Tanah Lot Temple, Bali

Tanah Lot Temple is located in coastal side of Beraban countryside, Kediri sub district and Tabanan Regency. It is situated in 30 Km in west side of Denpasar town and about 11 Km in south side of Tabanan town. The temple is built on the rock with 3 acre size and reachable in a few minute by walk, because it is just 20 meters from the coastal lip. This temple is very famous among tourist destinations in Bali with spectacular view of sunset. At some nooks of coral reef around Tanah Lot Temple there are holy tame snake in black and white color where according to the local society believe that it as a deity property and as the guard of the temple from the bad influence.

The word of Tanah Lot is consisted of two 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 small 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 into 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 one plain yard as Jeroan.

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 form of Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, the sea power. The media of worship to this god is the temple building with 5 storied meanwhile the 3 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 and also incoming devotee existence pray when temple ceremony is held. In this case can be realized as follows:

• Tanah Lot Temple as dang Kahyangan(the big Holy Temples in Bali ), because the history and the Penyiwi (The people taking care of the temple) are from the local people from Tabanan regency and 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 unique animal can be seen in this temple area is the snake which are generally can be met in the coast. Part of its stomach there are no athwart skin, there is only small skin, but this sea water snake very noxious but snakebite case are very seldom happened, because the sea water snake generally very passive.

As a favorite tourism destination in Bali, Tanah Lot owns a magnificent view in particular at the sunset 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 are other temples which can be seen on your visit to Tanah Lot like Batu Bolong Temple, Batumejan Temple and Enjung Galuh Temple.

Cangkuang Temple (Candi Cangkuang), Garut, West Java

Compared with Hindu temples in Central-Java, Candi Cangkuang is only a simple construction. Yet it is special in that it is one of only three known Hindu temples in West-Java, all discovered recently. The other two are Candi Rancaekek near Bandung and Candi Jiwa near Karawang. It is located in a small island in the middle of a lake called also Cangkuang.


Candi Cangkuang, located at Cangkuang village, was discovered accidentally in 1966, when archeologists were searching for the grave of one Embah Dalem Arif Muhammad (see tip Kampung Pulo). What was found consisted only of the foundation and a heap op rubble. Restauration was completed in 1976.


The Hindu temple stands on a small hill, facing the lake - away from the grave of the muslim Embah Dalem Arif Mohammed. The site is surrounded by several species of trees which may be of interest to botanists.


How to get here :

- From Bandung, take the toll road to Cileunyi, take follow the street signs to Garut. From Garut take the road north to Leles.

- or From Cipanas turn east at the corner near hotel Cipaganti, and when you reach the Garut-Leles road turn north.
- At Leles town square, find a sign to Candi Cangkuang pointing East. It is 3 km along this road to the site.
You may drive on until the parking and cross the lake by raft to reach the temple (Rp 3.000 p.p./person, or charter around Rp. 50.000,-). However, the temple is not really situated on an island, it is just a peninsula. So you may also park near the lotus pond some 200 m before the parking, and take the path along the pond to the right. At the end of the earthen path you reach a concrete paved path. Follow this left through Kampung Pulo to the temple. The kampung and the temple are adjacent.