Besakih Temple
The Besakih Temple (also known as the Mother Temple) is the largest and most sacred of all Hindu temples in Bali. The temple complex is located in the village of the same name on the slopes of Mount Agung and is far from the tourist areas, 66 km from Seminyak, and, depending on traffic, around 2 to 2.5 hours away.
The History Of This Temple
The name of the Besakih comes from the word Basuki, the old language from Sanskrit Wasuki, and then becomes the old Java language. In this Sanskrit, Basuki means congratulations. In the mythology of Samudramanthana, it was mentioned that Basuki is a dragon that surrounds Mount Mandara. The omission comes from the traditional megalith, which pointed out that it had to be a sacred place. It seems that the Besakih temple dates from very old time, well before the existence of Hindu influence. Below, an old Balinese king of Sri Kesari Warmadewa found the Merajan Selonding temple in this temple complex. He also orders the Blanjong Monument to be built in the village of Sanur. The Besakih temple complex was built according to the balance of the cosmos. It is based on the conception of nature that spreads the basic temple complex, which is arranged according to the direction. This building can thus represent nature as a symbol for the existence of the world balance.
In my opinion, more impressive than the Lempuyang Temple, which plays a big role on Instagram, thanks to the fake photos with a reflective pool taken with a mirror on the camera lens and creating a false illusion of how the temple did actually looks.
Entry fee: IDR 60,000
Location: Besakih, Rendang, Karangasem Regency
Opening times: Mon-Sun 7 a.m. to 10 p.m
