Gunung Agung volcano

Agung volcano is the mother mountain, a volcano of gods, the diameter of the crater is about 500 meters. The southern side of the mountain, above the Besaki Temple, is considered the highest point of Bali. Height 3142m. Agung is a place of spiritual purification and worship. Balinese life is oriented towards Agung. Entrances to all temples of the island are located in the direction "to the mountain", the name of all houses and settlements of Bali sound translated into Russian as "to the mountain" or "from the mountain". Even the head of a sleeping Balinese must be pointed towards a sacred volcano.

In the spring of 1963, an eruption of terrible force flooded many villages in eastern Bali and killed about 2,000 inhabitants of the island. Everything was destroyed. Traces of lava are still clearly visible on the northern coast of Bali.

The Balinese believe that the fault was the wrong choice of the date of the grandiose ceremony of spiritual purification Eka Dasa Rudra (the most important ritual in Balinese Hinduism, performed once in a hundred years), which caused them discontent of the gods and resulted in terrible revenge.

Therefore, Balinese people respect the gods and treat them with all seriousness, which is advised to tourists.

Everyone who wants to meet the dawn over the clouds and plunge into the divine atmosphere must ask permission from the gods (here it is not necessary to memorize the most difficult prayers, just ask for a passage with a soul). Climbing the volcano does not require special physical training (the whole trip will take no more than 4 hours), but requires great respect.

The volcano can be climbed by two routes: the first will lead to the summit along the western slope from the Besakih Temple, the second will bring only to the lower part of the crater, which offers a panoramic view of the eastern side of the island of Bali. During religious holidays, climbing Gunung Agung is forbidden, but enjoy the incredible landscape of the island is always welcome.