Besakih Temple locally known as Pura Agung Besakih is the largest Hindu temple complex in Bali.

That comprises at least 86 temples which include the main Pura Penataran Agung (the Great Temple of State) and 18 others.

Known as Bali’s ‘Mother Temple’, for more than 1,000 years, has sat 1,000m up on Mount Agung’s southwestern slopes in the eastern part of Bali.

The high set location of Mount Agung gives the temple complex a mystical quality and for the local Balinese, visiting this temple sanctuary is a truly special pilgrimage.

A huge staircase leads you up the sacred mountain to many different temples that represent all different types, functions and status.

Today, it serves as a popular destination for visitors to Bali and as a place of prayer for local Hindu people.

This complex of Hindu temples is the largest, holiest and most important on the island and miraculously survived the catastrophic volcanic eruption of 1963.

Surrounded by breathtaking scenery, Besakih Temple is nestled amid sweeping rice paddies, mountains, hills and streams.

Besakih Temple is located in Besakih Village, Rendang district, Karangasem – Bali. It is approximately 44km from Amplapura City, and 62km from Denpasar. Besakih Temple is famous for its complex of temples, which make it to be the Mother Temple in Bali.

To visit Besakih Temple, a tourist need an admission ticket.

Ticket Price:

• Foreign Tourist :Rp. 60.000,- / person*
• Domestic Tourist: Rp. 30.000,- / person*

Travelers can wander the stepped terraces and brick gateways of the 23 ancient temples that make up the complex and sit on several parallel ridges, some 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) up the side of this active volcano

The temples dedicated to the three main gods of Hinduism, Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma are surrounded by smaller structures housing temples to lesser gods or shrines to various Balinese castes.

Besikah Temple features three temples representing the Hindu trinity. In the centre, Pura Penataran Agung represents Shiva the destroyer with white banners while to the right red banners represent Brahma the creator at Pura Kiduling Kreteg. The black banners of Pura Batu Madeg represents Vishnu the preserver.

The largest temple in the complex, Pura Penataran Agung, has different areas representing seven layers of the universe, each with their own shrines.

Pura Pasimpangan on the downstream side (on the east of the main street) and Pura Pangubengan upstream are approximately three kilometres apart.

Located on higher ground, the closest to Mount Agung’s peak, Pura Pangubengan has great vistas and it’s about a 30-minute walk from the main Pura Penataran Agung.

Around 10 minutes to the east of Pura Pangubengan is Pura Batu Tirtha. It is where holy water is sourced for the ‘karya agung’ ceremonies at Pura Besakih and Pekraman villages.

Four temples in the complex reflect four forms of God at compass points: Pura Batu Madeg in the north, Pura Kiduling Kreteg to the south, Pura Gelap in the east, and Pura Ulun Kulkul in the west. ‘Batu ngadeg’, literally ‘standing stone’, is found in the shrine of Meru Tumpang Sebelas at Pura Batu Madeg.

This is where Vishnu is believed to descend. Still in the courtyard of Pura Batu Madeg, in front of Meru Tumpang Sebelas is the Pesamuan shrine (quadrangle-shaped with two lines of 16 poles) as a symbol of how Vishnu’s power interrelates with the world.

At least 20 minutes to the northwest from Pura Batu Madeg, down the footpath to the valley and along the river, is Pura Peninjoan – erected on a tiny hill.

The beautiful views from here include all the shrines of Pura Penataran Agung, beaches and southern Bali in the distance.

On the west is Pura Ulun Kulkul, famous for the main and most precious ‘kulkul’ (Balinese wooden slit gong) on the island. Kulkul is a signaling device to summon or convey special messages.

On the northern side of Pura Ulun Kulkul is Pura Merajan Selonding where the ‘Bredah’ inscription mentions a king in Besakih, and a set of ancient gamelan called ‘Selonding’ are kept.

Source: For more information on this amazing landmark and ofr other local attractions visit https://balicheapesttours.com

INDONESIA’S economy is set to expand at the fastest pace in seven years as President Joko Widodo bets on higher government spending and a pickup in investment to counter risks from a global slowdown and an escalating trade war.

Southeast Asia’s largest economy is forecast to grow 5.3 per cent next year, Mr Jokowi said on Friday in his annual budget speech. That would be the fastest pace since 2013, up from 5.2 per cent growth the government expects this year. The expansion will be driven by household consumption and investment, the president said, adding government spending will rise to a record 2,528.8 trillion rupiah (S$246 billion).

“The government believes that investment will continue to flow into the country because of the positive perception about Indonesia and the improvement in the investment climate,” Mr Jokowi said. While other economies are slowing, Indonesia’s economy “must be able to grow” and any crisis “must be turned into an opportunity”, he said.

Mr Jokowi, who will be sworn in for a second term in October, wants to ignite an economy that’s been slowing in the face of waning global demand and the US-China trade war. Fresh off a landslide election win in April, he has pledged reforms aimed at attracting foreign investment and reversing a persistent trade deficit.

The record budget comes as governments around Asia look to support their economies as the global outlook darkens. Hong Kong on Thursday committed to US$2.4 billion in stimulus spending, while Thailand on Friday pledged a US$10 billion package of spending and loans to juice growth to 3 per cent.

Indonesia’s economy has been struggling to move much beyond 5 per cent growth for several years, amid lacklustre commodity prices and a downturn in its manufacturing sector. The economy expanded 5.05 per cent in the second quarter, its slowest pace in two years.

The president, whose first term was marked by a massive infrastructure drive, has turned his attention to boosting manufacturing and productivity. He also has unveiled steps to increase exports after Indonesia last year posted its worst trade deficit on record.

The fiscal deficit will be contained at 1.76 per cent of GDP next year, lower than the revised estimate of 1.93 per cent for this year, Mr Jokowi said. Government revenue is forecast to jump to 2,221.5 trillion rupiah from 2,165.1 trillion rupiah this year.

“This is a form of commitment by the government, to make the state budget more focused to support priority activities, while ensuring that the risk is within safe limits,” Mr Jokowi said. “With an increased education budget it is hoped that there will be no more Indonesian children left behind.”

Mr Jokowi also sought parliament’s approval to relocate the nation’s capital to the island of Borneo as he seeks to ease pressure on congested and polluted Jakarta. With more than 15,000 people per square kilometre in Jakarta – twice the density of Singapore – there’s little space to build more without rehousing thousands of families. To make matters worse, two-fifths of the city is below sea level and parts of it are sinking at 20 centimetres a year.

The cost of moving the capital is estimated at 466 trillion rupiah if it involved development of 40,000 hectares of land for an estimated 1.5 million residents, according to Planning Ministry estimates. The cost could be whittled down to 323 trillion rupiah if only part of the state apparatus was shifted to an area of 30,000 hectares, it said in April.

Locations in Central and South Kalimantan are also in the reckoning, according to Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro. The government plans to begin construction of the new city from 2021 and may start relocating some offices from 2024. The project will be financed by the government as well as through private-public partnerships. BLOOMBERG

Source: Business Times – www.businesstimes.com