Besakih, Bali

The Mother Temple of Bali · slopes of Mount Agung, Indonesia

Pura Besakih is the largest and holiest temple complex of Bali, where most people follow Balinese Hinduism (Agama Hindu Dharma). Set high on the slopes of Mount Agung, the island’s sacred volcano, it is a group of many temples on terraces, at the centre of which are shrines to the Trimūrti — Śiva, Viṣṇu and Brahmā.

Besakih hosts many ceremonies through the year, especially around Galungan and Kuṇingan, when Balinese believe ancestral spirits visit the earth. Visitors should wear a sarong and sash and respect areas reserved for worshippers.

Balinese tradition holds Mount Agung to be the dwelling of the gods and the island’s link with the cosmic Mount Meru. When Agung erupted in 1963, lava flows passed close by but the temple largely survived, which many Balinese saw as a sign of divine protection.

Bali, Indonesia · Trimūrti · Galungan · Mount Agung

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