The 2 KALINGAs of my LIFE

Dr. Uday Dokras

Sometimes Geography decides the harmony between people and precipates a peaceful future
in their society and culture. This is a Tale of one such happening in Indonesia in the Kalingaa
Kingdom. Kalinga, is an ancient legendary Indian kingdom. In the epic Mahabharata, it is
mentioned that Kalingas assisted Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War as Duryodhana's wife
belonged to Kalinga. The 8th century CE Shailendra dynasty of Java likely originated
from Kalinga and the dynasty was also powerful in Cambodia and Champa(Annam)
region. Maritime Trade History of Kalinga

Indian western coast was trading with Arabs, Greeks & Romans, the eastern coast was doing
this with South East Asia & China. A good maritime trade requires (a) inland water transport
(b) coastal transport (c) overseas transport. From Maurya rule in 4th century B.C. till 15th
C.Kalinga provided all and thus was an important maritime kingdom which had seafaring
activities. Trading in spices, diamonds, elephants, ivory, paper, betel nuts, fine textiles and
fabrics. It was known as Calingae, Holing, Kiling in different languages. Kalinga kingdom
was ruled by Mahameghavahana dynasty, Kharavela(193 to 170 B.C) their 3rd king was the
most powerful. Under him, Maritime traded was going on with Simhala (Sri Lanka), Burma,
Siam (Thailand), Kambhoj (Cambodia), Samudra (Sumatra) and Jabadwipa (Java) The
bloody war with Asoka also forced the migration of the Kalingans to their trading locations.
And, while Winner Write History made Asoka the Great Asoka, Kharavela was forgotten
only to be reknown post-Hathigumpha Inscription. But a seed of Maritime trade was planted
by him

The Hathi Connection

Hathi is the Hindi word for elephant. The Hathi Connection is quite interesting, today
Srilanka is known for their Elephants, but for centuries Ceylon used to purchase elephants

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from India, mainly from Kalinga. Just like Goa, under the Portuguese, became a special port
for the war horse-trade. Kalinga had ‘Gajapati’,’ lords of the elephants’ Vijayanagara armies
had ‘Asvapati’.

Enigma of Dantapura

Their ancient Kingdom> was derived from elephant tusk, and NOT from Buddha’s tooth, as
Asoka historians are telling you. And, did Thailand Elephants are also linked?

Kalinga seafarers (Sadhabas) used to do a 6 months journey in huge ‘Boitas’ boats <4 months
in Sea and 2 months of Trading>. Starting from early Nov (Kartik Purnima) when the
monsoon winds reverse from Cuttack (Mahanadi’s mouth place) stopping over at Andhra &
Coromandal Coast. Soon, Kalinga had colonies in Siam, Burma and Suvarnadvipa
constituting the Brihat Kalinga. The ancient name of Burma was Kalinga Rastra. Even today
Kalinga is a landlocked province in the Philippines. But there was a much deep connect with
Bali and Indonesia Râmâyana & Mahâbhârata were adopted and remain central in the shadow
and dance theatre of Java, Bali. Sanskrit was gaining traction and had brought literacy to their
courts. Dance Drama was classified as alus (refined), gagah (strong), and putri (female).

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Soon after the Construction of Jagannath Temple at Puri in the 11th Century. Sri Jagannatha
was been worshipped in Bali they have Besakih Temple on the slopes of Mount Agung.
Balinese Hindu believe that on one day called the Purnama Ke Dasa, all God’s come down to
the earth and bless them with good spirits. Baliyatra or Boita Bandana Yatra, was an oceanic
Voyage to Bali from Cuttack. Today, people light lamps before sunrise and set them afloat on
small paper boats in rivers or in the sea. Chandana yatra was perhaps introduced to impart
marine training to local youths. A Cheng Ho Chinese explorer who was almost as tall as
Vasco da Gama in his voyage expertise and navigational skills around 14th Century used to
make a more frequent trips to Bengal (Peng-ka-la) & Orissa (Wu-tieh). Soon, Portuguese,
Dutch, Danes and English would start their play. By 1540s, Portuguese came to Pipli
Balasore.

This Early Historical Period saw India forged transoceanic trade relations with Thailand,
Malaysia and islands of Java and Bali (Indonesia). Suvarnabhumi and Suvarnadvipa has
many references in our ancient Indian literature and scriptures which refers to present day
“South East Asia” and “Indonesia”, respectively
Kalingga is also the name of a 6th-century Indianized kingdom on the north coast of Central
Java, Indonesia. It was the earliest Hindu-Buddhist kingdom in Central Java, and together
with Kutai, Tarumanagara, Salakanagara, and Kandis are the oldest kingdoms in Indonesian
history. The merchant Kaundinya I, who became the co-founder of the Funan kingdom
(centered in modern Cambodia) after he married the local Nāga princess Soma also has his
origins from the ancient Kalinga region.
The archaeological findings and historical records from this period are scarce, and the exact
location of S.E.Asian kingdom's capital is unknown. It is thought to be somewhere between
present-day Pekalongan or Jepara. A place named Keling subdistrict is found in northern
coast of Jepara Regency, however some archaeological findings near Pekalongan and Batang
regency shows that Pekalongan was an ancient port, suggests that Pekalongan might be an
altered name of Pe-Kaling-an. Kalingga existed between the 6th and 7th centuries, and it was
one of the earliest Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms established in Java. The historical record of this
kingdom is scarce and vague, and comes mostly from Chinese sources and local traditions.
Kalingga appeared in the 5th century which is thought to be located in the north of Central
Java. Information about the Kalingga Kingdom is obtained from inscriptions and records
from China. In 752, the Kalingga Kingdom became Sriwijaya's conquered territory because
this kingdom was part of a trading network, along with the Dharmasraya and Tarumanagara
Kingdoms which Srivijaya had previously conquered. The three kingdoms became strong
competitors of the Srivijaya-Buddhist trading network.

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 The map of Hindu-Buddhist kingdom of Kalingga , circa 6th to 7th century CE. Located
somewhere on the north coast of Central Java, Indonesia./Image of person from Kalingga/Java
from the Gujin Tushu Jicheng by Chen Menglei

The Chinese sources come from China and date back to the Tang Dynasty. In book 222 of
the New history of the T’ang dynasty (618–906), it is stated that:
Ka-ling is also called Djava, it is situated in the southern ocean, at the east of Sumatra and at
the west of Bali. At its south it has the sea and towards the north lies Cambodja. In Role of
Kalinga in the Process of Ancient Indian Colonization in South-East Asia, Dr. Benudhar Patra the
author claims that the expansion of Kalinga, politically and culturally, into the lands so

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mentioned, was really a great contribution of that land to the civilization of the East.
Spreading Hinduism and Buddhism, Indian literature and art, and still more, infusing the
Indian blood into various parts of the Asiatic hemisphere, Kalinga had greatly advanced the
movement for Greater India.
1.Bali Jatra is celebrated in Odisha on Kartik Purnima (full Moon day of Kartik Month)
suggesting strong historical ties between Odisha and Bali.
2. Sambhalpuri style of weaving, tie and dye has influenced Patola style in Bali
3. Siva, Vishnu and Garuda are major dieties in Bali
4. A section of Balinese Brahmins call themselves Brahmin-Boudha-Kalinga
5. Lord Jagannath i smentioned in one of the Balinese prayers
6. Festival of Masakapam Kapesih in Bali with belief that one is going to his/her
homeland in Kalinga

The Source Of The History Of The Kalingga Kingdom Or Ho-ling

Candi
Angin

Long before Indonesia was born, one of the kingdoms that once ruled parts of Java was the
Kalingga kingdom. The kingdom of Kalingga is a Hindu-style kingdom that began to develop
around the 7th century AD. Another name for this kingdom is Ho-ling. There are several
historical sources of the Kalingga kingdom which are used as research references for its
existence.
According to Agus Aris Munandar in Kaladesa Early History of the Archipelago, in the early
period of history up to 700 AD the historical sources of the archipelago mainly came from
China or China.

Historical sources of the Kalingga kingdom or Ho-ling · Tuk Mas inscription

This inscription with the letters Palawa and Sanskrit was found on the western slopes of
Gurung Merapi, precisely in Lebak Village, Grabag District, Magelang Regency,

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 Central Java. In it, there is praise paid to springs that emerge from crevices in the rock
like the Ganges — a river in India.

· Sojomerto inscription
The Sojomerto inscription was found in Sojomerto Village, Reban District, Batang
Regency, Central Java. Unlike the Tuk Mas inscription, this inscription uses the kawi
letters and the language in Old Malay. The content of this inscription is a story about
Dapunta Syailendra's family or dynasty. According to Prof. Drs. Boechari, Dapunta
Syailendra were the forerunners of the kings who descended from the Syailendra House.

· Chinese news from the Tang Dynasty

In this Chinese news, it is mentioned about the existence of the Holing kingdom, which
is located in Cho-Po (Java). The Holing Kingdom is another name for the Kalingga
kingdom.

· News from I-Tsing, a Buddhist priest from China.

In the Chinese news, in the same century or adjacent to the century where the Tarumanegara
kingdom was founded, it is known that there were other kingdoms in Java. The mention of
Ho-ling is often equated with She-po (Cho-po) or Javanese.

According to WP Groeneveldt's opinion in Nusantara in Chinese Notes, there are two

versions of the Tang Dynasty record that mention Ho-ling. First, the Old History of the Tang
Dynasty (618-907), but this record is considered to be incorrect. The second is the New
History of the Tang Dynasty, this record contains information that is considered more
complete, especially regarding Java.

"The Javanese name has begun to replace the name Ka-ling," wrote Groeneveldt.

Regarding historical sources, there are several differences of opinion regarding the location
of the Kalingga kingdom. Based on the Chinese news of the Tang dynasty, Kalingga was
called She-o. It is located on the north coast of Java Island.

Another opinion came from JL Moens. He said, Kalingga is located on the Malay Peninsula.
Similar to the opinion of the news from China, WP Meyer argued that the Kalingga kingdom
was located in Central Java.

Talking about the territory, the kingdom of Kalingga is estimated to control the north coast in
Central Java to the hinterland in the south. The center of government is thought to have
existed in several areas, namely Jepara, Pekalongan, or the Dieng mountains.

Queen Shima and the Kalingga kings

Based on the Sojomerto inscription, the founder of the Kalingga kingdom was Dapunta
Syailendra. The first king of the Kalingga kingdom was Prabhu Wasumurti. He headed
Kalingga in 594-605 AD

After that, he was replaced by Prabhu Wasugeni with a reign from 605 to 632 AD Prabhu
Wasugeni was the father of Queen Shima or Dewi Wasuwari. The female king who brought
the Kalingga kingdom to the pinnacle of glory.

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Queen Shima has been in power since 674 AD Before her, there were several kings who led
the Kalingga kingdom, including Prabhu Wasudewa, Prabhu Wasukawi, and Prabhu
Kirathasingha.

Queen Shima took the throne to replace her deceased husband, Prabhu Kirathasingha. Queen
Shima succeeded in bringing the Kalingga kingdom to the pinnacle of glory.

He is known as a very strict leader. Because of his assertiveness, if there were items lying on
the road, no one would dare to take them.

Once upon a time, there was a king who was curious about this. He is King Da-zi. To satisfy
his curiosity, King Da-zi sent a bag containing money.

The bag is simply placed on the border of the Kalingga kingdom. The people who saw the
bag just passed by. Nobody dared to touch it. The bag remains in the same location for up to
three years.

Then, at one point the crown prince accidentally touched the bag containing the money.
Queen Sima was furious that she wanted to kill him, even though he was her own son.

The ministers then prevented this. Queen Shima then wanted to cut off the child's leg because
Kakin was the one who was guilty. The ministers prevented it again.

Queen Shima finally decided to cut off the crown prince's big toe. Queen Shima's stern
attitude that is indiscriminate is an example for her people. Queen Shima's assertiveness
finally made King Da-zi feel afraid to attack the Kalingga kingdom.

Kalingga royal relics 1. Tuk Mas inscription

As mentioned earlier, this inscription was found in Magelang Regency, Central Java, to be
precise on the western slope of Mount Merapi. The Tuk Mas inscription contains information
about clear and clean springs.

The river resulting from the flow of the spring is likened to the Ganges River, one of the holy
rivers for Hindus located in India. In the inscription there are also pictures, such as a class
frame, jug, trident, lotus flower, chakra, and ax.

2. Sojomerto inscription
The Sojomerjo inscription has a Shiva religious character. This inscription contains the
family story of the main character Dapunta Syailendra, namely his father named Santanu, his
mother named Bhadrawati, and his wife named Sampula.

3. Bubrah Temple
This temple is found in Tempur Village, Keling District, Jepara Regency, Central Java. This
temple shows that in ancient times the northern coast of Central Java developed a Shiva-style
Hindu kingdom.

4. Temple of the Wind

Like Bubrah Temple, this temple is also characterized by Shiva and its location is in Tempur
Village, Keling District, Jepara Regency, Central Java.

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 The glory of the Kalingga kingdom and its downfall STORY of Queen SHIMA

It has been mentioned that the Kalingga kingdom met its heyday when it was led by Queen
Shima. Then, what is the meaning of that heyday?

When Queen Shima took the lead, the Kalingga kingdom had progressed in various fields,
such as military, economy, trade, religion and agriculture.

At that time, the Kalingga kingdom even had trade relations with China. One of the pillars of
the progress of the commercial sector is the existence of the largest port of the Kalingga
kingdom which is located in Pekalongan.

In Continuity And Change: Tradition of Islamic Thought in Java (2006: 36), it is stated that
the port in Pekalongan has a very big role for the Kalingga kingdom to subdue the hegemony
of the Tarumanegara kingdom.

Queen Shima's reign is 21 years. When led by Queen Shima, the Kalingga kingdom became
the only large kingdom whose location was in the central part of Java Island and controlled
the north coast.

Queen Shima is known as a strong leader, but respects differences. At that time, Kalingga
was a kingdom that protected adherents of other religions, such as Buddhism and Muslims
from the Middle East who came to the region to trade.

After Queen Shima died in 695 AD, the Kalingga kingdom began to weaken. In 752 AD, the
kingdom collapsed. Based on the Hindu Budha Culture and Kingdom in Indonesia (2018),
one of the causes of the collapse of the Kalingga kingdom was an attack from the Srivijaya
kingdom on the island of Sumatra.

After the collapse of the Kalingga kingdom, the Medang kingdom or ancient Mataram as it
was often called became the kingdom, whose center of government had moved to the eastern
part of Java. It was one of the kingdoms that became the rulers of Java at that time.

The Ekpada of ORISSA

Ekapada refers to a one-footed aspect of the Hindu god Shiva. This aspect is primarily found
in South India and Orissa, but also occasionally in Rajasthan and Nepal. The Ekapada is
primarily represented in three iconographical forms. In the Ekapada-murti ("one-footed
icon") form, he is depicted as one-legged and four-armed. In the Ekapada-Trimurti ("one-
footed Trinity") form, he is depicted with the torsos of the deities Vishnu and Brahma, which
together with Shiva form the Hindu Trinity (Trimurti) emanating from his sides, waist
upwards and with one leg; however, sometimes, besides the central one leg of Shiva, two
smaller legs of Vishnu and Brahma emerge from the sides. While some scriptures also call
the latter configuration Ekapada-Trimurti, some refer it to as Tripada-Trimurti ("three-footed
Trinity"). In Orissa, where Ekapada is considered an aspect of Bhairava—the fearsome aspect
of Shiva—the iconography of Ekapada-murti becomes more fierce, with motifs of blood

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sacrifice. This aspect is called Ekapada Bhairava ("one-footed Bhairava" or "the one-footed
fierce one").
The Ekapada form of Shiva originated from the Vedic deity Aja Ekapada or Ajaikapada, a
name that Ekapada Bhairava still inherits. Ekapada represents the Axis Mundi (cosmic pillar
of the universe) and portrays Shiva as the Supreme Lord, from whom Vishnu and Brahma
originate. Ekapada is often accompanied by ascetic attendants, whose presence emphasizes
his connection to severe penance.

Ekapada Bhairava in Chausathi Jogini Temple, Hirapur, Odisha/ No where do we see Ekpada
temples in Indonesia let alone two legged Trimurthy

This plain lay in the Kingdom of the which as we mentioned was located between present-
day Pekalongan and Jepara. That is one reason why there is a blend of Hindu and Buddhist
temples in this area. The kingdom was described as being surrounded by wooden fortresses,
with the King residing in a multiple storied palace covered with a roof made of the leaves of
Arengga pinata trees. The kingdom exported silver, gold and elephant tusks. The Kalingga
kingdom was very orderly and serene, and led by Queen Sima. It was a center of Buddhist
studies and practice, and the Chinese came to Kalingga to study Buddhism, which around that
time became the official religion in China. Two temples remain from the Kalingga
Kingdom: Candi Angin and Candi Bubrah in Tempur Village, the present day Jepara.

The archaeological findings and historical records from this period are scarce, and the
exact location of kingdom's capital is unknown. It is thought to be somewhere between
present-day Pekalongan or Jepara. A place named Keling subdistrict is found in northern
coast of Jepara Regency, however some archaeological findings near Pekalongan and Batang
regency shows that Pekalongan was an ancient port, suggests that Pekalongan might be an
altered name of Pe-Kaling-an. Kalingga existed between the 6th and 7th centuries, and it was
one of the earliest Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms established in Java. The historical record of this
kingdom is scarce and vague, and comes mostly from Chinese sources and local traditions.

In the 15th–16th century the small city of Pekalongan emerged as a corridor for
communication between two powerful sultanates centred near Java’s northern coast: Cirebon,
to the west, and Demak, to the east. In the 17th century the regency of Pekalongan came

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under control of the Mataram sultanate of south-central Java. When Mataram lost power in
the 18th century, it granted Pekalongan to the Dutch East India Company. In 1753 the Dutch
built a fort in Pekalongan city. The fort became a prison in the 19th century and was used as
an internment centre during the Japanese occupation (1942–45) of Java during World War II.
The structure has continued to function as a penitentiary in the 21st century. Today the
Pekalongan, (city) is the capital of the kabupaten (regency), Central Java (Jawa Tengah)
situated on the northern coastal plain of the island of Java.

Toiday Pekalongan Harbour, which lies within the city limits, is one of the principal fishing
ports on Java, and the city itself is home to one of the island’s largest fresh-fish markets.
Pekalongan city is also recognized as a major centre of batik production.

HISTORY

The Tukmas inscription was estimated to be originated from Kalingga period. It was
discovered on the western slope of Mount Merapi, at Dusun Dakawu, Lebak village,
Kecamatan Grabag, Magelang Regency, Central Java, and is written in Pallava
script in Sanskrit tells about a clear spring water that is so sacred that adored as the analogue
of holy Ganges's source in India. The inscription also bears Hindu signs and imageries, such
as trisula, kamandalu (water jar), parashu (axe), kalacengkha (shell), chakra and padma (red
lotus), those are symbols of Hindu gods.
Another inscription dated from around the same period is Sojomerto inscription, discovered
in Sojomerto village, Kecamatan Reban, Batang Regency, Central Java. It is written in Kavi
script in Old Malay language, estimated dated from 7th century. The inscription tell about a
ruler named Dapunta Selendra, son of Santanu and Bhadrawati, and husband of Sampula.
Indonesian historian Prof. Drs. Boechari suggested that Dapunta Selendra was the ancestor
of Sailendras that later rule in Mataram Kingdom.
Both inscriptions suggest that c. 7th century on the northern coast of Central Java, once
flourish a Hindu Shivaist kingdom, today identified as Kalingga kingdom. Some oldest
Javanese candis are also can be found in mountainous surrounding areas on northern Central
Java, such as the Hindu temples of Dieng Plateau, and Gedong Songo temples, but they are
probably built in later period, during the early Mataram Kingdom. Historian suggested that
there was a link between this old kingdom with later kingdom flourish in Southern Central
Java Kedu Plain, the Sailendra of Mataram Kingdom.

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The Chinese sources come from China and date back to the Tang Dynasty. According to the
Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing, in 664 a Chinese Buddhist monk named Huining had arrived
in Heling and stayed there for about three years. During his stay, and with the assistance of
Jnanabhadra, a Heling monk, he translated numerous Buddhist Hinayana scriptures.
In 674 the kingdom was ruled by Queen Shima, notorious for her fierce law against thievery,
which encouraged her people to be honest and uphold absolute truth. According to tradition,
one day a foreign king placed a bag filled with gold on the intersection in Kalingga to test the
famed truthful and honesty of Kalingga people. Nobody dared to touch the bag that did not
belong to them, until three years later when Shima's son, the crown prince, accidentally
touched the bag with his foot. The queen issued a death sentence to her own son, but was
over-ruled by a minister that appealed the queen to spare the prince's life. Since it was the
prince's foot that touched the bag of gold, so it was the foot that must be punished through
mutilation. According to Carita Parahyangan, a book composed in later period,
Shima's great-grandson is Sanjaya, who is the king of Sunda Kingdom and Galuh Kingdom,
and also the founder of Mataram Kingdom.
Between 742 and 755, the kingdom had moved further east from the Dieng Plateau, perhaps
in response to the Buddhist Sailendras
The Buddhist king Panangkaran who ruled the Medang Kingdom started the construction of
the great Manjusrigrha Temple (‘House of Manjushri’, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom), which is
the original name of the Sewu Temple complex, the second largest Buddhist complex in
Indonesia after Borobudur, with 249 buildings.
Archaeologists believe the original name for the temple compound to be Manjusrigrha
which is Sewu an eighth century Mahayana Buddhist temple located 800 metres north
of Prambanan in Central Java, Indonesia. The word for a Hindu or Buddhist
temple in Indonesian is "candi," hence the common name is "Candi Sewu." Candi Sewu is the
second largest Buddhist temple complex in Indonesia; Borobudur is the largest. Sewu
predates nearby "Loro Jonggrang" temple at Prambanan. Although the complex consists of
249 temples, this Javanese name translates to 'a thousand temples,' which originated from
popular local folklore (The Legend of Loro Jonggrang). Sewu is an eighth
century Mahayana Buddhist temple located 800 metres north of Prambanan in Central
Java, Indonesia. The word for a Hindu or Buddhist temple in Indonesian is "candi," hence the
common name is "Candi Sewu." Candi Sewu is the second largest Buddhist temple complex
in Indonesia; Borobudur is the largest. Sewu predates nearby "Loro Jonggrang" temple at
Prambanan. Although the complex consists of 249 temples, this Javanese name translates to
'a thousand temples,' which originated from popular local folklore (The Legend of Loro
Jonggrang). Archaeologists believe the original name for the temple compound to
be Manjusrigrha.
According to the Kelurak inscription (dated from 782 CE) and the Manjusrigrha
inscription (dated from 792 CE), which were discovered in 1960, the original name of the
temple complex was probably "Manjusri grha" (The House of Manjusri). Manjusri is
a Bodhisattva from Mahayana Buddhist teachings that symbolizes the "gentle glory" of
transcendent wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā). Sewu Temple was built by the end of eighth century
at the end of Rakai Panangkaran's reign and was completed during the reign of his
successor, King Indra. Rakai Panangkaran (746–780 CE) was well known as a devoted
Mahayana Buddhist king who ruled the Medang Mataram Kingdom.

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Built 70 years before the Hindu Shiva temple of Prambhanan, the Manjusrigrha temple was
the largest Buddhist temple in the Prambanan Plain region and the Borobudur was completed
37 years later.
Located in the heart of Mataram, the temple served as the royal Buddhist temple of the
kingdom. Stately religious ceremonies were held here regularly. The Manjusrigrha inscription
(792) praises the perfect beauty of the prasada (tower) of this temple compound.
The Bubrah temple, (read later in this paper) is located several hundred meters south, and
the Gana temple, located is ob east of the Sewu temple. Both these are supposedlyguardian
temples for the Manjusrigrha complex, guarding the four cardinal directions around the Sewu
temple. Prior to the construction of Borobudur and Prambanan, Sewu likely served as the
kingdom's main temple. The temples are arranged in the mandala layout, which symbolizes
the universe in Buddhist cosmology.

CONSTRUCTION

Manjusrigrha inscription (792 CE), discovered in 1960 at the outer west perwara temple no. 202 (row 4 no.
37) of Sewu Buddhist temple.
Sewu temple was probably expanded and completed during the rule of Rakai Pikatan, a
prince who married a Buddhist princess from the Sailendra dynasty, Pramodhawardhani.
Most of his subjects retained their old religions after the court returned to favour Hinduism.
The proximity of the Sewu temple to Prambanan, a Hindu Temple, suggests that the Hindu
and Buddhist communities lived in harmony during the era in which the temples were built.
And the scale of the temple complex suggests that Candi Sewu was a royal Buddhist temple
that served as an important religious site.

MATARAM & KAALINGA KINGDOMS

Though later on historically the area was identified as Mataram,this region was the center of
both the Medang i Bhumi Mataram kingdom in the 8th to 10th centuries, and later
the Mataram Sultanate in the 16th century. It has been an important location in Central
Javanese history and culture for over a millennium since it contains many ancient

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archaeological remnants of historic significance. If each temple structure was counted
separately, the 9th century Central Java period could be said to have produced thousands of
temples, scattered from Dieng Plateau, Kedu Plain to Kewu Plain.
Apart from the Prambanan complex, Kewu Plain along with the valley and hills around it is
the location of some of the earliest Hindu-Buddhist temples in Indonesia. Adjacent to the
complex to the north are Bubrah temple, Lumbung temple, and Sewu temple; to the east are
found Plaosan temple. Kalasan temple and Sari temple are to the west, and further is
the Sambisari temple. The Ratu Boko compounds are on higher ground just to the south. The
discoveries of archaeological sites scattered only a few miles away suggested that this area
was once an important religious, political, and urban center of central Java. Despite the
smaller scale of its temples, the diversity and sophistication of the archaeological sites in this
plain are comparable to Angkor archaeological site in Cambodia. Borobudur and Prambanan
in particular, are popularly regarded as the two Indonesian temples to rival Angkor Wat in
Cambodia.
In 2012, the Balai Pelestarian Peninggalan Purbakala Jawa Tengah (BP3, or the Central
Java Heritage Preservation Authority) suggested that the area in and around Prambanan
should be treated as a sanctuary. The proposed area is in the Prambanan Plain measuring
measured 30 square kilometres (12 sq mi) spread across the Sleman and Klaten regencies.
The area includes major temples such as Prambanan, Ratu Boko, Kalasan, Sari and Plaosan
temples. The sanctuary is planned to be treated in a similar fashion to the Angkor
archaeological area in Cambodia, which suggests that the government should prevent or
regulate permits to construct any new buildings, especially the multi-storied buildings, as
well as BTS towers. This was meant to protect this archaeologically-rich area from modern
day visual obstructions and the encroachments of hotels, restaurants and any tourism-related
buildings and businesses. There are a number of temples in this area- both Hindu and
Buddhist:

Shiva temple, the main temple at Prambanan temple complex rising 47m high (130 feet)and measures 34m x 34m at its
base. The main temple houses the statue of Shiva Mahadewa, Ganesha, Durga Mahisashuramardhini, and Agastya on
each chamber of cardinal points. On the far right is stood Wishnu temple. Around the ballustrade of the Shiva temple

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adorned with panels of bas reliefs narating the story from Ramayana. This ninth century temple complex was build by
Hindu Mataram Kingdom.

 Kalasan. According to Kalasan inscription it is the oldest temple built in the plain. This
early 8th century Buddhist temple built to honor female bodhisattva Tara.
 Sari. Once a sanctuary or monastery for Buddhist priests. 8th century. Nine stupas at the
top with two rooms beneath, each believed to be places for priests to meditate.
 Ratu Boko. Complex of fortified gates, bathing pools, and elevated walled stone
enclosure, all located on top of the hill south of Prambanan.
 Lumbung. Buddhist-style, consisting of one main temple surrounded by 16 smaller ones.
 Bubrah. Buddhist temple related to nearby Sewu temple.
 Sewu. This Buddhist temple complex is older than Prambanan temple. The original name
of this temple is Manjusrigrha and it was a royal buddhist temple of the kingdom. A main
sanctuary surrounded by many smaller temples. Well preserved guardian statues, replicas
of which stand in the central courtyard at the Jogja Kraton.
 Prambanan. A large compound of 9th century Shivaic Trimurti Hindu temple. The
construction of grand Hindu temple was probably the sign that Hinduism once again gain
royal patronage of Medang kings.
Plaosan. Buddhist, probably 9th century. Thought to have been built by a Hindu king for his
Buddhist queen. Two main temples with reliefs of Bodhisattva and Tara. Also rows of
slender stupas

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Sojiwan. Buddhist temple decorated with reliefs concerning education. The base and staircase
are decorated with animal fables. Sojiwan was probably the mortuary temple for a buddhist
queen, Sang Sanjiwana or Pramodhawardhani.

 Banyunibo. A Buddhist temple with unique design of roof.

 Barong. A Hindu temple complex with large stepped stone courtyard. Located on the
slope of the hill not far from Banyunibo and Ratu Boko.
 Ijo. A cluster of Hindu temple located near the top of Ijo hill. The main temple houses a
large lingam and yoni.
 Arca Bugisan. Seven Buddha and bodhisattva statues, some collapsed, representing
different poses and expressions.
 Gebang. A small Hindu temple discovered in 1937 located near the Yogyakarta northern
ring-road. The temple display the statue of Ganesha and interesting carving of faces on
the roof section.
 Gana. Rich in statues, bas-reliefs and sculpted stones. Frequent representations of
children or dwarfs with raised hands. Located in the middle of housing complex. Under
restoration since 1997.
 Sambisari. Discovered in 1966, this Hindu temple was buried in volcanic lahar 4m deep.
A main temple housen a large linggam and yoni with three smaller temple at the front.
 Kedulan. Discovered in 1994 by sand diggers, 4m deep. Square base of main temple
visible. Secondary temples not yet fully excavated. This temple shared similar design and
style with Sambisari.
 Morangan. Hindu temple complex buried several meters under volcanic ashes, located
northwest from Prambanan.
 Pustakasala. Discovered in 2009 buried in Indonesia Islamic University ground. Together
with Morangan these temple is the northernmost of temples discovered in this area.

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Stupas overlook the Kedu Plain

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