The History Of Tanah Lot Temple
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- Tanah Lot street , Beraban, Kediri, Kabupaten Tabanan, Bali
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The History Of Tanah Lot Temple .
Most people who visit Bali must be familiar with Tanah Lot Temple. This iconic and sacred tourist spot always invites many tourists to come. Tanah Lot Temple is not just an ordinary temple. It has a great history for Hindu-Balinese people. Want to know what history is behind it? Let's read the following historical review of Tanah Lot Temple.
The History of Tanah Lot
Pura Luhur Tanah Lot is one of the Kahyangan Temple. It is also a place of worship commonly used by Hindus-Balinese to worship the guardian gods of the sea. The history of this noble temple has something to do with Dang Hyang Niartha. So, after spreading Hindu teachings on the island of Java, Dang Hyang Niartha then arrived on the island of Bali around the 16th century. At that time, Bali was led by a king named Dalem Waturenggong. Dalem Waturenggong welcomed the arrival of Dang Hyang Niartha well and allowed him to spread the teachings of Hinduism to remote areas of Bali.
In the course of spreading religion, Dang Hyang Niartha arrived in a village called Desa Beraban. In this village there is a beach and a spring that comes out of a rock. This rock is called Gili Beo. Gili means coral, while Beo (parrot) are a type of bird. So Gili Beo means rock that resembles a parrot. At that time, Beraban Village was led by a holy leader called Bendesa Beraban Sakti. During this time, villagers always follow the teachings of the Bendesa. But when he learned that Dang Hyang Niartha had come to teach Hinduism, Bendesa Beraban Sakti was furious. Because he felt that the teachings of Hinduism were incompatible and were not in line with the teachings that he embraced.
Eventually, Bendesa Beraban Sakti's followers began to decrease. They believe more in the teachings taught by Dang Hyang Niartha and gradually embrace Hinduism. Feeling unrivaled, Bendesa Beraban Sakti invited his loyal followers to drive Dang Hyang Niartha out of the area. Once Dang Hyang Niartha knew of Bendesa's plans, he also intended to show the strength he had.
With his strength, Dang Hyang Niartha then moved Gili Beo into the middle of the ocean and created many snakes with his scarf. The snakes are around the rock as a protector and guard of Gili Beo. Well according to the story, the snake that guarded Tanah Lot has poison three times stronger than the cobra snake. Seeing his extraordinary ability, Bendesa Beraban Sakti apologized to Dang Hyang Niartha. Then asked the Brahmin to accept him as a follower of the teachings of Hinduism. Since that day, Dang Hyang Niartha changed the name of Gili Beo to Tanah Lot which means land in the middle of the sea. Dang Hyang Niartha then made Tanah Lot a place of meditation. Precisely in the existing Luhur Temple.
So, what do you think about the history of Tanah Lot Temple? If you're interested, you can set aside 1.5 hours of your time to go around the Tanah Lot Temple. Because the temple area is quite extensive and there are also several other tourist objects that are still in the same area as the temple. For example, Batu Bolong Temple, which is often visited by tourists to look at the sunset theater. There is also a special cave where white holy snakes reside. Local people believe, if you stroke the head of the snake while making a wish in your heart, then the request will be granted. No need to be afraid of the snakes, because you will be accompanied by the snake handler.
To be able to enjoy the beauty of Tanah Lot Temple, you can come around four in the afternoon. When the sun is not too hot, and you can prepare yourself to enjoy the beautiful sunset with the foreground of the temple in the middle of the sea. However, be sure to see the schedule first, because the temple will be closed to the public if there’s no particular ceremony.
Tanah Lot Temple is located in Beraban Village, Kediri District, Tabanan Regency. The location is about 13km from downtown Tabanan. It is highly recommended to rent a vehicle if you want to visit this temple, since there’s no public transportation to Tanah Lot Temple.
