|
As
the largest
Hindu masterpiece temple in Java, the ethereally slender and graceful temple of
Prambanan is a magnificent spectacle to behold and an icon of Indonesia’s
cultural heritage.
The beautiful enchantment
of Prambanan Temple stands testimony as the greatest Hindu cultural heritage in
Indonesia, seen not only from its incredibly architecture and layout, but also
its unique and awesome history and legend.
The grandeur, complexity, and integrated architectural concept of Prambanan
makes this a truly amazing structure. As a unique cultural and architectural
marvel, Prambanan was declared a World Heritage site in 1991 by UNESCO.
Java was known by Indian chroniclers before 600
BCE. The name Java comes from the Sanskrit Jawadwip, which means a (dvip)
island (yawa) shaped like a barley corn. The Vedic Indians must have charted
Java, Yawadvip, thousands of years ago because Yawadvip is mentioned in India's
earliest epic, the Ramayana. The Ramayana reveals some knowledge of the eastern
regions beyond seas; for instance Sugriva dispatched his men to Yavadvipa, the
island of Java, in search of Sita. It speaks of Burma as the land of silver
mines. The Agni Purana, along with many other Puranas, calls India proper as
Jambudvipa as distinguished from Dvipantara or India of the islands or overseas
India. Towards
the end of the fifth century, Aryabhatta, the Indian astronomer, wrote that when
the sun rose in Ceylon it was midday in Yavakoti (Java) and midnight in the
Roman land. In the Surya Siddhanta reference is also made to the Nagari Yavakoti
with golden walls and gates.
The Indian influence
over South-East Asia expanded a lot during the time of Pallavas between the
fifth and seventh centuries and the influence was mainly seen in Cambodia. In
Indonesia, Srivijaya, a maritime power and dynasty which controlled the empire
stretching from Sumatra to Malaya, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam arose from
obscurity in the 8th century. Srivijaya was an Indianized polity, with its
capital near Palembang in South Eastern Sumatra.
Rival to the Srivijaya
dynasty was the joint kingdoms of Sailendra and Sanjaya based in central Java.
It was during their time (after 780 CE) that the temple building activity
flourished in the island. These temples were based on the layout and elevation
of the Pallavan and Chalukyan temples which were based on Vastu Shastra.
What is surprising is the
attitude of modern Marxist Indian historians towards the cultural past of Southeast
Asia. With their appetite for knowledge Indian historians could have made an
impressive study. But on the whole they have remained generally indifferent, not
even attempting to integrate their own ancient history with that of their
neighbors.
The Ramayana
and Mahabharata are still
are favorite themes for performances in Indonesia not only in Hindu Bali but
also in Islamic Java. These epics exert an enormous attraction on a broad layer
of society in the Indonesian islands.
Dieng Plateau -The Abode
of Gods
Candi Sambisari
Dharma and Adharma - Puputan in
Bali
Hindu Influences and Future
Prophecies
Hinduism's Revival in Java
***
For the rest of
the chapter refer to the links listed below:
Ethereal
Prambanan Part 1
Introduction
Ethereal Beauty of Prambanan
History of Shivalaya
Architecture: Elegant and Dramatic
Vedic influences all over Indonesia
Ethereal
Prambanan Part 3
Image Gallery
Candi Pushakasala
© 2011
Dieng Plateau temples - The
Abode of Gods
An Ancient Spiritual center
The oldest site of Hindu civilization on Java
The
architectural remains and sculpture of the Dieng (Di-hyang)
plateau, where stone construction is for the first time employed in Java, dates
from the 7th or early 8th century. The architectural forms
show clear analogies with those of the Gupta, Pallava and early Calukya of the
Indian mainland. Architecture and ornament are reserved, and in perfect
correlation; and though we could not imagine these monuments in India proper,
nevertheless they are more Indian than Javanese.
The Dieng
plateau represented, not a civil capital, but a place of pilgrimage comparable
to the Jaina temple cities of Palitana and Girnar in Western India; permanently
inhabited only by priests and temple servants, and for the rest providing only
temporary accommodation for pilgrims, amongst other for the king who visited the
plateau once a year. The temples are small and mutually independent. Out of a
much larger number, only eight are now standing. The leading characteristic of
the style is a generally box-like or cubic construction with vertical and
horizontal lines strongly emphasized. Each temple consist of a single cell,
approached by a porch or vestibule projecting from one face of the outer wall,
the tree other wall surfaces being divided by pilasters into three parts
occupied by projecting niches or sculptured panels. The roof repeats the form of
the main cell; the interior is a plain hollow cube below the hollow pyramid of
the roof, whose inner walls approach until the remaining space can be covered by
a single stone. A grosteque Kirtimukha crowns the doorway and niches; the makara
itself is already developed into floriated ornament and scarcely recognizable.
This
description applies to the four temples of the Arjuna group, Candi Arjuna,
Srikandi, Puntadeva and Sembhadra, and to Candi Ghatotkaca but not of course, to
Candi Semar, a small and elegant rectangular building, perhaps originally a
treasury, which forms a part of the Arjuna group. The isolated and unique Candi
Bhima presents a very different appearance. The lower part of the building is
similar to the buildings already described, but the roof is definitely pyramidal
in effect, it consists of diminishing horizontal stages, of which the first
repeats the form of the basement with pilasters, the other relief, while the
angles of the fourth and sixth stages are occupied by three quarter ribbed
amalakas. In all probability a complete amalaka crowned the summit. Thus the
roof structure corresponds exactly with that of a typical Indo-Aryan sikhara,
such as that of Parasuramesvara at Bhuvanesvara, the more developed form of the
latter differing only in that the stages are more numerous and more closely
compressed.
(source:
History of Indian and Indonesian Art
- By Ananda K Coomaraswamy p. 200 - 213).
Refer to the Chapters on
Glimpses XII - The Glorious Hindu
Legacy in South East Asia and
Sacred Angkor
and
Survanabhumi
These chandi (temples) have been given name based on the heroes of Pandawas of
the Mahabharata, such as Bima, Arjuna, Puntadeva and Gatutkaca and Sri Khandi
and Subhadra.
(©
2011
image source:
webmaster's own collection of photos taken during a
recent visit).
***
Dieng Plateau,
is a marshy plateau that forms the floor of a caldera complex on the Dieng
active volcano complex, and is located near Wonosobo, Central Java, Indonesia.
It is the site for eight small Hindu temples from the 7th and 8th centuries, the
oldest Hindu temples in Central Java, and the first known standing stone
structures in Java.
Arjuna temple with Shiva
Linga inside the garbagraha. Candi Semar in the front of it.
Refer to
Space and
Order in Prambanan: From Beyond the Eastern Horizons - By Dr. Subhash
Kak
***
Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu
on outer walls of the Srikandi Temple.
(©
2011
image source:
webmaster's own collection of photos taken during a
recent visit).
***
They are
originally thought to have numbered 400 but only 8 remain. The lofty plateau of
Dieng (2093m above sea level) is home to the oldest Hindu temples in Java. Its
name comes from Di-Hyang (Abode of the Gods), and it’s thought that this was
once the site of a flourishing temple-city of priests. More than 400 temples,
most of which were built between the 8th and 9th centuries, covered the highland
plain, but with the mysterious depopulation of Central Java, this site, like
Borobudur, was abandoned and forgotten. It was not until 1856 that the
archaeologist Van Kinsbergen drained the flooded valley around the temples and
catalogued the ruins.
It is situated
on the border of Wonosobo regency and Banjanegara. Dieng temples are beautiful a
view, also looking at the history witness the ancient Hindu civilization, glance
when seen through the lens of the temple lay the usual course, such as temples
scattered generally in Java, there are piles of rocks neatly arranged to form an
artistic temple, especially supported by the natural beauty around and the cold,
making temples in Dieng was beautiful and fascinating.
Srikhandi temple.
Puntadewa temple
Subhadra temple
Makara details on the side of
the temple wall.
(©
2011
image source:
webmaster's own collection of photos taken during a
recent visit).
***
The name "Dieng"
comes from Di Hyang which means "Abode of the Gods". Its misty location almost
2000 m above sea level, and its mists, poisonous effusions and sulphur-coloured
lakes make it a particularly auspicious place for religious tribute. The temples
are small shrines built as monuments dedicated to Lord Shiva. These chandi
(temples) have been given name based on the heroes of Pandawa family of the
Mahabharata, such as
Bima, Arjuna and Gatutkaca. Beside the temples, Dieng Plateau has
several sulphur craters and a lake named Telaga
Warna (colored lake). Goa Semar cave
- for meditation.
Bhima temple and details
on the front facade of temple.
***
Ganesha statues at the
Kailasa Museum in
Dieng
Plateau.
(©
2011
image source:
webmaster's own collection of photos taken during a
recent visit).
***
Top of Page
Chandi Sambisari
Candi Sambisari
was built in the first half of the 9th century, it was a Sivaitic sanctuary. The
central temple still contains a Shiva Linga. The external walls are decorated
with images of Durga, Ganesha and
Agastya.
Candi Sambisari was built in the first half of the
9th century, it was a Sivaitic sanctuary.
A Shiva Linga on a superb plinth in the interior
of the temple - expresses the creative force of God.
Lord Ganesha in a niche on the outer walls of the temple.
Devi Durga and Sage
Agastya in standing pose on the outer wall of temple.
(©
2011
image source:
webmaster's own collection of photos taken during a
recent visit).
Refer to the Chapters on
Glimpses XII - The Glorious Hindu
Legacy in South East Asia and
Sacred Angkor
and
Survanabhumi
***
Candi Sambisari
was unearthed only in 1966 and is now completely reconstructed. It was covered
by volcanic ashes which preserved it for 11 centuries and now lies in a 4 meter
deep pit. The temple was buried about five metres underground.
Parts of the original temple have been excavated.
The temple was
accidentally discovered in July 1966 by a farmer when working on land that
belongs to Karyowinangun. His hoe hit the carved stone which was a part of the
buried temple ruins. The news of discovery reached the Archaeology office in
Prambanan and the area was secured. The excavation and reconstruction works was
completed in March 1987. The temple is thought to have been buried by an
eruption of volcanic ash from the nearby Mount Merapi.
The discovery of Sambisari temple probably was the most exciting archaeological
findings in Yogyakarta in recent years, leading to speculation about whether
there are other ancient temples still underground in the vicinity, buried under
Mount Merapi volcanic ash.
History
Based on the
architecture style and ornaments of the building that resembles those on
Prambanan, the findings of Hindu statues around the temple walls, and the lingga-yoni
inside the main temple; historians concluded that Sambisari was a
Shivaite Hindu temple built around first or
second decade of 9th century (circa 812-838). This conclusion was supported by
the findings of gold plate in vicinity engraved with letters that according to
paleography was used in early 9th century ancient Java.
According to
Wanua Tengah inscription III dated 908 that
contains the name of kings that ruled Mataram
Kingdom, the temple was probably built during the reign of
Rakai Garung (ruled 828-846). However,
historians also consider that the construction of a temple was not always issued
by a king. Lesser nobles might have also ordered and funded the construction.
Architecture
The Sambisari complex was surrounded by rectangular wall made from white stone
measured 50 meters x 48 meters. In this main yard, there are eight small lingga,
four located at the cardinal points and four others in the corners. The
Sambisari temple complex consisted of a main temple and a row of three smaller
pervara
(guardian) temples in front of it.
The body of the main temple measures 5 x 5 meters and 2.5 meters high. Around
the temple walls are niches contains statues of Hindu gods, adorned with Kala's
head on top of it. In northern niche are founds
Durga statue,
Ganesha
statue in eastern niche, and
Agastya
statue in southern niche.
(source: wikipedia.com).
Top of Page
Dharma and Adharma - Puputan in
Bali
The Slaughter of Hindus by the Dutch
On May 27,
1905, a Chinese steamer was shipwrecked on the beach of Sanur about four miles
from Badung. The Balinese looted the wreckage, as they had done for centuries,
but the Dutch Government claimed an indemnity of 75 hundred florins from the
Rajah of Badung. He considered such a
request an insult and refused to pay.
This was the
excuse the Dutch were waiting for, and in 2906 they sent an expeditionary force
into South Bali. Surrounded on all sides by Dutch troops, the defenders, seeing
that their cause was lost, decided to die honorably rather than surrender.
In September 1906, the Dutch launched one of the most shameful and gruesome
episodes in colonial history.
During
the night of September 20, the Prince set fire to the Palace and the next
morning opened the gate. Thousands of Balinese advanced slowly towards the Dutch
guns. The men, sparkling with jewels, wore their ceremonial red, black and gold
costumes, while the women, carrying their children, wore pure white sarongs, and
were also covered with jewels and pearls. On a throne supported by the tallest
warriors, the Rajah, a slender young man, sat pale and silent. Suddenly, within
fifty yards of the Dutch, the Rajah drew his kris from its scabbard. This was
the signal, and the Balinese drew their swords. They shared a curious exaltation
at the thought of death. They dedicated themselves, and the sacrifice of their
bodies was but the shadow of reality. It was an offering to the gods in the age
old struggle between good and evil.
The Dutch Captain gave the order to fire and the
slaughter began.
Balinese Hindu Royalty -
Bajra Sandhi Monument.
Bajra means a bell used by Balinese priest. This monument is a
memorial to the Balinese Struggle. The memorial was opened by Megawati Sukarno
Putri in 2003.
(©
2011
image source:
webmaster's own collection of photos taken during a
recent visit).
***
The
Rajah fell and so did hundreds of his followers; wounded women stabbed their
babies for fear that they should survive, then husbands killed their wives. The
Balinese warriors and children brandishing spears and knives charged the firing
canons. Three times the Dutch ceased fire in attempt to stop the slaughter, but
the Balinese had decided to die.
The Dutch looted jewelry from the corpses and sacked the palace ruins.
European Imperialism - A Christian Enterprise was blessed by the Holy Pope
The Romanus Pontifex,
also issued by Pope Nicholas V in 1455,
sanctioned the seizure of non-Christian lands, and encouraged the enslavement of
non-Christian people.
Christian Love? A gruesome massacre of
Balinese Hindus by
the Dutch Colonists.
Following the massacre
the Dutch looted the corpses and sacked the palace ruins. A similar episode took
place at the Jallianwala Bagh in India under
the British Colonial Rule. Refer to chapter on
European Imperialism
(image source:
wikipedia.com).
***
Apart
from a few babies there were no survivors of the massacre. This was the end –
the Dutch were now the masters of all Bali. A similar scene was repeated at the
smaller court of Pemecutan in Denpasar. If the Dutch had hoped that events would
end there, they were mistaken.
Puputan – a ritual suicide meaning end of a kingdom.
Kshatriya honor
The
final act of Bali’s tragedy took place in 1908. The
King of Klungkung carrying his ancestral dagger, the kris, slowly
emerged from the palace. His court and more than 200
people accompanying him to face the Dutch. The King knelt down and a Dutch
bullet killed the king. His wives knelt around his corpse and drove keris blades
into their hearts while the others began the rite of Puputan. Klung
kung palace was razed. After nearly 600 years, the Balinese courts that had
descended from the Royal Majapahit Empire of Java
were gone.
Hindu Bali was now completely under the
control of the Dutch Colonists. Today, the Square in Den Pasar, the former
Badung, where it took place, has become a football ground.
Vedic India had
honorable rules in Warfare.
"The Hindu laws of war are very chivalrous and humane, and prohibit the slaying
of the unarmed, of women, of the old, and of the conquered."
European Imperialism
was a disgraceful and cruel chapter in Human History where Despicable Greed and
Arrogance and lack of respect for ancient civilization were the principal factors in absence of rules in warfare.
***
The Puputan square in
Denpasar commemorates the last battle between the King of Badung and the Dutch
army in 1906.
The heroic sacrifice
of 2000 Balinese Hindus that were killed by their own daggers or by the Dutch
bullets.
(©
2011
image source:
webmaster's own collection of photos taken during a
recent visit).
***
In 1920 and in 1924, more permits were given to
Catholic and Protestant Missionaries
to carry on their work in Bali.
After
350 years of Imperialism, in 1945, a republic was proclaimed and the whole
archipelago took the name of Indonesia – Islands of
India.
(source: Lovers
in Paradise - By Barbara Cartland
and
Insight Guides: Java
and
Insight Guides: Bali and Lombok).
Top of Page
Hindu Influences and Future
Prophecies
Until
the end of the 15th century, Hinduism was the predominant religion in the
islands of Java and Sumatra. Hinduism is said to have spread to these islands as
early as the first century AD. The Tarumanagara inscriptions of the 4th century
AD are the earliest evidence of Hindu influence in Java.
Hinduism flourished in these Indonesian islands until the arrival of Islam in
the 14th century.
Indonesia is today the most populous Muslim-majority nation, with 86.1% Muslims
(2000 census) and 3% Hindus. However, there is a self-conscious Hindu revival
movement emerging from the Javanese society with constant reference to the
famous Javanese prophecies of Sabdapalon and
Jayabhaya.
It is
interesting to note that the ancient Indian Sanskrit epic,
Ramayana, makes a mention of these islands. After the abduction of
Sita from the Panchavati forest, Rama and Lakshmana go in search of her. They
meet Vali and Sugreeva. Hanuman and Sugreeva near the vicinity of the mountain
Rishyamukha. Rama helps Sugreeva by killing his elder brother Vali and making
him the king of Kishkinda. In return of Rama’s help, Sugreeva and the Vanaras
agree to find Sita. Sugreeva orders Niila, his commander to assemble the troops.
He orders Vinata, a mighty vanara warrior to search the Eastern side for Sita.
While doing so he describes the islands of South East Asia.
Ramayana scenes at the
Klung kung palace in Kamasan style of painting.
(©
2011
image source:
webmaster's own collection of photos taken during a
recent visit).
***
In
Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana,
chapter 40 verses 30, 31 and 32, the islands of Java and Sumatra are said to
have been described by Sugreeva:
yatnavanto yava
dviipam sapta raajya upashobhitam | suvarNa ruupyakam dviipam suvarNa aakara
maNDitam || 4-40-30 yava dviipam atikramya shishiro naama parvataH | divam spR^ishati
shR^ingeNa deva daanava sevitaH || 4-40-31 eteSaam giri durgeSu prapaateSu
vaneSu ca | maargadhvam sahitaaH sarve raama patniim yashasviniim || 4-40-32
“You strive
hard in the island of Yava, which will be splendorous with seven kingdoms, like
that even in Golden and Silver islands that are enwreathed with gold-mines, in
and around Yava islands. On crossing over Yava Island, there is a mountain named
Shishira, which touches heaven with its peak, and which gods and demons adore.
You shall collectively rake through all the impassable mountains, waterfalls,
and forests in these islands for the glorious wife of Rama.”
The islands of
Yava mentioned in the above verses are said to be the modern day Java islands.
The Golden and Silver islands refer to Sumatra which was earlier known as
Swarnadwīpa (Island of Gold). The seven kingdoms may refer to the Indonesian
archipelago. This clearly indicates the knowledge of geography of regions beyond
the Bharata khand by the ancient Hindus. This also suggests that people of
ancient Bharat have travelled to these lands and back.
People in Java
believed that Rishi Agastya came from India and settled here. Usually called
Bharata Guru, Agastya is an extremely popular legendary figure in Indonesia, and
he was widely worshipped and venerated; numerous reproductions of his image in
art and sculpture are found in the country.
O C Ganguly has observed:
“In the
Javanese images of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma mudras, the asanas, the lotus seat
and the scroll ornamentation on the aureole at the back are derived from the
vocabulary of Indian sculpture. In the whole repertoire of sculptural forms in
Java there is hardly any motive or element which is not derived from Indian
sources. The so-called Kala Makara ornament of Javanese invention is the
descendant of old Indian
Kirti Mukha which can be
traced as far back as fourth century. The makara torana is similarly borrowed
from India. The temple watchers or door keepers of Java are likewise derived
from the various types of dvarpalas of South Indian temples and the rakshasa
types clearly descended from the gana figures which frequently occur in early
Hindu temples."
Before the
arrival of Hinduism in the early first century AD, the native people of
Indonesian Archipelago are said to have been practicing an indigenous belief
system common to Austronesian people. The indigenous spiritual concepts were
fused with Hinduism which evolved into Javanese Hinduism. Many of the ancient
Indonesian kingdoms followed Hinduism. The most famous are the Mataram, Kediri
and Singhasari kingdoms. The archipelagic empire of Majapahit which ruled
between 1293 and 1500 was the most powerful last major empire in Indonesian
history.
The spread of Hinduism to Indonesia in the first century, with its accompanying
artistic traditions meant that it was India that stood at the center and this
process continued until the mid 15th century when Intrusive Islamic
influence gained an upper hand. Hindus and Buddhist had to retreat to Bali.
In the 15th century Indonesians abandoned Hinduism for Islam. It abandoned the
boundless richness of the Hindu faith, its universal appeal, its tolerance, the
profundity of Hindu philosophy and her lavish Epics and settled for the Islamic
Discontent of Monotheism.
***
Sabdapalon prophecies
King Brawijaya V of the Majapahit Empire
is said to have
converted to Islam in 1478 thus ending the Hindu empire.
He is said to have been cursed by his priest
Sabdapalon for converting to Islam. Sabdapalon promised to come back after 500
years, at the time of political corruption and natural disaster to bring back
the Javanese Hinduism. The first modern Hindu temples are said to
have been completed on these islands during 1978 (Pura Agung Blambangan temple).
Mass conversions, back to Hinduism, have also said to have occurred in the
region during this time and the eruption of Mt.
Semeru, around this time, are taken as signs of the prophecy of
Sabdapalon being completed.
***
Jayabaya Prophecies
Another
prophecy, well-known throughout Java and Indonesia, is the Ramalan (or Jangka)
Jayabaya. Ratu Joyaboyo (Jayabhaya) was
the King of Widarba (a thousand cities)
who is noted for the prophecy where he said
“The Javanese
would be ruled by whites for 3 centuries and by yellow dwarfs for the life span
of a maize plant prior to the return of the Ratu
Adil (Just King): whose name must contain at least one syllable of
the Javanese Noto Negoro.”
When Japan
occupied Java and the surrounding islands during the Second World War in 1942,
the Indonesians are said to have come out in the streets dancing, welcoming the
Japanese as a sign of the Jayabhaya prophecy. Later, when Japan granted
independence to Indonesia in 1945, most of the Javanese believed the Jayabhaya
prophecy had been realized.
Refer to
Bali Bombing in 2005 and
Mount Merapi eruptions
***
Wooden Garuda
sculpture from Indonesia
Many Javanese
appear to have retained aspects of their indigenous and Hindu traditions through
the centuries of Islamic influence, under the banner of ‘Javanist religion’ or a
non-orthodox ‘Javanese Islam’. The emergence of a self-conscious Hindu revival
movement these days within Javanese community is a sign of significant
development. Hindu symbols are still in use in Indonesia.
The state intelligence agency of Republic of
Indonesia has a Garuda as their symbol and the official airline of
Indonesia is called Garuda Indonesia.
Top of Page
Java's Hinduism Revivial in Java
Today, Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, yet Indonesian
culture is perhaps the only one which Islam has not penetrated beyond the
surface. In
Malaya , too the culture has few Islamic features but the Malays at least have
Muslim names, while most Indonesians have retained their original Indian names.
Islam is not a culture in the true sense of the term, but it has certain
recognizable features, acquired from the Arab and Persian cultures,
which it has always sought to impose on its
adherents. The French travaller, Jules
Lechercq, (1894 - 1966) having seen hajis (Muslims returned from
Mecca) joining in the worship of ancient Hindu
images, remarked that the advent of the Muslim faith has not
alienated the Javanese from their old beliefs.
While Islam made religious converts, it could not impose a new culture, for
Indonesian culture was far too developed and distinctive itself at the time. For
example, Islamic fasts in Indonesia are still called
Purwasi upavasa,
a term of Sanskrit origin; a Muslim teacher is called
guru;
and Muslim sultan bear titles such as Maharaja, Srinara and Mandulika.
President Sukarno stands for
Su Karna
(one of heroes of Mahabharata).
***
Note to Ponder:
After experiencing the
intrinsic superiority of the Indian religion
with a glorious and colorful spiritual tradition and powerful prosperous
kingdoms, it is puzzling to ponder that the Javanese people turned to a dry,
intrusive and unimaginative faith from the Arabian peninsula.
 In the words of
Dr. Koenraad Elst
(1959 -) Dutch historian,
born in Leuven, Belgium, on 7 August 1959, into a Flemish (i.e. Dutch-speaking
Belgian) Catholic family. He graduated in Philosophy, Chinese Studies and
Indo-Iranian Studies at the Catholic University of Leuven. He is the author of
several books including
Psychology of Prophetism
and
Negationism in India: Concealilng the Record of Islam
“Islam has no chance of becoming the religion of a
science-based, space-conquering world society. Exclusivist revelations have no
appeal among educated people, especially after they have acquainted themselves
with the Vedantic or Buddhist philosophies.”
(source:
Why Indians
Should Reject St. Thomas And Christianity – Koenraad Elst).
***
Golden Age
prophesized by Hindu king--when "iron wagons drive without horses and ships sail
through the sky "- catalyzes religious movements.
Islam came late to Indonesia, and its dominance was never complete. Hinduism
survived in full form quite well in Bali and a few other areas. In some regions
where Islam had only a moderate impact, a considerable proportion of the
population are only nominal Muslims. For several reasons, including the
country's complex political dynamics, there has been, in recent decades, an
increasing trend of these nominal Muslims to return to Hinduism.
Java is a
center of Islam within the Indonesian archipelago, which, in turn, is home to
the world's most populous Muslim nation. Eighty-eight percent of Indonesia's 235
million people are Muslims, and just two percent are Hindus. But the many
ancient monuments scattered across its landscape remind one of a very different
Java, one where Hindu kingdoms flourished for more than a millennium. At the
peak of its power in the 15th century, the influence of Majapahit, the last and
largest among Hindu Javanese empires, reached far across the Indonesian
archipelago.
Islamic
influence first advanced along trade networks, gaining a foothold along the
northern coast of Java with the rise of early sultanates. Hinduism lost its
status as the dominant state religion in Java at the beginning of the 16th
century, as these new Islamic polities expanded and the Hindu empire Majapahit
collapsed.
(source:
Java's Hinduism Revivial - By Dr. Thomas Reuter
- hinduismtoday.com).
Refer to the Chapters on
Glimpses XII - The Glorious Hindu
Legacy in South East Asia and
Sacred Angkor
and
Survanabhumi
For the rest of the chapter go
to the links below
Ethereal
Prambanan Part 1
Ethereal
Prambanan Part 3
Top of Page
Did
You Know?
ASI to help restore Hindu temples in Vietnam
maar naam,
tomaar naam,
Vietnam, Vietnam. After years of sloganeering, India is finally getting a chance
to put its mortar where its mouth was.
New Delhi will
help conserve a portion of My Son sanctuary,
a world heritage site in Vietnam that has one of
the largest collections of Hindu temples and monuments, the oldest dating back
to the 4th century AD, outside the subcontinent.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
will be
restoring the damage done by a weeklong US
carpet-bombing during the Vietnam War, when the slogan “Amaar naam,
tomaar naam (my name, your name)” was coined in Bengal to show solidarity
with the Vietnamese.
Bengal
politicians’ other “war effort” had been to try and embarrass the Americans by
renaming Calcutta’s Harrington Street, where the US consulate is located, as
Ho Chi Minh Sarani after the Vietnamese war
leader.
The Kingdom of Champa in Vietnam, which flourished from the second to the 15th
centuries, was strongly influenced by Hinduism. Hindu temples were constructed,
Sanskrit was used as a sacred language, Indian art was idolized and Hindu
Deities, especially Siva, were worshiped. In fact, Lord Siva was regarded as the
founder and protector of the Champa dynasties.
Ancient Monuments: US carpet-bombing during the Vietnam War did significant
damage to the Temple.
My Son
sanctuary - Inscription on the oldest stela, dating back to the fourth century,
reads that King Bhadresvara built the first temple in honor of God Siva-Bhadresvara
Inscription on the oldest
stela, dating back to the fourth century, reads that King Bhadresvara built the
first temple in honor of God Siva-Bhadresvara
(image source:
Hindu-Buddhist Art of Vietnam: Treasures from Champa - By
Emmanuel Guillon).
For more refer to chapter on
Greater India:
Suvarnabhumi and
Sacred Angkor
and
Seafaring in Ancient India.
***
Four decades have since passed but My Son’s 70-odd monuments still wear their
war wounds from the B52 bomber raids of August 1969. The surrounding area is
considered dangerous even now because of undetected landmines, another legacy of
the war.
“A team of ASI
officials has visited the site and is finalising the preliminary report,” said
ASI additional director-general B.R. Mani.
One reason the
sanctuary was awarded world heritage status was that Unesco recognised it as an
exceptional example of cultural interchange. It is the place where
subcontinental Hindu architecture was introduced into Southeast Asia over 1,600
years ago and evolved for over 10 centuries. For several years now, teams from
Italy and France have been working on the site, dotted with red-brick shrines
and other structures, mainly built in the Indian architectural style of Shikhara
(tapering towers).
“Our (Indian)
help has been sought because we have expertise in Indian architecture,” said an
official of the ASI, which has undertaken the project under the foreign
ministry’s directions. “We will be working on only one portion of the
sanctuary.”
The restoration
is expected to be a part of next week’s scheduled bilateral talks with the
Vietnamese President in India. The temples at the
sanctuary, set in a valley surrounded by high mountains, were built by the Cham
rulers, who established the Champa kingdom towards the end of the 2nd century AD
and soon came under the influence of Hinduism.
Most of the shrines are
Shiva temples
though some are dedicated to other deities. The earliest is dedicated to
Bhadresvara (Shiva), a name that derives from that of the Cham king Bhadravarman.
“The peak
construction time was between the 8th and 10th centuries, when some of the most
magnificent monuments came up here,” the ASI official said. For
conservationists, the challenge is that much of the construction technique of
the Cham dynasty’s workers is still a mystery. Even the decorative carvings on
the temples were cut directly onto the bricks themselves, rather than onto
sandstone slabs inserted into the brick walls.
From AD 1190 to
1220, the Champa kingdom was occupied by the Khmers. From the 13th century, it
slowly declined and was absorbed by the growing power of Dai Viet. It ceased to
exist as a kingdom in the later 15th century, when worship ceased at My Son. The
site was rediscovered and introduced to the modern world in 1898 by a French
scholar, M.C. Paris.
(source:
ASI to help restore Hindu temples damaged in US bombing
- telegraphindia.com ).
For the rest of the chapter go
to the links below
Ethereal
Prambanan Part 1
Ethereal
Prambanan Part 3
Top
of Page
|
