High on the slopes of Mount Agung, Bali’s highest and most sacred volcano, stands Pura Besakih — the largest and holiest temple complex on the island, and the one Balinese Hindus call the Mother Temple. It is about an hour’s drive from Natya River Sidemen.
The complex has stood for over a thousand years and holds more than eighty individual temples, each dedicated to different deities and ancestral spirits. The main shrine, Pura Penataran Agung, honours the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Ceremonies run through the year, drawing thousands of worshippers in traditional dress carrying offerings, with gamelan playing across the courtyards.
Visiting means climbing through tiered courtyards, up stone stairways and through carved gates that step gradually towards the peak of Mount Agung. This is an active place of worship, so a sarong and sash are required. Local guides are available at the entrance and are worth taking — the stories behind the shrines are most of what you came for.
Come in the morning, when the light is soft on the steps and the crowds have not formed. During Galungan or Kuningan the temple is at full strength, ceremonial and busy in equal measure.
