Almost until the end of the nineteenth century, this temple was the main sanctuary in Bali. According to legend, in the XV century a wandering monk came to the coast, who was surprised by the extraordinary beauty of the local lands.
He sat down on a cliff, and began to meditate and pray to the sea gods. A few days later, his presence was discovered by local fishermen, who after a while began to bring him offerings, so the monk was serene and bright.
A few weeks later, a rumor about a wandering monk who found his refuge at a cliff on the south coast, flew around neighboring villages, and whole crowds of local residents began to come to the monk. The monk told them that this place is sacred for the worship of the Balinese gods of the sea.
Meanwhile, a local priest who lost his flock because of a competitor decided to get rid of the monk. He told all sorts of nasty things about him and interfered with the monk. And then the wanderer went deep into meditation, and with an effort of will pushed the cliff into the sea, which instantly gave this place, and the monk, the status of a saint.
Now the Tanakh Lot temple stands on a rocky island and attracts people from all over the world to visit it. And here there really is something to see – a magnificent sunset, waves crashing against rocks, buildings a little battered by time, but still majestic and proud. The temple has become a real unofficial symbol of the island of the Gods and this Bali attraction is definitely worth seeing firsthand!