Tanah Lot Temple as dang Kahyangan(the giant Holy Temples in Bali ), because the history & the Penyiwi (The people looking after the temple) are from the local people from Tabanan regency & surrounding area, Tanah Lot temple as Segara Temple, because its function as sanctum to worship the Bhatara Segara, the God with manifestation as the ocean Power Deity
The distinctive animal can be seen in this temple area is the snake which are usually can be met in the coast. Part of its stomach there's no athwart skin, there is only little skin, but this sea water snake very noxious but snakebite case are very never happened, because the sea water snake usually very passive.
Tanah Lot Temple is located in coastal side of Beraban countryside, Kediri sub district & Tabanan Regency. It is situated in 30 Km in west side of Denpasar town & about 11 Km in south side of Tabanan town. The temple is built on the rock with three acre size & reachable in a few minute by walk, because it is twenty meters from the coastal lip. This temple is very famous among tourist destinations in Bali with spectacular view of sundown. At some nooks of coral reef around Tanah Lot Temple there's holy tame snake in black & white color where according to the local society think that it as a deity property & as the guard of the temple from the bad influence.
The word of Tanah Lot is consisted of words that are Tanah word interpreted as a reef looking like gili or isle. Lot or Lod word has meaning the sea. So Tanah Lot is meaning the little island floating on the sea. The location is now called as Tanah Lot has been used at a Megalithic period as a place that looked in to holy, proven from the existence of menhir. Pursuant to environmental condition, hence the structure of Tanah Lot Temple is built at irregular reef plain of its angle which is only consisted of plain yard as Jeroan.
Function
The function of this temple can be realized from the function of the main temple building which is located in the temple main area. In this place, there is a main temple to worship the god in type of Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, the sea power. The media of worship to this god is the temple building with five storied meanwhile the three storied temple building in north part of this area is purposing to worship to Dang Hyang Nirartha.
In order to know the status of Tanah Lot Temple can be realized from the temple history, function & also incoming devotee existence pray when temple ceremony is held. In this case can be realized as follows:
What to see?
As a favourite tourism location in Bali, Tanah Lot owns a magnificent view in particular at the sundown time where the sun slows down to the earth stomach. Every visitor who is paying a visit to this place will be marveled to see the beauty panorama of Tanah Lot. Beside of this temple, there's other temples which can be seen on your visit to Tanah Lot like Batu Bolong Temple, Batumejan Temple & Enjung Galuh Temple.
Image source: viewbali, onebigphoto