Beautiful Ancient Temples of Indonesia, Borobudur, Prambanan, Ratuboko, Sewu, Plaosan, Mendut, etc Options

[Majapahitans]

Hi guys..., since I have visited numbers of temples in Java, I wanna share it with you all....
Borobudur and Prambanan....?
Well that's already popular tourist destination, but indeed that two temple are exceptional beautiful wonders.....

However, have you ever visited Candi Ratu Boko, Plaosan, Sewu, Lumbung, Bubrah, Barong, Banyunibo, Ijo, Kalasan, Sari, Sambisari, Gebang, Mendut, Pawon...?
Some of these temple are easy to reach, like Kalasan that near the main road Yogya-Solo, but some are on the hill through the village, another are in the middle of sawah (rice field), some even lies underground (already excavate to reveal their original form).

Soo...
Lets our archaeological delight oddyssey begins......
(PS: I appreciate your contributions too.... )



Selamat datang...., Silakan masuk...!

Let's enter the Gate.....!

First stop:

Ratu Boko Palace



This picture shows a group of Hindu Javanese are visiting this place.....

Despite being called "candi" this complex of structure are NOT religious structure. or It's not temple. It was a secular profane living space structure.
It was a well defended palace-fort, some kind of citadel. Situated up on the hill, the Ratu Boko complex consist of:

Series of Gates

Protective wall

Roofless temple for cremation ceremony

Some walled structure of living space (pendopo). The body and roof is made from decayed material like wood or clay roof, but the base of building (palace) remains.

Small miniature of temple for religious ceremony within living space (serve like home temple)

Bathplace (pemandian), series of pools encirceled with walls and series of gates

More foundations and floor of buildings, also walled enclosure with gates.

Aeschetic small cave for meditation.

This post has been edited by Majapahitans: Feb 24 2007, 02:05 PM

[malaccan]

Nice one Maja. I'm one of the many folks who only know mostly of Borobodur and Prambanan (and Mendut).
Can only view the first two photos though.

[Astromantic]

I'm an Indonesian and I don't even know that much temples. Thanks a lot for sharing, looking forward for new photos!

[han2]

fantastic...i'd love to find out more about these ancient temples too.
btw...so some of the older buildings' roofs, such as that of Ratu Boko, were actually made of organic materials?

[furansizuka]

I like Prambanan more than Borobudur. Its style is more interesting. But Borobudur is huge!

[Majapahitans]

fantastic...i'd love to find out more about these ancient temples too.
btw...so some of the older buildings' roofs, such as that of Ratu Boko, were actually made of organic materials?

Yes..., most of Ratu Boko building are made from wood or othr organic material, only the stone base are remain...

I like Prambanan more than Borobudur. Its style is more interesting. But Borobudur is huge!

Actually me too.... Prambanan stone reliefs is survived well than many damaged Borobudur's...
But now Prambanan is severely damaged by the Yogya earthquake.....

OK still Ratu Boko Complex



Double protective wall, suggest that this place is well defended from the invader. Located on top of the hill gave Ratu Boko a defensive advantage.



Gate leading to Pendopo, a walled enclosure with stone base. Suggested that wooden column and wooden building once presence here.



Miniature temple with stone pond next to Pendopo, probably this small temple is used as some kinds of small chapel within palace wall.



Stair lead to the gate of walled closed enclosure, the building inside the wall suggested that made from wooden materials, already gone..



Series of gates leading to "Kaputren" or "Ladies quarter" also Bath house.....



The Royal Bath House....., well actually open air pool complex, surrounded by protective wall.....
Btw the water is full of green algae....

This post has been edited by Majapahitans: Feb 25 2007, 11:35 AM

[Majapahitans]

Misty rainy Prambanan temple

This post has been edited by Majapahitans: Feb 25 2007, 11:55 AM

[Bhaskara]

So Ratu Boko was a paalce? Do u know who owned the palace in the past?From which kingdom?And what "Ratu Boko" signifies?

[tangawizi]

Misty rainy Prambanan temple

I've been to these temples in Prambanan and I'd thought it would be so cool to float around them on a hot air balloon in the first light of day.

Are they built around the same time as Pagan (Burma)?

Sometimes, I cannot help but wonder in the face of these magnificient ruins like the Borobodur or Pranbanam, whether Indonesia's past glorious cultures suffered a massive reversal with the arrival of Islam and Dutch colonialization...this is the verdict the Nobel Prize Laureat V. S. Naipaul made about his homeland, India. That India's glorious civilizations were buried in deep slumber for centuries with the advent of Islam in the 9th century and the Moghul and British Raj empires..

It's time to revive these cultures and bring them to life maybe? I had seen a Ramayana dance set against the backdrop of the Prambanan temples. Against the evening night, the setting of the Ramayana dance was truly sublime. For isn't the the revival of these cultural relics of life a sign of confidence and prosperity in the nation?

A small little analysis :

Relations between men in Southeast Asian countries with large peasant populations are totally different from those obtaining in modern industrial states. Ownership of land is a major source of status; so is employment in the Government, the prestige accorded to officials being derived from earlier times when kings and their courts were centers of power and patronage. These values survived the colonial interregnum. Societies structured in this way have two features of relevance to modern economic growth. First, there is widespread lack of understanding of modern business. Businessmen are understood largely in terms of the village trader, a despised class usually belonging to a cultural or ethnic minority. As a consequence, business virtues such as thrift, ability to calculate cost and benefit, cleverness in negotiations, efficiency in the conduct of affairs, far from being admired, are held to be unworthy of a true gentleman or an honest farmer because they carry connotations of avarice and craftiness.

The second feature of such societies is the importance of personal relationships and the obligations and rights that go with them. Landlords and government officials, generally the upper classes, are expected to protect their relatives and friends as well as persons of lower status with whom the have daily contact. In return, deference, though not necessarily obedience, is offered from low to high positions. Arrangements of this kind are not irrational in an agrarian setting. They provide a kind of private network of social security. It is clear that such a social system does not encourage innovation or entrepreneurship.

It makes me also wonder how Islamic traders came to Indonesia and never made trading an admired class in the society. The dynasties in Indonesia seem to revel in spiritual leaderships and scholarships from Hindu-Buddhism to Islamic-sufism... Was the trader always a despised class in the feudal structure, like in the Chinese and Japanese ancient agrarian societies?

I am thinking when the village trader gave way to the chinese trader, were they always still a despised class in the leftover of the feudal structure? Is that why the traders (business tycoons) are still despised in Indonesia and the military-government a much revered form of leadership?

This post has been edited by tangawizi: Feb 27 2007, 04:28 AM

[Astromantic]

Are you saying that we have to revive the Hindu culture back again? I think it really depends on what the people are believing NOW. We can't just say "hey guys I want Indonesia to be Hindu again so can you please convert back?"

[tangawizi]

U think I am an Amar Singh?? No cuz not...

I am talking about rehabilitatiing these cultural relics and make them alive again... like in Italy, where they have the roman coliseum and amphitheatres used for massive cultural events, and these relics are still very much a part of the lives of the modern italians...

it's beautiful these architectural wonders in Indonesia, but i wish people could also connect with it in their daily lives, rather than have them there as a masterpiece for tourists buses only.

[Astromantic]

Oh okay then, sorry for misunderstanding your previous post. Yeah I totally agree with you. So your point is that we have to be proud of these monuments and our past right? I'm actually writing a speech about this hehe...

[tangawizi]

i already know u are Proud abt these monuments, but in a far-off way... i mean , if these monuments are part of your daily lives, wouldn't that make the past civilizations of say, the Majapahitans, a 'living' civilization even though the fuedal structure is long gone and evolved into a secularist one?

right now, what is indonesia comprised of? it seems in danger of losing out its 'past' civilization to the process of islamization and westernization... make the 'past' civilization alive and thriving in your hearts and minds and daily speech and action... and what more visible way than to have these monuments play a part of the daily cultural lives? what do u think of this proposal, mr architect-to-be-some-day-in-the-near-future? let's stop ogling at these glass and steel skyscraper structure in jakarta's skyline and re-examine these candis and temples again shall we? they are more organic and beautiful in every way than these skyscrappers... no wonder they are called skyscrappers

This post has been edited by tangawizi: Feb 27 2007, 09:41 AM

[Astromantic]

But hey if we aren't Hindus or Buddhists how are we supposed to use the temples? 'Modify' them to mosques and churches? No way.

[tangawizi]

But hey if we aren't Hindus or Buddhists how are we supposed to use the temples? 'Modify' them to mosques and churches? No way.

man....... u are slow... turn em into clubs, bars and discoteks, what else??

[Majapahitans]

So Ratu Boko was a palace? Do u know who owned the palace in the past?From which kingdom?And what "Ratu Boko" signifies?

Most historians believe the Ratu Boko complex is a habitation or living place. But the protective wall, beautiful gates, bathing place, etc giving the sign than someone who live here is important in political sense, or the King himself. So it's strongly suggested it was a palace.

Who owned it....? probably the Sailendras dynasty and later Sanjaya dynasty take over after the unification of Sanjaya-Sailendra by the married between Rakai Pikatan (Sanjaya prince) with Pamodhawardhani (Sailendran princess), also the ousts of Balaputradewa to Srivijaya.

Original name of the palace is unknown, however Ratu Boko is how local called the palace, according to Rara Jongrang tales. King Boko is the father of Rara Jongrang....

This post has been edited by Majapahitans: Feb 27 2007, 12:00 PM

[Bhaskara]

Your idea is interesting, tangy. Somehow we need to actually make our heritage a part of our life. But I wonder how? Festivals?

Thx for the explanation, Majjy. I never knew Rara Jonggrang's father's name was Boko. He was the one Bandung killed, right?

[tangawizi]

I am going to spain next week now and i can tell u that the monuments in medieval Europe are still very much a part of the daily lives of the europeans. In oxford, I remember going to a gothic church which was in disrepair, but what they did was converted into a cafe but retained the facade of the church. In Spain, many of the medieval castles and noblemen houses have been converted into historical hotels called Paradores (www.paradores.es) where the facades and interiors have been renovated and reinforced with annexes and tourists and spaniards alike are able to visit and stay in these historical places and somehow get a better connexion with the past civilization..

I have stayed in one Parador in andalucia (called Carmona) and it had a spectacular view of the landscape around, and you could almost imagine that you are a Moor overlooking the entire landscape, or a Christian warrior seeing the mission ahead of u -- it's truly an experience..

here's a few shots of Carmona to give u a taste of what i mean..


view from Parador de Carmona


interior


original doorway to the Carmona castle

These castles or Paradores are government owned and run and they are not expensive at all. They even have a block discount if you book your holidays to stay at the various Paradores around the country... it's an amazing historical experience for Spain.

Another suggestion is to turn some of these historical sites into Casa Rurales... meaning Rural homestay where people can enjoy some solitude in the rural living and the sights and sounds of ancient places... the point is to let Indonesians enjoy the places and monuments and make it a part of their lives, and not so much build a 5 star hotel where only tourists who can afford can get a momentary fleeting experience.

[Majapahitans]

man....... u are slow... turn em into clubs, bars and discoteks, what else??

Blasphemous.....!
You will burned by fire from Shiva's third eye.....
Stung by Indra's thunder bolts......
Being stabbed by all Durga's weapons......
Devoured by Kala.....
Stepped by Ganesha's feet....
Put in to Buddhist hell and being cooked by Ashuras....
jkjkjk

Oh come on...., the value of this sacred monument is their spirituality.
I mean...., probably it's better if these monuments has Hindus or Buddhas community around them to gave "life" to this (probably) already "dead" monuments. Alived with sacred ceremony etc. Well we still have Indonesian Buddhist and Hindus aren't we....?
I mean it's better has living heritage with society around them support this cultural heritage. Like Bali does...., a living cultural heritage.

It's really pissed me off if some uneducated tourists has no respect to these sacred places.
Like playing dangdut music on Borobudur and dance on the temple....
Makin out and smoochin out with their lover inside the temples.
Or climbing the temple as if it was their kindegarted Playhouse....

Maybe if we have a special spiritual package for certain niche of tourist, like group meditation in dawn on Borobudur, this will gave serene and special experience for tourist.
Crash Ramayana dance course on Prambanan temple.
And of course watching local villagers around the temple perform their traditional dances. Or Hindu community perform sacred ceremony.

For Ratu Boko palace, it will be great to turn it to some kind of spa or boutique hotel.....
The ancient bath place is turned in to outdoor jacuzzi, pool, etc.
But I'm sure it will face fierce oppositions from archaeologist.....

This post has been edited by Majapahitans: Feb 28 2007, 03:50 AM

[Bhaskara]

Great ideas, guys. It's not like Indonesian people nowadays got any respect for them. Sometimes they even use the lesser candis for public toilet, ewww....I remember smelling the unpleasant sting of piss somewhere around Prambanan.....
THAT'S what I call blasphemy!