An Introduction to Javanese Temples
Temples comprise a significant part of the tangible historical remains that we have pre-dating the 16th C. As houses of worship to the highest being(s) they were built of stone when most other construction, even royal palaces were made of perishable materials. These temples and their foundation deeds contain information about Javanese history, religion and its practice and even daily life. Not all of this information is immediately visible to the naked eye, and we owe this knowledge to the scholars who have researched this over the past two centuries.
On Java,
temples were built between the 5th and the 15th Centuries.
Depending on the time of construction and the patron, temples were built either
to honour Hindu, Sivaite or Buddhist dieties. Early examples followed Indian
prototypes but over time an purely Javanese style developed which incorporated
changes in ritual and building styles. The evolution is seen both in the
architectural construction and in ornament. Generally, the architecture of
Buddhist temples underwent continuous changes - the architecture of Hindu
temples was over time transformed into a Javanese style, that was then followed
for the remainder of the time Hindu temples were built. Temples were constructed
at the orders of a patron, often this was the King, but he could also be a local
dignitary. For this reason the majority of temples are found close to the centre
of power.
The earliest
temples, of which no direct remains are left were built in the kingdom of
Tarumanagara (near Jakarta on West Java), later construction moved to Central
Java where through the 6th - 9th Centuries the Sanjaya and
Sailendra dynasties ruled on - respectively - the North and Southern segments of
Central Java. The former dynasty was Hindu, and the latter Buddhist. This
explains the existence of contemporary Hindu and Buddhist monuments on Central
Java. In the 10th C the centre of power shifted to East Java. The
ruling kingdoms through the early 13th C were likely not very
powerful or affluent as there is little evidence of temple construction during
these centuries. The consolidation of political power under the Singosari
dynasty (1222 - 1292) changed this, and temple construction gained a new impetus
to continue to flourish though the Majapahit (1293 - 1530) era. Temple
construction came to an end with the conquest of Java for Islam. Surviving Hindu
communities built temples through as late as the 15th C. Thus, hidden
high up Gunung Kelud near Blitar we find a Candi Gambar, and Candi Ceto near
Solo lies equally secluded. The craftmanship of temple onstruction was in many
places applied to built monuments to Islam, and one of the most famous examples
of this is the Menara Kudus in the city of the same name just outside of
Semarang on the North Coast.
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