Besakih temple consists of 22 separate temples, each with its own name, spread over a site stretching for more than 3km. The central temple, the largest on the island, is Pura Penataran Agung, with the other temples ranged at varying distances around it. There are many unofficial “guides” hanging around Besakih, adept at attaching themselves to tourists and then demanding large sums in payment for their services; be wary and always establish the fee beforehand. Unless you are praying or making offerings, you are forbidden to enter any of the temples in the complex.
To get the best out of Besakih, it’s a good idea to see Pura Penataran Agung, the most important temple, first and then wander at will; most of the tourist crowds tend to stick to the immediate area around the central temple. The meru of Pura Batu Madeg, rising among the trees in the north of the complex, are particularly enticing, while, if you feel like a longer walk, Pura Pengubengan, the most far-flung of the temples, is a good couple of kilometres through the forest.

Pura Penataran Agung

The Great Temple of State or Pura Penataran Agung is the central and most dramatic temple in the complex, although its drama lies in size, position and thfr great reverence in which it is held, rather than in intricate carving. The temple is built on seven ascending terraces, and altogether there are more than fifty structures including bale, shrines and stone thrones inside; about half are dedicated to specific gods, while the others have various ceremonial functions such as receiving offerings, providing seating for the priests or the gamelan orchestra, or as residences for the gods during temple festivals.A giant stairway, lined by seven levels of carved figures, leads to the small first courtyard; the figures to the left are from the Mahabharata and the ones to the right from the Ramayana. You can look into the courtyard, although views are obstructed by the bale just inside the gate. This pavilion is in two parts, with a small walkway between. As worshippers process through here they symbolically sever their connection with the everyday world, praying at the bale ongkara before proceeding into the second courtyard – the most important in the temple. The courtyards ascend consecutively in terraces, but visitors can go no further than the top of the main stairway. A path skirts the entire perimeter wall of Pura Penataran Agung and you can see most of the temple’s terraces from it. If you’re hoping to see religious ceremonies, the second courtyard is the one to watch. (The best views are from the west side.) It’s the largest courtyard in the temple and contains the padmatiga, the three-seated lotus throne dedicated to Brahma, Siva and Vishnu, where all pilgrims pray.

In Hindu tradition in Bali, every Caka year in which the figure representing units is 0 or zero performs the ritual of Manca Walikrama at Besakih Temple. Caka Year that ends in 0 are 1960, 1970, 1980 and so forth. Meanwhile, if the Caka in which its decimal and units represented by naught such as 1600, 1700, 1800 and so on, it should be performed the the Eka Dasa Rudra ceremony. The Caka in which units and decimals have naught figures are usually called rah windu or tenggek windu. There is still another ceremony carried out once in one thousand years that is called Maligia Marebu Bumi. But, in historical note, this one thousand yearly ritual has not been held yet in Bali.
Eka Dasa Rudra ritual is also called Windu Turas, in which every Tilem Sasih Kesanga (black moon around March) is performed Tawur Agung (exorcism) ceremony and continued with Nyepi (Caka New Year that falls around March). The Tawur Agung is conducted yearly, Tawur Manca Walikrama once in ten years and Tawur Eka Dasa Rudra once in one hundred years.
The compulsory rituals are performed every year; ten years and one hundred years are called “tawur”. The word “tawur” means returning. These rituals are categorized into Bhuta Yajna, one of five yajnas (Panca Yajnas) namely Deva Yajna (holy sacrifices to deities), Pitr Yajna (manes), Manusa Yajna (fellow human), Rsi Yajna (priest/sages) and Bhuta Yajna (lower creatures than human beings).

Harmony of Nature
Tawur is also called Caru Gede (great exorcism offerings). The word ‘caru’ in Sanskrit means ‘good-looking’ or harmonious. These terminologies tawur and caru reminds Hindu devotees to always be aware to do definite deeds in the purpose of returning the harmony of the universe.
Every day, human beings take advantage of the natural resources to maintain their survival. For that reason, the purpose of Tawur and Caru rituals are to remind human beings of getting back the preservation of nature. At least, every year, ten years and one hundred years, moreover a thousand years, human beings should remember the disturbance of nature that threatens their life survival. Such remembrance is represented through Tawur Agung.
In the procession of Tawur Agung, it utilizes various kinds of plants and animals as ritual ingredients. The number and variety of the animal and plant will be much more on the Eka Dasa Rudra ritual. This means to remind human beings that all floras and faunas are the creation of God and we should bear in mind to preserve their existence.
The use of flora and fauna for yajna rituals as mentioned in the Manawa Dhrmasastra V.40 is to enhance the existence of flora and fauna in this universe. Hence, in the current context in which the existence of such dissimilar flora and fauna nearly coming to extinction, it does not have to absolutely use them directly as ritual ingredients. Such God’s created beings could be replaced with symbolic ingredients, for instance, by means of rice flour or jajan calcalan representing animals and plants.
The matter mentioned above means to remind human beings of nature preservation through prayers in the rituals and real implementation in human action. Such is the proper action that should be done. So, the use of flora and fauna physically is not the main purpose of yajna rituals. They are just symbols to remind everybody that he recognize, know and comprehend the existence of flora and fauna. By such comprehension, apart from praying through the rituals they also endeavor to preserve all flora and fauna created by God remains to survive through the ages.
One human weaknesses is that they are many times indifferent. To avoid being negligent continuously, every year, ten years up to one hundred years and even one thousand years they are reminded of the appearance of various age changes, including the alteration of nature. To make such changes does not result in the destruction of nature, so human beings need reminding of carrying out tawur and caru rituals. Tawur could be manifested by performing nature conservation besides ritual as medium of praying to God. Meanwhile, caru is real action to do balanced deeds in using natural resources so the nature remains to be in its harmony. Therefore, in the nature condition that progressively grimaces in pain due to excessive use of flora and fauna as ritual ingredients, it’s the time now to review. “Let’s put top priority on the next step to conserve them rather than using them as symbols.”