Pura Besakih or Besakih temple is a temple
complex in the village of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung in eastern Bali
island. It 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. The temple is built on six levels, terraced up the slope. The entrance
is an formed by a Candi Bentar (split gateway), and beyond it the Kori Agung is
the gateway to the second courtyard. Pura Besakih is a complex made up of
twenty-three temples that sit on parallel ridges. It has stepped terraces and
flights of stairs which ascend to a number of courtyards and brick gateways
that in turn lead up to the main spire or Meru structure, which is called Pura
Penataran Agung. All this is aligned along a single axis and designed to lead
the spiritual person upward and closer to the mountain which is considered
sacred.
LOCATION
Besakih Temple is located in the plateau area
which is covered by the cool atmosphere and Mount Agung as a back drop. From
the top of temple building, we can see the beautiful panorama of nature from
the temple area to the ocean. It is situated in cool area with the light breeze
and unique temple buildings spread out in the temple complex will create the
peaceful atmosphere. It is very easy to find this temple in Bali where most of
the people have known it in particular the Balinese Hindu. It is about 2,5
hours away from Bali's International Airport by car to the east part of Bali
and right located in Besakih Village, Rendang – Karangasem Regency.
HISTORY
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.
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