Besakih

Pura Besakih, known as the 'Mother Temple' of Bali, is Indonesia's most important Hindu sanctuary, perched at around 950 metres on the southwestern slope of Gunung Agung — an active volcano that still looms visibly over the complex. Founded as early as the 8th century, the site encompasses more than 200 structures: tiered meru towers, open bale pavilions, and pelinggih shrines arranged across a steep hillside terraced by centuries of construction. Its social structure is as significant as its architecture — every Balinese royal lineage and village community maintains its own dedicated precinct here, making Besakih a living map of Balinese Hindu society. During the catastrophic 1963 eruption of Gunung Agung, lava flows reportedly parted around the temple walls, an event that deepened the site's sacred mystique. Today visitors encounter a continuously active ritual landscape of daily offerings, flower-strewn processions, and major festivals that draw pilgrims from across the island.