Pura Besakih
Mother Temple" of Hinduism in Bali. Pura Besakih, or Besakih Temple in English, is the largest of the island's 11,000 or so Hindu temples; its 35 shrines and halls draw devotees from all over Bali in massive numbers each year.
The world is lucky to have Besakih. In 1963 Mount Agung, a volcano, erupted and destroyed several nearby villages. Besakih was untouched.
The temple is generally agreed to date back to prehistoric times in Bali. It is named for Naga Besukian -- the dragon-god thought by pre-Hindu Balinese to inhabit this, the highest mountain in Bali. But at the beginning of the 11th Century Besakih became the state temple at a time when Bali was no mean kingdom. It has remained the state temple in some form or another ever since and is state supported today.
Like most Balinese temples, Besakih is not a closed building but a mostly open-air affair. It is made up of courtyards with altars and shrines devoted to a number of gods. And those gods have better things to do than just hang around a temple; the Balinese believe that the gods visit a temple on particular dates -- and on those dates the Balinese hold festivals to honor (or placate) the gods. Of all the temples on Bali six are "supremely holy:" Pura Besakih, Pura Lempuyang Luhur, Pura Gua Lawah, Pura Batukaru, Pura Pusering Jagat, and Pura Uluwatu. Of these, Besakih stands higher than the others -- not because it sits some 3000 or so feet above the ocean on the mountain's side, but because it is more sacred to the Balinese. It is said to be the only classless, casteless temple on the island where any Balinese Hindu can come to worship.
Kerta Gosa (museum)
Goa Lawah
This is a very popular tourist attraction and, as the bats are protected by law, the cave is over run with them. A distinct aroma of bat guano exudes from the cave and the roofs of the temple shrines in front of the cave are liberally coated with bat droppings. Superficially, the temple is small and unimpressive, but it is very old and of great significance to the Balinese as it was founded in 1007 by Empu Kuturan. Goa Lawah Temple is one of the island's nine special Sad Kahyangan Temples, and as such it is the designated holy place to honour the God Maheswara, who resides in this section of the island. Religious processions visit the temple every day, and it is a particular focus for religious rites associated with death.
In front of the cave are small shrines of a Shivaite temple guarding the cave's entrance. This site has been worshipped since around 1000 AD, and was founded by an itinerant holy man, named Resi Markandya (a holy priest from Java).
The cave is also said to lead all the way to Pura Goa in Besakih, some 30 km away, but nobody in recent times has volunteered to confirm this since the fruit bats provide sustenance for the legendary giant snake, Naga Basuki, which is also believed to live in the cave. This ancient reptile is believed to be the caretaker of the earth's equilibrium, a belief which stems from pre-Hindu animism.
In the 17th century the temple was used as a place of worship by the King of Klungkung and the Bat Cave was also used to test the innocence of people found guilty of breaking the law. When within the kingdom of Mengwi, a dispute ensued between two of the king's descendants, I Gusti Ngurah Made Agung and I Gusti Ketut Agung. The latter was not accepted as the descendant of the King of Mengwi, so he agreed to enter the Bat Cave and if he came out alive he would be recognised as a descendant. The cave at that time also housed, as well as bats, big snakes and other wild animals. According to legend I Gusti Ketut Agung accepted the sentence, entered the cave and finally emerged at Besakih.
True to the judgement of the King of Klungkung, he was recognised as a member of the King of Mengwi's family. When he became a King he was known as I Gusti Ketut Agung Besakih. The records also said that as a result of entering the cave he became deaf. The snakes and other wild animals no longer inhabit the cave, but thousands of bats that remain create a unique and popular attraction.
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