Besakih Mother Temple

Pura Besakih is the largest temple complex in eastern Bali located in the village of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung, Indonesia. It is the largest, grandest and holiest temple for Balinese Hindus and one of a series of Balinese temples. Perched nearly 1000 meters high on the side of Mount Agung, it is a sprawling complex of 23 separate but related temples the largest and most important is Pura Penataran Agung. The temple is built on six levels, terraced on the slopes. The entrance is marked by main gate namely Candi Bentar (split gate) with hundreds of stairs and Kori Agung is the gateway to the second courtyard. Besakih Temple is a temple complex consisting of twenty-three temples and is further divided according to the caste of the worshiper. In Bali there are 4 kinds of castes. It has terraces and steps that lead to a number of courtyards and brick gates which in turn lead to the main tower or structure of Meru, which is called Pura Penataran Agung. All of these are aligned along a single axis and are designed to direct the spiritual person up and closer to the mountain that is considered sacred. The main shrine of this complex is Penataran Agung Temple. The symbolic center of the main shrine is the lotus throne or padmasana, which is therefore the ritual focus of the entire complex. It dates from around the seventeenth century.
The series of eruptions of Mount Agung in 1963 which killed approximately 1,700 people also threatened the destruction of Besakih Temple due to the lava and rocks that were spewed out. The flow of mountain lava had passed through the temple complex only a few meters away. The rescue of the temple from the danger of a volcanic eruption is considered by the Balinese as a miracle from the Almighty, and a signal from the gods that they want to show their power but not destroy the monuments that have been erected by the Balinese faithful.

Good to know

There is no information on the exact origin of the construction of this temple, either from ancient books or information from the local community. But this sacred site certainly dates back to prehistoric times. From the investigation, the stone base of Pura Besakih temple and several other temples resembling a megalithic stepped pyramid are known to be at least 2,000 years old.
Besakih Temple was used as a place of Hindu worship from 1284 when the first conquering people from the island of Java settled and survived in Bali. In the 15th century, Besakih had become a powerful royal state temple at that time.

Caste in Bali

The word caste comes from the Spanish/Portuguese language, namely casta which means race, lineage, or tribe. Around the 16th century caste was used by Portuguese explorers to describe the division of labor in Indian society. In Indonesia itself, the caste system can be found in Balinese society. The naming of children in Bali is based on their family caste, gender, and their birth order. The Balinese caste system is based on the Hindu Catur Warna caste system, although it is not as complicated as that in India. This simplified version describes the division of humans into 4 different castes. As an area where the majority of people are Hindus, Bali also has a caste system which is a hereditary heritage from Balinese ancestors. The following are the 4 castes in Bali from the highest to the lowest:

Brahmin Caste (Brahmana) is a person who devotes himself to matters of the spiritual field (Hindu religious leader)

Knight Caste (Ksatria) is the heads and members of government or royal institutions at that time. A person who bears this title has no personal property, all state property (communist)

Vaisya Caste (Waisya) is the people who already have their own jobs and property are farmers, fishermen, traders, etc.

Sudra Caste (Sudra) is the servants to the three castes above him. This caste is the most prevalent in Bali, almost 90% of the total Balinese population.

In the caste system in Bali, there are different rules for interacting/communicating with people of different castes. Madya Balinese language (polite language) is usually used for interlocutors whose caste is unknown, to avoid disrespect to the interlocutor. If the one we talk to is of a higher caste, then we must use Madya Balinese (polite language). So in Balinese, 1 object can have 3 words/speech but the meaning is the same. For example, the word "eat" is different from the word "eat" for animals, for peers and for people who are older or of a higher caste. Never mention the word "eat" which is intended for animals but we use to talk to humans, fights can occur.


To be able to reach Besakih Temple, you can ride a motorbike or by private vehicle. The road access is very good to pass, the problem is the road up the mountain and there are many sharp turns but not dangerous. During the trip you will be able to see views of rice fields and mountains. You will spend time 2 hours or 65 Km from Bali International Airport
The entrance ticket to Besakih Temple for foreigners is IDR 60,000 including a sarong and scarf. The location of the temple is a bit far from the ticket counter and the road is a bit uphill, but you will get a one-way motorbike shuttle to get to the temple for free. When you come back, you have to walk. This system was in effect before Covid-19 and hopefully after the pandemic the system will be better, namely tourists can park near the temple.
One more important information, inside the temple there will be many local guides selling their services for you by asking for a fee of around IDR 150,000-300,000 per group (if you are not accompanied by a guide from your agent). Because they are expensive, you can refuse them well, but if they are a bit naughty then refuse a little hard. Just say you already know the history of this temple by reading it from books, etc. If you are treated uncomfortable (forced with a high price) do a video recording containing elements of violence (there must be 2 evidences) then immediately contact the police post in the corner outside of the temple. We know this incident from information from tourists before Covid-19. If you want to know the price of admission tickets for all tourist attractions in Bali update 2021, please click the link below

Harga Tiket Masuk Obyek Wisata Bali 2021

To make it easier for readers to know the exact location of the tourist attraction, please click on the link below which will take you to the Google Map page
BESAKIH MOTHER TEMPLE

tourism low season in bali

Many Indonesian and foreign tourists do not know when the low season for tourist visits to Bali is. Just information for you, the low season of tourist visits on the island of Bali occurs from the beginning of January to the end of April. In addition to that month, the low season on the island of Bali also occurs in mid-September to mid-December because this month is the rainy season. There are many advantages that tourists get when vacationing during the low season in Bali compared to holidays during the high season in Bali. The advantages such as less traffic jams, reduced crowds at tourist attractions, cheaper hotel room prices and the price of renting a private vehicle or rent a car can be negotiated a little.

high season tourism in bali

The high season of tourist visits on the island of Bali occurs in June, July, August, end of December and the first week of January. During the high season on the island of Bali, road traffic is very congested and congested, tourist attractions in Bali are very crowded. In addition, the price of hotel rooms is quite expensive if you compare the prices of hotel rooms during the low season. Moreover, with the construction of the Jakarta - Banyuwangi toll road, the number of private vehicles with foreign plates in Bali can increase 3x.

We provide car rental + driver + fuel at a price of :
USD 40/8 hours (short trip)
USD 50/10 hours (medium trip)
USD 60/12 hours (long trip)