach between the rock where the temples is laid and the cliff of the mainland. The caves which from part of the cliff also become another famous attraction in the site. It is said that giant snake lives in one of the caves. It is also believed that at the base of the rocky island there are poisonous sea snakes guarding the temple from evil spirits and intruders. The myth said that the snake was the scarf of Nirartha.

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