Karangasem Castle Park Bali

The eastern district of Bali is Karangasem, which is dominated by the mighty Gunung Agung.









The east has many places of interest and some great beaches. Bali's highest mountain is Gunung Agung (3142 meters), towering majestically over eastern and northern Karangasem.









The most disastrous volcanic eruption took place on 17th March 1963 when Agung laterally blew its top. Streams of lava and hot volcanic mud poured down to the sea in the southeast of the island, covering roads and isolating the eastern end of the island.










The whole island was covered in ash and crops were wiped out. It obliterated many villages and temples, and killed thousands of people. Most of those killed were either burned to death or suffocated by the searing clouds of hot gas rushing down the volcanic slopes.









It wiped out the entire villages of Sorga and Lebih high on the slopes of Agung. Surprisingly, Besakih, just six kilometers from the crater, suffered little damage.









These days Mount Agung is quiet and the mother temple Pura Besakih perched 1000 metres up the slope attracts a steady stream of devotees and tourists. Pura Besakih is Bali's most important and probably best-kept temple, comprising about 30 separate temples in seven terraces going up the hill. Every district in Bali has its own shrine or temple at Besakih and just about every Balinese god is honored.