Mount Agung, Bali

As my bus winds through the mountains of eastern Bali, I feel a mix of awe and terror. We are going fast, too fast, and the roads are narrow, too narrow. The bus careens and accelerates, and I can’t tell if my heart is in my mouth because of the crazy risks the driver seems to be taking or because of how breathtakingly gorgeous the scenery is. Below me, mist floats through the valleys, the lines of the rice terraces undulate and merge, and volcanoes, covered in a paradise of tropical flowers and jungle foliage, stand guard.

The reason most tourists come here is to see Penataran Agung Lempuyang Temple, home of the world-famous Heaven’s Gate. This temple is about a thousand years old and is reached by an arduous climb of over 1700 steps. At the top are sanctuaries of seven gods, and looming above is Mount Agung, the tallest and most holy mountain on the island. 

Mount Agung is considered a replica of the holy Mount Meru, the three-peaked home of the Hindu gods, and is itself home to Bali’s gods. Balinese mythology tells us that the gods found Bali and saw that it was a wobbly, messy, chaotic place, unsuitable for their habitation. To anchor the island, to make it habitable and cultivatable, they placed Mount Agung.

In this role, it is the navel of the island, the spiritual centre from which Bali’s culture, spirituality and fertility flow.

At the far end of the temple, Mount Agung is viewed through the exceptional 13ft (4m) tall Heaven’s Gate. It’s pure white and carved with fearsome monsters from Balinese mythology, such as the Nagas, and the Kala, a great ferocious feline animal, whose gaping mouth and long sharp fangs ward off evil. The view through the gate is spectacular, the intricate carvings foregrounding the vast, smoking volcano that looms in the background. I take a moment to take in this view that represents the source of the rich, ancient culture of this island, before turning round and trudging down the many, many steps to reach my bus, and the next stop on my Indonesian escapade.