Photos from Authentic Indonesia's post PURA BESAKIH : Mother temple of Bali
Besakih is known as the Mother Temple of Bali and is simply the most important temple for the whole of the island. It's actually more like a complex of temples in one very large compound and its known and loved for is its dramatic location on the southern slopes of Sacred Mount Agung. It is known as and accepted as Bali’s Mother Temple for more than a thousand years. Besakih is quite unique as it basically consists of more than 80 individual temples. The main one is Pura Penataran Agung (the Great Temple of State).
A stone within Pura Batu Madeg suggests that the area around Pura Besakih was already regarded a sacred and holy since very ancient times. In Bali, many temples and their meaning cannot be separated from the land they are built on, the nature and the spirits and gods they believe do actually live there.
The priests let us know that during the 8th century, a Hindu monk had revelations to build homes on this holy ground. They say during the process, apparently many of his followers died due to illness and even accidents. Stories like this are the brickstones of legends so it is difficult to get the historic truth. The people called the area "Basuki". A name referring to "Naga Besukian", a dragon deity inhabiting Mount Agung.
Additional temple shrines were constructed and Besakih was established as the main temple complex around 1340.
This is a truly amazing place you should explore during your next visit to Bali !
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