Temple Trips

This past week, as I was doing field visits to farmer groups, I decided that I would not pass up any more opportunities to see interesting things along the way.

Thus I have visited a number of Candi (pronounced jandi), or Hindu & Buddhist temples. Yogyakarta is replete with ruins of these temples from the era before Islam. This map shows 15 within a few square miles (see the little grey symbols).

All were at one point lost, covered with sand and ash from volcanic eruptions. Some were re-discovered by farmers plowing fields, others by Dutch archeologists.

I have compiled this pictorial list of the Candi I have visited this year in Yogyakarta, many within the past week:

1) Candi Borobudur

Oke, so this one is technically in Central Java, but it is close enough.

Borobudur is a Buddhist temple built sometime around 800 AD. It was covered with ash and sand after some volcanic eruptions and lost sometime around 1000 AD, only being uncovered by the Dutch in the 1800s (after the British colonial power under Raffles expressed interest in legends of a giant Buddhist structure). Now it has been restored to its former glory, minus some Buddha heads.

I have visited Borobudur a number of times over the past 4 years. It is a "must-visit" site in Yogya; it is also the single largest Buddhist structure on earth (although not the largest complex).

2) Candi Prambanan

This Hindu complex is actually my favorite to visit. It was also "discovered" during the same period of British rule over Java (1811-1814), just like Borobudur.

In 2006 it was heavily damaged by an earthquake. Since my visits to Yogya starting in 2008, I have watched as the restoration has been almost completed. Now restoration efforts are moving forward on other temples in the same complex.

3) Candi Sewu

 

Candi Sewu is in the same complex as Prambanan; if you pay for Prambanan you pay for Sewu. It is a Buddhist temple built around the same time, the 8th or 9th century. If you go, just hop in the little train cart and ride to Sewu from the Prambanan complex... or walk. It is about a 1/2 mile.

My favorite part of the temple are these guards or dwarapala (as you can see, these pictures were taken on different trips). 

4) Candi Ratu Boko

I don't know much about Ratu Boko other than it is built on a hill overlooking Prambanan and Yogyakarta. The complex includes a crematorium and some royal sites. Apparently royalty used it for something.

Personally I think it is overpriced for foreigners ($10), but if you have time or a KITAS (cuts price to $1) it is interesting for a look around.

5) Candi Barong

If you remember my previous post about the Barong dance in Bali, this temple is geared toward the Barong. Images of the Barong are on each of the constituent parts of the temple.

It is located near Ratu Boko and Banyunibo temples.

You can access it from the road, but I was silly and got lost. Finally a farmer told me to park my motorbike and just hike up the hill to the temple. It was very hot, and I ran out of water, which made the visit less enjoyable than it might have otherwise been. Here I am overheating... the Banyunibo temple is located behind my ear.

Also an old woman tried to charge me to take her picture. I didn't have small change; she told me she'd take large bills. I laughed and said, "Never mind."

6) Candi Banyunibo

This is an attractive little temple. Located in the village where I parked my bike to hike to Candi Barong, so if you want to hit two at the same time, it is a good option.

Costs 2,000 rupiah to go in ($0.25). Local teenagers like to hang out in the temple and listen to pop music played on cell phones. When I asked them why, they said, "Refreshing." In other words, the temple catches a nice breeze.

7) Candi Ijo

This is a complex of temples located on a small mountain south of Candi Barong. The road to the temple is pretty terrible, but it is asphalt. The temple is under restoration right now. The main temple and three smaller temples have been finished.

Inside are a number of reliefs, common to temples in the region. I took pictures here because I was the only person in the complex, and the reliefs are in good shape (newly renovated). In the main temple is a lingga (phalus) symbol on an alter. A snake and turtle are carved under the alter.

In the smaller temple in front of the large temple is a Brahman bull, the chosen vehicle for Shiva. His name is Nandi.

In the complex are a number of other temples currently being rebuilt. You can see one here that is almost finished along with lots of loose rubble everywhere. The temple also commands an impressive view of the landscape below.

It was free to walk around when I visited, I just had to sign a guest book.

8) Candi Gebang

This is a small temple just north of Yogyakarta. Despite signs indicating its direction, and the fact the road it named after it, the temple is difficult to find. You have to do a little off-roading to get to the paved path to the temple.

It was discovered when a villager bumped into this Ganesha statue in 1936. The Indonesian government then uncovered the rest of the temple and restored it. Again, entry fee of 2,000 rupiah ($0.25).

9) Candi Morangan

 If you were wondering what these temples look like prior to restoration, Candi Morangan is an example. Located in Morangan village high on the slopes of Mount Merapi, the temple has only been dug out, not restored. In the foreground of the picture is the stature of Nandi... headless.

Even so, this is where I found one of my favorite reliefs. I don't know why, but to me this relief fits what I imagine to find in the temples of Southeast Asia.

10) Candi Sambisari

To round off this overly-long post, I include Sambisari. This complex was discovered by a farmer in 1966 when he hit a stone while working in his field. The government eventually uncovered this complex which had been completely covered by ash and sand from prior volcanic eruptions.

It was a nice temple north of the Solo Road in between Yogyakarta and Prambanan. There are signs from the road. You pay 2,000 rupiah to get in, which includes access to a small one-room museum about the reconstruction process.

Also, the lady next door asked me for 1,000 rupiah to park my motorbike. I have no idea if she really owned the parking spot, but I just paid so she would leave me alone. Indonesian villagers regularly try to charge me for questionable things (such as taking a picture, parking a motorbike, or walking past a house).

Anyways, to round off the post, Yogyakarta has a lot of candi. I haven't visited all of them, but I always enjoy the opportunity to see a little (reconstructed) history. If you are here, I suggest taking some time to visit some of them. Other than Borobudur, Prambanan, and Ratu Boko, most are either free or 2,000 rupiah ($0.25). Just find a decent map, head to the village nearest the candi symbol, and ask around. Villagers are more than happy to point you to the candi.

They might even point you to some that haven't been restored yet.