The Mother Temple of Besakih, in the village of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung, is the most important temple of Agama Hindu Dharma in Bali, Indonesia and one of a series of Balinese temples.
This temple was built in a holy village named Hulundang Basukih, which is known today as Besakih village. The name of Besakih was derived from the word "Basuki" or in some old manuscripts written as Basukir or Basukih. The word Basuki itself was taken from the word "Wasuki" on the Sunskrit, which means "salvation".
The mythology of Samudramanthana mentioned that Basuki was the name of a dragon that coiled around the Mandara Mountain.
The old remains say that the Besakih Temple was built by Rsi Markandya and his followers in the 11th century. At that time, Rsi Markandya intended to go to Mount Agung to build a residence. The construction was troubled by a disease which caused the death of his followers. For the safety of them, he constructed a veneration to worship God for a salvation. The veneration was called "Sanggar Basuki".
Description
The Besakih village, Rendang district, on the south west of Mount Agung, is about 44 km from Amlapura and 62 kms from Denpasar.
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