TANAH LOT TEMPLE A MYSTICAL SITE IN BALI

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BY GEORGINA KEKEA
In Bali, Indonesia

ONE of the famous sea temples in Indonesia is in Bali. Tanah Lot Temple is one of seven temples and is said to give protection to the Island. One of the most sacred places in Bali, it is not accessible to visitors but reserved for pilgrimage only.

 In the Balinese language, Tanah Lot means 'land in the sea'.

"Normally the tourists come here to see the sunset only. Coz next is the Indian ocean", says tour guide Nu Luh Kusuma Dewi. Dewi says tourists attraction also includes offering to a Holy man for holy water.

"It is for cleaning the body and said to be good for health".
The Holy man is someone in Hinduism who has renounced the worldly life and follows a path of spiritual discipline. 

"They hold a temple ceremony and they are the ones who blessed the water. You want holy water they bless it for you and you give them offering", Dewi says.
Another attraction for the tourists is the viewing of the holy snake. The snakes are said to be sleeping underneath the rocks. Anyone wishing to see them can pay a fee of 20,000 rupiah or $SBD10.00 to see them.

"The snakes have the color white and black and you can touch them", Dewi said.
The snakes are said to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders.

Tanah Lot Temple has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries. The temple was said to be built by the first Holy man of Hinduism, Dang Huang Nirartha in the 16th century.

 In the 1980's, the Japanese government lent a huge Sum of money to the Indonesian government for the restoration of the Tanah Lot Temple.

Ever since, the Tanah Lot Temple has been an iconic place in Bali for photographs and visits.
For Indonesia, Bali is the main destination for tourists. Trading Economics reported that tourist arrivals in Indonesia has increased by 4.55 percent from a year earlier to 1.20 million in May 2018. Bali was the main destination (526 thousand), followed by Jakarta (190 thousand) and Batam (103 thousand).

"We have tourists mainly from China, India and Australia and other countries from Europe", says tour guide Dewi.

July to August is often what they call 'tourist season'.

Ends///

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