Click on the photo to enlarge
The Mother Temple of Besakih, or Pura Besakih, in the
village of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung in eastern Bali, Indonesia, is
the most important, the largest and holiest temple of Hindu religion in Bali,
and one of a series of Balinese temples
Perched nearly 1000 meters up the side
of Gunung Agung, it is an extensive complex of 23 separate but related temples
with the largest and most important being
Pura Penataran Agung
This is built
on six levels, terraced up the slope
This entrance is an imposing Candi Bentar
(split gateway), and beyond it the even more impressive Kori Agung is the
gateway to the second courtyard
The precise origins of the temple are not
clear but it almost certainly
dates from prehistoric times
The stone bases of
Pura Penataran Agung and several other temples resemble megalithic stepped
pyramids, which date back at least 2000 years
It was certainly used as a Hindu
place of worship from 1284 when the first
Javanese conquerors settled in Bali
By the 15th century, Besakih had become a state temple of the Gelgel dynasty
A
series of eruptions of Mount Agung in 1963, which killed approximately 1,700
people
also threatened Pura Besakih
The lava flows missed the temple complex
by mere meters
The saving of the temple is regarded by the Balinese people as
miraculous, and a signal from the gods that they wished to demonstrate their
power but not destroy the monument the Balinese faithful had erected
Visitors
to this temple should exercise caution as they target tourists by offering a
compulsory "tour guide" at exorbitant charges
They also perform
"prayers" and request for tips at the end of the "tour"
Visitors
who declined their "services" are dealt rather aggressively
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