HISTORY

Archeological findings show that Indonesian has a long human history. more...

Borobudur remains one of the most breathtaking Buddhist monuments worldwide. The colossal temple was built by the Sailendra dynasty, between 762 and 824 AD, a full three centuries before Angkor Wat, and four hundred years before work began on the Great Cathedral of Europe. Little is known of its early history, except a massive workforce consisting of sculptors, plasterers, master masons and painters converged on the site, laboring under the tropical heat to move and carve the 60,000 cubic metres of stone.

The temple structure is comprised of 55,000 square metres of lava rock erected on a hill in the form of a stepped pyramid of six rectangular stories, three circular terraces and culminating in a central stupa, forming its summit. more...

At Kidal temple, a trio of reliefs reveals that the popular Javanese cleansing ritual Ruwatan was a favorite of ancient kings, queens and even deities.

The practice of Ruwatan - the spiritual purging of a problem in a person's life, whether physical or psychological - is believed to smooth the passage of life both on earth and in the hereafter.

Those who undergo the ritual report feeling the benefits of soothing psychological effects, knowing that the tension in their life has been washed away.

What these adherents may not realize is that the enjoyment of these benefits has a long and regal history, as shown in Kidal temple. more...

The mountainous heartland of East Java, once the seats of the Kediri and Singasari kingdoms, is dotted with numerous temples.

Slender-bodied with high, tiered roofs and decorated in beautiful relief work, most of East Java's temples reflect a syncretism between Hinduism and Buddhism.

But Candi Sumberawan, which takes the form of a stupa, is an exception, as it is the only temple in East Java that is purely Buddhist.

Though diminutive in size compared with the mighty Borobudur in Central Java, its philosophical weight and its significance with regard to water preservation makes it stand out across space and time. more...

The Javanese are mostly descended from migrants who settled the island in waves from about 4000 BC. Sawah - or wet rice - agriculture was developed gradually from 2000 BC, and trade with South India began as early as the 3rd century AD. It's believed that this contact led to the adoption of Hinduism in coastal kingdoms, while Southeast Asian Buddhism was also an influence and developed side by side with Hinduism, along with older beliefs.

In 732 AD the Hindu King Sanjaya founded the kingdom of Mataram, Java's first major political entity, which controlled much of central Java and built the Borobudur temple complex. more...