AngelCent: Tanah Lot

This is the temple that sits on large offshore rock located in Tabanan in Bali Indonesia. Tanah Lot means "Land in the Sea" in Balinese language. Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of the 15th century priest Nirartha. During his travels along the south coast he saw the rock-island's beautiful setting and rested there. Some fishermen saw him, and bought him gifts. Nirartha then spent the night on the little island. Later he spoke to the fishermen and told them to build a shrine on the rock for he felt it to be a holy place to worship the Balinese sea gods.

See more pictures and a video after the cut.

The Tanah Lot temple was built and has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries. The temple is one of seven sea temples around the Balinese coast. Each of the sea temples were established within eyesight of the next to form a chain along the south-western coast.

This is the Pura Batu Balong, another temple found in the area.

Entrance to this place is through these impressive Bali Gates made of brick and sandstones. In Bali, such open gates signify access to holy sites, the "split" gate symbolizing a mount of the gods that has been torn asunder through its midpoint. Every temple in Bali has this kind of gate.