Bali’s Mother Temple · Black Clouds Above a Hundred and Eight Towers

Besakih, the mother temple of Bali, stands on the slope of Mount Agung, approached between rows of black shrines wrapped in palm fibre that is replaced once a year.

Before the eruption of Mount Agung in 1963, the ceremonies here were not interrupted by the evacuation; the lava flowed past the temple and the temple survived. Balinese read this as the mountain god accepting the offerings.

Visitors must wear a sarong, with trousers not above the knee. The temple keepers offer one instruction: on the way up, do not walk with your back to the summit.

Folklore / Bali · Indonesia / Time immemorial