Besakih Great Temple

Besaki Temple was built in the early 11th century. It is an older and larger Hindu temple complex in Bali. For Balinese, visiting this temple is a pilgrimage of special significance. The towering Mount Agung adds a sense of mystery to the Besakih Temple. Besakih has three temples dedicated to the three gods of Hinduism. In the center is the PuraPenataranAgung Temple, with white banners hanging on Shiva, the god of destruction; on the right is the PuraKidulingKreteg Temple, with red banners hanging on Brahma, the god of creation; PuraBatu Madeg represents Vishnu, the god of protection, with black banners. History of Besakih Temple There is a stone in the center of PuraBatu Madeg Temple, which indicates that Besakih Temple has been a famous place since ancient times. In the eighth century AD, a Hindustani monk was inspired to build homes for people during his retreat. When completed, the building was named Basuki, meaning the dragon god who lived on Mount Agung. Later, its name gradually evolved into Besakih Temple. Other temples were built one after another. In 1343, the Majapahit Dynasty conquered Bali, during which time Besakih became the main temple. Since then, the Besaki Temple has experienced the earthquake in 1917 and the multiple volcanic eruptions of Mount Agung in 1963, resulting in damage to the temple, but it has been renovated many times. The lava flows through the Besakih Temple, which is considered a miracle by the gods, designed to show the world the great power they possess, but not to destroy the temple that the devotees built for it. The distinctive temple complex Pura Penataran Agung is the larger of the temple complex and consists of a number of distinct areas representing the seven levels of the universe, each with its own shrine. PuraPasimpangan, located downstream (on the east side of the main street), and PuraPangubengan, located upstream, are about three kilometers apart. PuraPangubengan is at a higher altitude, close to the summit of Mount Agung, and the scenery is magnificent. It takes about 30 minutes to walk from PuraPenataranAgung. PuraBatuTirtha is located in the east of PuraPangubengan, about 10 minutes away from the two. The holy water used in karyaagung ceremonies in Besakih Temple and Pekraman Village is taken from here. The four temples of PuraBatuMadeg in the north, PuraKidulingKreteg in the south, PuraGelap in the east and PuraUlunKulkul in the west represent the four forms of the gods in the four directions respectively. "Batungadeg" literally translates to "standing stone" and is found in MeruTumpangSebelas at PuraBatu Madeg Temple. It is believed that this is the place where Lord Shiva descended. In PuraBatu Madeg Temple, in front of MeruTumpangSebelas is the Pesamuan Temple (square building with 16 columns in two rows), which is a symbol of Lord Shiva's power and the interconnectedness of the world. Pura Peninjoan stands on a hill and can be reached by driving northwest from Pura Batu Madeg along the riverside trail in the valley for at least 20 minutes. The view here is better, you can see all the shrines of PuraPenataranAgung and the distant beaches and southern Bali. To the west is PuraUlunKulkul, known for the island's more prized "kulkul" (the Balinese open wooden drum). To the north of PuraUlunKulkul is PuraMerajanSelonding, where the Bredah inscription mentions a king of Besakih, and retains a set of ancient bamboo xylophones called Selonding. Located on the east side of the main street, PuraGua is the home of the Dragon God. There is a large cave in the gorge east of the river, eroded by flowing water, where people sometimes practice yoga. PuraJenggala is located in the southwest of PuraPenataranAgung, also known as PuraHyangHaluh by local believers. To the south of the temple is the SetraAgung Cemetery. There are also many ancient stone carvings in the shape of the sacred Dapeng Garuda. PuraBasukianPusehJagat is situated in the southeast of PuraPenataran Agung and is the main foundation of Besakih Temple.