Besakih Temple
We woke up early to drive from Ubud to Mount Agung to see Besakih Temple.
Besakih Temple is a temple complex in the village of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung in eastern Bali. It is the most important, largest, and holiest temple of Balinese Hinduism. Perched nearly 1000 meters up the side of an active volcano, it is an extensive complex of 23 separate but related temples.
A series of eruptions of Mount Agung in 1963, which killed approximately 1,700 people also threatened Besakih Temple. The lava flows missed the temple complex by mere meters. The Balinese people regarded the saving of the temple 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.
This visit was one of the most significant experiences of our whole Bali trip. The temple and volcano were stunning, and at the top we were met by a Balinese priest who blessed us with holy water and rice.
