Pura Besakih is the largest, holiest, and most important Hindu temple complex in Bali, sprawling across the southwestern slopes of Mount Agung at approximately 1,000 metres elevation. It has been the island's supreme religious site for over 1,000 years, and is considered the spiritual axis of Bali — the mountain behind it, Mount Agung (3,142 m), is believed to be the seat of the gods and the sacred centre of the universe. The complex comprises 87 individual temples arranged across 22 levels up the mountain slope, covering an area of roughly 3 square kilometres. The main temple, Pura Penataran Agung, features a magnificent seven-tiered meru tower at its centre. The three largest temples are dedicated to the three aspects of the Hindu trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Besakih hosts the most important ceremony in the Balinese Hindu calendar: the Eka Dasa Rudra, a purification ritual performed once a century to maintain cosmic balance. Non-Hindu visitors are welcome in the outer areas and can view the temples from designated pathways. The temple sustained damage in the 1963 eruption of Mount Agung but was miraculously spared the worst of the lava flows, reinforcing Balinese beliefs in its divine protection.