The Mother Temple of Besakih - Pura Besakih in the village of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung in eastern Bali, is the most important temple of Agama Hindu Dharma in Bali, Indonesia and is one of a series of Balinese temples. It has been nominated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br />
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A series of eruptions of Mount Agung in 1963, which killed approximately 1,700 people also threatened Puru Besakih but fortunately, the lava flows missed the temple complex by mere yards. The saving of the temple is regarded by the Balinese people as miraculous, and a signal from the Gods.<br />
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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".<br />
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The mythology of Samudramanthana mentioned that Basuki was the name of a dragon that coiled around the Mandara Mountain.<br />
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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".