The opening of “Tanah Lot Art Festival 2010” was hold on Monday (July 26) is initiated with cultural parade performed several unique arts from ten districts in Tabanan Bali. Varied of unique art from Tabanan held starting from 09.00 a.m. to 02.00 p.m. and contined with the art festival opening ceremony in the evening through the performance of 2.00 local artists. According to the Operational Manager of Tanah Lot, I Made Sujana, his party held numerous performances such as Dang Hyang Niratha fragmentary, Gebogan parade, children baleganjur and parade from ten districts.

The festival's logo will be a black-and-white chessboard shape. The square-shaped motif is known in Bali as poleng and is considered to have a connection to the supernatural."The combination of black and white will bring a different ambience to Tanah Lot," festival organizing committee head I Made Sujana said. The festival grounds will be covered with hundreds of meters of fabric emblazoned with poleng motifs and 500 umbul-umbul (decorated poles) with an identical color scheme. Statues, tree trunks, and surrounding public places will be adorned with the motif, which symbolizes balance in Bali.

"This motif is meaningful. In Tanah Lot, it symbolizes the divine snake that guards the Tanah Lot temple," Sujana said. People in the community believe that the holy snake, called Lipi Duwe, was ordered by the temple's founder, Dang Hyang Nirartha, to maintain the natural harmony and sanctity of the temple. Snakes are often seen inside nearby caves and a tourist attraction. "We want Tanah Lot to be known as the guardian of natural harmony in Bali," Sujana added.

Tanah Lot Art Festival (TLAF) officially opened by Bali Vice Governor, A.A. Puspayoga whilst accompanied by Tabanan Regent, N. Adi Wiryatama and watched by thousands of local people and foreign tourists. The even initiated by an opening dance continued with opening speeches and precisely at 04.45 p.m., Puspayoga accompanied by Tabanan Regent went to the balai kulkul to hit the kulkul – drum – as the sign that the festival is begin.

After it officially opened, cultural parade from all districts performed one by one while carrying “pengasepan”, umbul-umbul, “bandrangan”, “kober”, “tedung”, “gebogan”, and earth produce of each district. Those sacred arts from its respective districts were paraded to Tanah Lot temple. The parade was quite attracted tourists attentions who visited Surya Mandala area. Although rain felt on the day the event was held still it ran lively. Some tourists just did not want to miss this special event and capturing the moment with their camera.

After the parade group went back to their initial place, the event continued with banquet for the guests as well as entertainment from Tanah Lot Ethnic that is an ethnic music. Aside from art exhibition in that seven days festival, there is also Tabanan superior products exhibition. The exhibition participated by small to middle craftsmen in Tabanan under cooperative agency, food crop agriculture, fishery and marine agency as well as forestry and plantation agency. The exhibition exhibited varied of local people products, for instance, handicraft product, bamboo product, garment, blacksmith, jewelry, statue, silver, painting and many others. That activity is one of the government efforts together with Tanah Lot tourism object management, to help the craftsmen, promoting varied of national and international potential marketing products.