Pura Besakih
One of the most famous temples of the island, Pura Besakih or the Mother Temple of Besakih is also the holiest and largest temple of Bali’s Agama Hindu Dharma. It is sacred for the Balinese and also a great area with scenic views all around including the ocean and the volcano. The temple is made of lava stone of dark color. The real glory of the temple can be witnessed during its annual birthday festival called the Odalan festival when thousands of Hindus from all over Bali and other places flock to this destination.
Mythology and History of the temple
Pura Besakih is considered to have originally been founded as a Buddhist shrine in the 8th century AD. The local ruler Kesari Warmadewa is credited to have built the main parts of the temple two centuries later. Interestingly, during festivals, certain parts of the temple are closed for non Hindus. A priest and worshipper of Shiva called Sri Markandeya was said to have founded a temple at the spot. The name of the temple finds references to Hindu Mythology where the snake Vasuki rolls around the Mandhara Mountain during Sagarmanthana or churning the Ocean of Milk. The temple is also supposed to be built to maintain the cosmos balance by the king who has also ordered the Selonding Temple construction within the complex along with the Blanjong Monument construction in Sanur village.
A massive volcanic eruption of Mt. Agung had taken place in 1963 had killed couple of thousand people but amazingly, the lava flow had missed the temple complex which was just a few meters away.
Location of the temple
Besakih temple is located amidst a beautiful tropical landscape setting at the foot of the Mt. Agung (Gunung Agung), the volcano which erupted as recently as 1973 and forming a majestic backdrop to the temple. The temple complex has an aura being located on the slopes of an active volcano in Eastern Bali. It is 2 hours away from the Bali International Airport located in the Besakih village in Rendang, Karangasem Regency. You can visit the temple from Ubud, a 2 hour journey to the north east. This trip could also include Kintamani where you can view the volcano and Batur lake.
Temple Design and Architecture
The entire complex has 22 temples sitting on parallel ridges. The flights of stairs and the stepped terraces are part of an ascent to many gateways made of bricks and many courtyards too. These finally lead to the main spire or Meru structure called the Pura Penataran Agung. Interestingly, the entire complex is built around a central single axis leading the upward spiritual evolution towards the sacred. There are 5 temples opened up by the candi bentar or a split gate. Each of temples is separated by lava walls. Each of the temple precincts has merus which vary in number of tiers, the tallest having 7. The vast courtyard has shrines of Trishakti, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Apart from the annual birthday festival, the Eka Dasa Rudra is another important festival that is celebrated once in every 100 years.