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.

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. However, the temple had significant Hindu influence.

At the base of the rocky island, poisonous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders. A giant snake purportedly protects the temple, which was created from Nirata’s scarf when he established the island.

Melukat merupakan ritual yang sudah sangat akrab bagi masyarakat Bali. Melukat pasa umumnya dilakukan pada saat rerahinan penting, seperti Kajang Kliwon, Purnama-Tilem dan rerahinan lainnya. Di dalam sastra disebutkan betapa pentinganya melakukan ritual melukat seperti tersurat dalam Sarasamuscaya sloka 248 : Beginilah kurang baiknya orang yang tidak suka bersuci-suci, adapun orang yang begini prilakunya, tidak berpuasa hingga tiga hari, tidak bersuci dengan tirtha (air suci), tidak melakukan pemberian dana emas, dana ternak maka orang yang demikian dinamai orang yang paling miskin adanya.

Melukat sangat penting dilakukan agar aura negatif yang melekat pada tubuh fisik maupun rohani bisa bersih, suci lahir batin.