WALKING THROUGH THE CIVILIZATION HERITAGE

THE TEMPLES THAT STOOD IN THE WHOLE LAND OF THIS ARCHIPELAGO IS NOT JUST A  PILE OF STONES WITHOUT MEANING, BUT IT WAS BUILT TO REMIND PEOPLE FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION HOW HUMAN CIVILIZATION HAS REACHED A CERTAIN STAGE TIME AT THAT TIME. AS WE ALL KNOW, THE TEMPLES ARE ALSO BUILT BASED ON INTELLECTUAL CONSIDERATIONS CONTAINING HIGH PHILOSOPHY TO REPRESENT CULTURAL WORKS ON SUCH ERA.

ALTHOUGH INDONESIA HAS JUST GETTING ITS INDEPENDENCE 69 YEARS AGO, ACTUALLY THIS NATION HAS BEEN EXISTED A LONG TIME BEFORE, AND COULD EVEN EXISTED BEFORE ANOTHER NATIONS. THESE ARTIFACTS ARE MONUMENTAL FACTS THAT ARE NOT ONLY AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL BUT ALSO ABLE TO TELL THE STORIES OF A NATION ENDLESSLY. FROM SIMILARITY WEATHER, GEOGRAPHICAL, FLORA AND FAUNA AND THE FINDINGS OF SO MANY ARTIFACTS, THERE ARE ALSO SAYINGS ABOUT HOW THIS NATION COULD BE THE PLATO'S - LOST ATLANTIS , REALLY ?.........ONLY TIME WILL BRING THE ANSWER.

 GUNUNG PADANG MEGALITHIC SITE
FINDING THE ANSWER TO THE MYSTERIOUS MONUMENT

IN 1914, A SITE WAS MENTIONED IN RAPPORTEN VAN DE OUDHEIDKUNDIGE DIENST (ROD, “REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANTIQUITIES). THIS SITE, HAS ALSO BEEN MENTIONED BY N.J. KROM, A DUTCH HISTORIAN, IN 1949. FINALLY IN 1979, SOME EMPLOYEES OF THE NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY RESEARCH CENTRE ALSO VISITED  THIS SITE FOR STUDY PURPOSE. AFTER THAT, THE STUDY SEEMS TO BE FORGOTTEN AND DISAPPEAR WITH A LEGEND STORY OF THE GREATNESS.

RECENTLY, IN 2013 AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL TEAM FROM JAKARTA NAMED THE INDEPENDENT RESEARCH INTEGRATED MOUNT PADANG TEAM, TOGETHER WITH UNIVERSITY OF INDONESIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL TEAM, PUBLISHED THEIR  SURVEY RESULT  SINCE 2011 ABOUT THE SITE MENTIONED. THIS SITE, HAPPENS TO BE A GREATNESS HERITAGE SITE, WHICH MAKING IT A VERY SURPRISING FINDING WITH A NEW FACTS FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORLD.

THIS WONDER SITE NAMED GUNUNG PADANG, THE OLDEST  MEGALITHIC SITE IN THE WORLD AND THE LARGEST IN ALL OF SOUTHEAST ASIA REGION.

ERECTED AT 885 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL. THIS SITE COVERS A HILL IN A SERIES OF TERRACE, BORDERED BY RETAINING WALLS OF STONES THAT ARE ACCESSED BY ABOUT 400 SUCCESSIVE ANDESITE  STEPS, RISING ABOUT 95 METERS. IT IS COVERED WITH MASSIVE RECTANGULAR STONES OF VOLCANIC ORIGIN.

THE SITE LOCATED BETWEEN THE CAPITAL CITY OF JAKARTA  AND TOWN OF SUKABUMI  IS AT KARYAMUKTI VILLAGE – CEMPAKA DISTRICT ,CIANJUR REGENCY, WEST JAVA PROVINCE , INDONESIA . SURROUNDED BY SOME VILLAGES WHICH NAME CIMANGGU, CIWANGUN, , CIPAGULAKAN THAT ALSO LOCATED JUST 6 KM FROM LAMPEGAN RAILWAY STATION, WHERE TRANSPORTATION FACILITY CAN BE A SIMPLE ALTERNATIVE TO ACCESS.

WHAT’S SO SURPRISING ABOUT THE GUNUNG PADANG FINDING IS THE AGE OF IT. BASED ON VARIOUS DATING TECHNIQUES, GUNUNG PADANG IS MOST LIKELY COMPLETED AROUND 5000 BC, AND QUITE LIKELY, MUCH EARLIER. THERE ARE EVEN PRELIMINARY INDICATIONS THAT THE HILL SITE MIGHT BE AN ANCIENT PYRAMID CONSTRUCTION.

GUNUNG PADANG MEANS MOUNT AND PADANG, PADANG CAME FROM SUNDANESE ACRONYMS NAMELY PA MEANS PLACE, DA MEANS GREAT AND HYANG MEANS GOD OR ANCESTOR, GUNUNGPADANG =  MOUNT AS A GREAT PLACE FOR THE ANCESTORS.

ACCORDING TO SUNDANESE PEOPLE LEGEND THEY CONSIDER THIS PLACE AS SACRED. LIKE THEIR MYTH THAT THEY BELIEVE, THIS SITE IS THE RESULT OF PRABU SILIWANGI’S  ( THE KING OF SUNDANESE  KINGDOM OF PAJAJARAN ) ATTEMPT TO BUILD A PALACE IN ONE NIGHT. HE  WAS BUILD  AND DESIGN THIS MONUMENT WITH THE PUNDEN BERUNDAK  OR HALL OF TERRACE FACES NORTH-WEST TO GUNUNG GEDE OR MOUNT GEDE,  FOR THE PURPOSE OF WORSHIPPING MEANWHILE THE MONUMENT PLACED ON THE POSITION THAT HAS BEEN KNOWN HAVE A GEOMANTIC AND ASTROLOGICAL FACTORS.

ACCORDING SURVEY DATAS REFERENCE FROM WIKIPEDIA, THIS SURVEY CONDUCTED IN 2012 SHOWED THE FOLLOWING :

THE SITE WAS DATED 6,500 YEARS BP (BEFORE PRESENT) BY CARBON RADIOMETRIC DATING AT 3–4 METRES BELOW THE SURFACE (12,500 YEARS AT 8 TO 10 METRES BELOW THE SURFACE), AND THE ARTIFACTS AT THE SURFACE DATE TO ABOUT 4,800 YEARS BP.

BASED ON GEOELECTRIC. GEORADAR, AND GEOMAGNETIC TESTING, AT LEAST UP TO 15 METRES FROM THE SURFACE THERE IS CONSTRUCTION WITH LARGE CHAMBERS.

UNLIKE THE SOUTH SIDE WITH ITS 5 STONE TERRACES, THE EAST SIDE HAS 100 STONE TERRACES WITH WIDTH AND HEIGHT OF 2X2 METRES. THE WEST SIDE ALSO HAS STONE TERRACES BUT IS STILL COVERED BY SOIL AND BUSH, AND THE NORTH SIDE HAS, IN ADDITION TO A 1.5 METRE-WIDE STAIR, TERRACES ALSO.

THE SITE AREA IS APPROXIMATELY 25 HECTARES, IN CONTRAST FOR EXAMPLE TO BOROBUDUR TEMPLE, WHICH OCCUPIES ONLY 1.5 HECTARES.

WALL-SIDE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TERRACES IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF MACHU PICCHU IN PERU

MACHU PICCHU SITES IN PERU

ANOTHER SURVEY USED GSSI GEORADAR, MULTI-CHANNEL SUPERSTING R-8 AND GEOMAGNET GEM-OVENHAUSSER 
FOUND THAT ;

THERE ARE STRUCTURES BEYOND THE MOUNT PADANG STRUCTURE.

CARBON DATING BY BETA ANALYTIC OF MIAMI, FLORIDA AT AN AREA BETWEEN 3 AND 12 METERS SUGGESTS THE STRUCTURE COULD IN FACT DATE TO AS OLD AS 16,000 YEARS  BP.

IN THE 2013 SURVEY ALSO MENTION ;

THE STRUCTURE BEYOND THE MOUNT PADANG STRUCTURE IS OLDER THAN THE UPPER STRUCTURE. AT A DEPTH OF 1 - 4.5 METERS BY BETA ANALYTIC RADIOCARBON DATING (BETA) THE OLDER (BELOW) STRUCTURE WAS BUILT IN 4,500 BC, AND THE UPPER STRUCTURE AROUND 500 BC. AT A 4.5 METER DEPTH THERE ARE STONES WITH SPECIE CONSISTING OF 45 PERCENT FERRUM, 15 PERCENT CLAY, AND THE REST SILICA. THE SURVEYOR FOUND A 10 CENTIMETRE STEEL FRACTION.

OTHER SIMILAR MEGALITHIC SITES ARE ALSO FOUND IN SALEMBU VILLAGE - CILACAP DISTRICT, CENTRAL JAVA PROVINCE. THIS MONUMENT ALSO CAME FROM THE SAME ERA ( NEOLITHIC ) BUT IT'S LIKELY BUILT IN THE  YOUNGER PERIOD, IT CAN BE SEEN FROM THE STONE PILE DESIGN THAT USING ADVANCED LOCKING SYSTEM.

CANDI SEWU
THE TEMPLE WITH A THOUSAND PROMISES

BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF CANDI SEWU

A WORLD'S HERITAGE SITES OF CANDI SEWU OR SEWU TEMPLE MEANS A THOUSAND TEMPLES IS A BUDHA TEMPLE IS LOCATED IN DUKUH BENER , BUGISAN VILLAGE, DISTRICT OF PRAMBANAN, KLATEN REGENCY, CENTRAL JAVA PROVINCE, INDONESIA. JUST ABOUT 17 KM BETWEEN CITY OF YOGYAKARTA TO THE  CITY OF SOLO. THIS TEMPLES GROUP THAT ALSO LOCATED IN ADJACENT OF THE  CANDI PRAMBANAN A HINDU TEMPLE SITE COMPLEX  , WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 800 METERS SOUTH OF THE  FAMOUS STATUE  OF RARA JONGGRANG.

THE TEMPLE WAS PROBABLY BUILT IN THE 8TH CENTURY, ON THE ORDERS OF THE RULER OF THE MATARAM  HINDU   KINGDOM ERA AT THAT TIME, NAMELY RAKAI PANANGKARAN ( 746-784 AD) AND RAKAI PIKATAN . ALTHOUGH THE HINDU KING, THE KINGDOM OF MATARAM IN THE PAST HAD A STRONG INFLUENCE ON THE BUDDHIST SYAILENDRA DYNASTY ( A  CANDI BOROBUDUR BUILDERS DYNASTY ). EXPERTS SUSPECT THAT THE SEWU TEMPLE IS THE CENTER OF RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES OF BUDDHIST COMMUNITY. 

THE ASSUMPTION IS BASED ON THE CONTENT OF ANDESITE STONE INSCRIPTION FOUND 1960 IN ONE OF THE ANCILLARY TEMPLES. THE INSCRIPTION IS WRITTEN IN OLD JAVANESE AND IN  714 YEAR OF SAKA OR 792 AD KNOWN AS INSCRIPTION MANJUSRIGRHA OR MAJUSRI GRAHA ( IS THE ORIGINAL NAME OF THIS TEMPLE ) MEANS A HOUSE OF MANJUSRI.  MANJUSRI IS A BODHISATTVA IN MAHAYANA BUDDHIST TEACHING SYMBOLIZING THE  PRAJNA OR "GENTLE GLORY" OF TRANSCENDENT WISDOM. THE MANJUSRI IS ALSO MENTIONED IN THE INSCRIPTION KELURAK 704 YEAR OF SAKA OR 782 AD FOUND NEAR CANDI LUMBUNG ALSO IN 1960.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THIS TEMPLE ARE ​​ CANDI LUMBUNG  AND   CANDI BUBRAH AND NOT FAR FROM THE AREA THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL OTHER TEMPLES, NAMELY: CANDI GANA, ABOUT 300 M TO THE EAST, CANDI KULON APPROXIMATELY 300 M TO THE WEST, AND CANDI LOR  ABOUT 200 M TO THE NORTH.

CANDI SEWU, IS THE SECOND LARGEST BUDDHIST TEMPLE AFTER CANDI  BOROBUDUR. ALTHOUGH PEOPLE KNOWN THE CANDI PRAMBANAN  IS THE SECOND LARGEST TEMPLE IN INDONESIA,  WHICH IS A HINDU TEMPLE. MEANWHILE, NEED TO KNOW  CANDI PRAMBANAN  IS THE LARGEST HINDU TEMPLE IN THE WORLD. UNIQUELY  SHOWS THAT AT THAT TIME THE  HINDU AND BUDDHIST  PEOPLE ARE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES COEXIST IN HARMONY.UNITY IN DIVERSITY SEEMS TO HAVE EXISTED SINCE LONG TIME AGO IN THIS ARCHIPELAGO.

FOR HAVING MANY SMALL TEMPLES WHICH IS KNOWN AS CANDI PERWARA THAT SURROUNDS THE MAIN TEMPLES, THIS TEMPLE THEN KNOWN AS A THOUSAND TEMPLES. THE TOTAL ACTUAL TEMPLE WITH RECTANGULAR GROUNDS WITH THE SIZE OF 185 METER NORTH-SOUTH AND 165 METER EAST-WEST, ONLY HAS APPROXIMATELY 500 TEMPLES BUILDING. THE ENTRANCE IS FOUND ON ALL FOUR CARDINAL POINTS, HOWEVER JUDGING FROM THE LAYOUT OF THE TEMPLE COMPLEX, THE MAIN ENTRANCE IS LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE.

TWIN GURDIAN GIANT OF DVARAPALA WITH MACE 

EACH OF THE ENTRANCE WERE GUARDED BY TWIN DVARAPALA WITH MACE STATUES.THIS GIANT GUARDIAN STATUES HAVE BEEN WELL PRESERVED AND THE REPLICAS CAN BE FOUND AT KRATON OF YOGYAKARTA. THERE ARE 249 BUILDINGS IN THE COMPLEX ARRANGED IN A MANDALA PATTERN AROUND THE CENTRAL MAIN HALL AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE OF MAHAYANA BUDDHISM.

CANDI PERWARA WHICH IS A SMALL TEMPLES MEANS GUARDIAN TEMPLES, CONSIST OF 240 TEMPLES WITH SIMILAR DESIGN AND ARRANGED IN FOUR RECTANGULAR CONCENTRIC ROWS. TWO OUTER ROWS ARE ARRANGED CLOSER AND CONSISTS OF 168 SMALLER TEMPLES, WHILE TWO INNER ROWS ARE ARRANGED IN CERTAIN INTERVAL AND CONSIST OF 72 TEMPLES THAN THE OUTER ONES. 

THE 249 TEMPLES THAT ARE LOCATED IN THE SECOND PRECINCT. ALL WERE MADE WITH A SQUARE FRAME BUT VARIED BY DIFFERENT STATUES AND ORIENTATIONS. MANY OF THESE STATUES ARE NOW GONE AND THE ARRANGEMENTS ON THE CURRENT SITE ARE NOT IN THE ORIGINAL LOCATIONS. THE STATUES ARE COMPARABLE TO THE STATUES OF CANDI BOROBUDUR WHICH WERE LIKELY MADE OF BRONZE.

THE MAIN TEMPLE MEASURES 29 METERS IN DIAMETER AND SOARS UP TO 30 METERS HIGH. THE GROUND PLAN OF THE MAIN TEMPLE TOOK A CROSS-SHAPED 20-SIDED POLYGON. ON EACH OF THE FOUR CARDINAL POINTS OF THE MAIN TEMPLE, THERE ARE FOUR STRUCTURES PROJECTED OUTWARD, EACH WITH ITS OWN STAIRS, ENTRANCES AND ROOMS, CROWNED WITH STUPAS, THUS FORMING A CROSS-LIKE LAYOUT. ALL OF THE STRUCTURES MADE ARE OF THE ANDESITE STONES.

ANCIENT PAINTING OF CANDI SEWU

FOLLOW THE CANDI PRAMBANAN , CANDI SEWU ATTRACTED INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION IN EARLY 19TH CENTURY DURING THE COLONIAL DUTCH EAST INDIES ERA. IN 1807 A FIRST LITHOGRAPH OF CANDI SEWU MAIN TEMPLE AND CANDI PERWARA  WAS CREATED BY H.C. CORNELIUS. IN 1817 DURING BRITAIN'S SHORT TIME OF RULING THE DUTCH EAST INDIES, SIR THOMAS STAMFORD RAFFLES INCLUDED CORNELIUS' IMAGE OF CANDI SEWU IN HIS BOOK HISTORY OF JAVA. ALTHOUGH SIR THOMAS SUBSEQUENTLY COMMISSIONED A FULL SURVEY OF THE RUINS, THEY REMAINED NEGLECTED FOR DECADES. IN 1825 AUGUSTE PAYEN ( A FAMOUS EUROPEAN PAINTER ) CREATED A SERIES OF CANDI SEWU IMAGES. 

THE TEMPLE SUFFERED THE JAVA WAR (1825–1830) AS TEMPLE'S STONES WERE USED AWAY FOR FORTIFICATION. FOR SUBSEQUENT YEARS THE TEMPLES SUFFERED LOOTING, MANY OF BUDDHAS' HEADS WERE DECAPITATED AND STOLEN, SOME DUTCH COLONIAL RESIDENTS CARRIED OFF SCULPTURES AS GARDEN ORNAMENTS AND NATIVE VILLAGERS USED THE FOUNDATION STONES FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL. SOME OF THE TEMPLE'S BEST PRESERVED BAS-RELIEFS, BUDDHA'S HEAD, AND ORNAMENTS WERE CARRIED AWAY FROM THE SITE AND ENDED UP IN MUSEUMS OR PRIVATE COLLECTIONS ABROAD.

ANCIENT PAINTING  RUINS OF CANDI SEWU

 CANDI SEWU IN ANCIENT CAPTURE

THE FAMOUS LEGEND OF RARA JONGGRANG BEHIND THE STORY OF THIS TEMPLE IS THE ANCIENT LEGEND THAT TELLS THE STORY ABOUT TWO ANCIENT AND NEIGHBOURING KINGDOMS IN JAVA  PENGGING AND BOKO.

PENGGING WAS PROSPEROUS, AND WISELY RULED BY ITS KING PRABU DAMAR MOYO WHO HAD A SON NAMED BANDUNG BONDOWOSO. BY CONTRAST, BOKO WAS RULED BY A CRUEL MAN-EATING GIANT NAMED PRABU BOKO, SUPPORTED BY ANOTHER GIANT PATIH GUPOLO. DESPITE HIS UNPLEASANT NATURE, PRABU BOKO HAD A BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER NAMED RARA JONGGRANG.

THE TITLE RARA  ( PRONOUNCED RORO, WITH ALTERNATIVE SPELLINGS: RORO JONGGRANG, LORO JONGGRANG OR LARA JONGGRANG ) IS ANCIENT JAVANESE HONORIFIC TITLE TO ADDRESS NOBLE MAIDENS  (VIRGINS)  OR UNMARRIED PRINCESSES, THUS THE NAME RARA JONGGRANG IN JAVANESE MEANS A SLENDER VIRGIN.

THE STORY RELATES THAT PRABU BOKO DESIRED TO EXPAND HIS KINGDOM, AND SO BEGAN TRAINING AN ARMY AND RAISING TAXES FOR AN INVASION OF PENGGING. HIS FORCES LAUNCH A SURPRISE ATTACK ON PENGGING, AND THE WAR CAUSES DEVASTATION AND FAMINE ON BOTH SIDES. IN ORDER TO DEFEAT THE INVADER, PRABU DAMAR MOYO SENDS HIS SON BANDUNG BONDOWOSO TO FIGHT PRABU BOKO. AFTER A FURIOUS BATTLE,  PRABU BOKO IS KILLED BY THE PRINCE'S SUPERNATURAL POWERS. HIS ASSISTANT, THE GIANT PATIH GUPOLO, LEADS HIS ARMIES AWAY FROM THE BATTLEFIELD.

 UNFINISH PROJECT BUILD OF 1000 TEMPLES IN ONE NIGHT ONLY

AFTER THEY CAME BACK TO BOKO PALACE, PATIH GUPOLO TELLS PRINCESS RARA JONGGRANG OF THE DEATH OF HER FATHER. THE PRINCESS IS HEARTBROKEN, BUT BEFORE SHE CAN RECOVER FROM HER GRIEF THE PENGGING ARMY BESIEGES AND CAPTURES THE PALACE. PRINCE BANDUNG BONDOWOSO IS MESMERIZED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE MOURNING PRINCESS AND PROPOSE MARRIAGE, BUT RARA JONGGRANG REJECTED HIM. BANDUNG BONDOWOSO INSISTS ON THE UNION, AND FINALLY RARA JONGGRANG AGREES ON TWO IMPOSSIBLE CONDITIONS: FIRST THE PRINCE MUST BUILD A WELL NAMED JALATUNDA, AND SECOND, HE MUST CONSTRUCT A THOUSAND TEMPLES IN ONLY ONE NIGHT.

THE LOVESTRUCK PRINCE AGREES, AND IMMEDIATELY STARTS WORK ON THE WELL. USING HIS SUPERNATURAL POWERS ONCE AGAIN, THE PRINCE SWIFTLY FINISHES CONSTRUCTION AND PROUDLY DISPLAYS HIS WORK FOR THE PRINCESS. TO TRICKED HIM, SHE URGES HIM TO ENTER THE WELL AND WHEN HE DOES SO, PATIH GUPOLO PILES STONES INTO IT AND BURIES HIM ALIVE. WITH GREAT EFFORT BANDUNG BONDOWOSO ESCAPES, BUT HIS LOVE FOR THE PRINCESS IS SO STRONG THAT HE FORGIVES HER THE ATTEMPT ON HIS LIFE.

TO FULFILL THE SECOND CONDITION, THE PRINCE ENTERS INTO MEDITATION AND CONJURES UP A MULTITUDE OF DEMON SPIRITS FROM THE EARTH. WITH THEIR HELP HE BUILDS THE FIRST 999 TEMPLES AND STARTS WORK ON THE FINAL ONE. TO THWART HIS EFFORTS THE PRINCESS AND HER MAIDS LIGHT A FIRE IN THE EAST AND BEGIN POUNDING RICE, A TRADITIONAL DAWN ACTIVITY AND MAKE A ROOSTERS CREW. FOOLED INTO THINKING THE SUN IS ABOUT TO RISE, THE SPIRITS FLEE BACK INTO THE EARTH LEAVING THE LAST TEMPLE UNFINISHED.

THE PRINCE IS FURIOUS WHEN HE LEARNS OF THIS DECEPTION, AND PLACES A CURSE ON RARA JONGGRANG WHICH TURNS HER INTO A STONE STATUE. IN THIS WAY SHE HERSELF BECOMES A FEATURE OF THE FINAL TEMPLE, COMPLETING ITS CONSTRUCTION AND FULFILLING THE CONDITIONS FOR THEIR MARRIAGE.

RARA JONGGRANG CURSED AS A ONE THOUSANDTH TEMPLE

THIS LEGEND IS A LOCAL POPULAR FOLKLORE THAT CONNECTS AND EXPLAINS THE SUPERNATURAL ORIGIN OF CENTRAL JAVA'S FAMOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES; SUCH AS OF THE RATU BOKO PALACE, THE DURGA STATUE IN NORTHERN CELLA/CHAMBER OF THE MAIN PRAMBANAN SHRINE, AND THE SEWU TEMPLE COMPLEX NEARBY. ALTHOUGH THE TEMPLES ITSELF DATED FROM CIRCA 9TH CENTURY, THE LEGEND WAS COMPOSED IN LATER TIMES, PROBABLY DURING MATARAM SULTANATE ERA.

ACCORDING TO TRADITION, THIS THOUSANDTH TEMPLE IS PART OF THE SEWU TEMPLE COMPOUND (SEWU MEANS "THOUSANDS" IN JAVANESE), AND THE PRINCESS IS THE IMAGE OF DURGA IN THE NORTH CELL OF THE SHIVA TEMPLE AT PRAMBANAN, STILL KNOWN AS RARA JONGGRANG OR SLENDER VIRGIN.

ANOTHER INTERPRETATION MENTIONED THAT THIS LEGEND COULD BE A COLLECTIVE BUT VAGUE LOCAL MEMORY ABOUT PAST HISTORICAL EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN THE AREA, WHICH STAGED AROUND THE 9TH CENTURY WRESTLE OF POWER BETWEEN SYAILENDRA AND SANJAYA DYNASTY FOR CONTROL ON CENTRAL JAVA. KING BOKO IS PROBABLY INSPIRED BY THE KING SAMARATUNGGA OF SYAILENDRA DYNASTY, BANDUNG BONDOWOSO IS RAKAI PIKATAN, A PRINCE OF SANJAYA DYNASTY, AND RARA JONGRANG IS PRAMODHAWARDHANI, WIFE OF RAKAI PIKATAN AND THE DAUGHTER OF SAILENDRAN KING. THE ACTUAL HISTORICAL EVENT WAS PROBABLY THE CONTEST OF POWER BETWEEN SYAILENDRAN HEIR, BALAPUTRADEWA AGAINST HIS SISTER PRAMODHAWARDHANI WITH AID OF HER HUSBAND RAKAI PIKATAN WHICH LED TO PIKATAN AS THE VICTOR, WHICH END THE SYAILENDRAN RULE ON CENTRAL JAVA. DK

CANDI SUKUH

DISCLOSE THE TABOO

A MYSTERIOUS MONUMENT OF CANDI SUKUH

ONE NUMBERS OF INDONESIA'S WORLD HERITAGE SITES IS CANDI SUKUH (  read CHANDI  SooKooH ) OR SUKUH TEMPLE . THIS ANCIENT MONUMENTAL BUILDING IS LOCATED IN THE WEST SIDE SLOPES OF MOUNT LAWU  ( ELEVATION 1.186 METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL )  PRICISELY AT DUKUH BERJO, SUKUH VILLAGE, MARGOYOSO DISTRICT, KARANGANYAR REGENCY,CENTRAL JAVA PROVINCE - INDONESIA.THIS TEMPLE, HAS A LOT OF MYSTERIES. AS ONE OF THE FEW TEMPLES LOCATED AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT LAWU , CANDI SUKUH  IS UNIQUE AND LOOK SO DIFFERENT, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE BUILDING FORMS AND RELIEFS, AND ALSO ITS SCULPTURES - COMPARE TO THE OTHER BUILDINGS WHICH SURROUNDS THE AREAS SUCH AS CANDI PLAGGATAN, CANDI MENGGUNG ,CANDI CETHO AND CANDI KETHEK.

CANDI SUKUH KNOWN AS THE TEMPLE WHICH HAS A VERY CONTROVERSIAL THEME. EVENTHOUGH TERMS OF REPRODUCTION  IS CONSIDERED VERY TABOO FOR EASTERN PEOPLE, BASED IN DEPTH TRANSLATION OF THE PHILOSOPHY, THIS TEMPLE DOES HAVE A VERY OPENLY GENITALS ILLUSTRATION.

IN THE MID 15TH CENTURY, THE MAJAPAHIT EMPIRE ( MAJAPAHIT IS A GREAT JAVANESE KINGDOM FROM EAST JAVA ) STARTED TO LOSE POWER, ESPECIALLY WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF ISLAM WHICH LED TO THE LESSER PEOPLE PROFESSING THE HINDU RELIGION IN JAVA. BUT AT THAT TIME THE RULER OF MAJAPAHIT ESTABLISHED CANDI SUKUH AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT LAWU, WHICH REGARDED AS A SACRED PLACE FOR WORSHIPPING THE ANCESTRAL SPIRITS AND AS A RESPECTATION FOR SYMBOL OF FERTILITY. SO DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF IN SUKUH TEMPLE FOUND MUCH RELIEF LINGGA OR PHALLUS  AND YONI OR VAGINA AS A SYMBOL OF MALE AND FEMALE GENITALIA.

SYMBOL OF FERTILITY, LINGGA, YONI ALSO ILLUSTRATE ABOUT PREGNANCY PROCESS

SIR THOMAS RAFFLES, THE RULER OF JAVA AT THAT TIME, VISITED CANDI SUKUH AND SAW THE CONDITION OF THE TEMPLE IT WAS  TERRIBLY DAMAGED. MANY STATUES WERE DESTROYED, EVEN A LARGE  LINGGA OR PHALLUS STATUES SPLIT INTO TWO PARTS. RAFFLES CONCLUDED THAT THE DESTRUCTION WAS CARRIED OUT BY CLASH CULTURE VANDALISM WHERE RELIGION CHANGE TO ISLAM HAS BEGUN TO ENTER  IN JAVA  IN THE 16TH CENTURY.

IN CONTRAST TO MOST OTHER HINDU TEMPLES, CANDI SUKUH DO NOT FACE TOWARD THE RISING SUN, BUT THE WEST INSTEAD. IN ADDITION, MAIN MATERIALS FROM YOUNG ANDESIT STONE WITH NOT NEAT FINISHING AND THE SHAPE OF THE BUILDING IS ALSO DIFFERENT THAN MAJORITY TEMPLES THAT KNOWN THROUGHOUT INDONESIA. SHOCKINGLY, THE BUILDING OF CANDI SUKUH IS SIMILAR TO ONE OF THE NEW WORLD'S 7 WONDERS - CHICHEN ITZA PYRAMID    YUCATAN -  MEXICO - SOUTH AMERICA WHICH HAS THE SHAPE OF TRUNCATED PYRAMID SURROUNDED BY MONOLITHS. CANDI SUKUH RESEMBLES MORE OF A TRAPEZOID WITH THREE STOREYS TERRACE MADE BY PILES OF YOUNG ANDESIT MATERIAL, ALTAR WITH PORTAL OF GATEWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRONT SIDE OF THE TEMPLE. THIS FORM WAS MADE OUT OF THE DECREASING INFLUENCE OF THE HINDU RELIGION, WHICH LED TO THE RE-USING OF THE PATTERN OF ANIMISM BY THE TEMPLE MAKERS.

CHICHEN ITZA PYRAMID OF MEXICO ... A SHOCKING SIMILARITY!

WHEN ENTERING CANDI SUKUH, WE CAN CLEARLY SEE RELIEFS SHOWING A MEANING OF SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH A DEPICTION OF LINGGA  AND YONI. ACTUALLY IN PHILOSOPHIC MEANING, THIS FORM IS A MACROCOSMIC BALANCING SYMBOL TO ELIMINATE OR CURE ALL THE DIRTY FEEL INSIDE THE HEART. 

PREVIOUSLY, AT THE FRONT OF CANDI SUKUH THERE IS A HUGE PHALLUS STONE STATUE, MEASURING ABOUT 1.8 METERS. FOR REASON OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSETS, THE BROKEN STATUE IS RESCUED THEN MOVED TO BE DISPLAYED AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN  CAPITAL CITY OF JAKARTA.

ON THE FIRST TERRACE OF THE ENTRANCE GATE, THERE IS A CANDI SUKUH RELIEF THAT ILLUSTRATES OF SANGKALA OR A GIANT EATING HUMAN ( IN JAVANESE LANGUAGE " BUTA ABARA WONG" ) MEANS 9-5-3-1 OR 1359 SAKA OR 1437 AD WHICH SYMBOLIZED THE YEAR IT WAS TEMPLE ERECTED. THAT YEAR IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE YEAR WHICH CANDI SUKUH IS COMPLETED, MEANWHILE ON THE SECOND TERRACE  ENTRANCE GATE RELIEF THERE IS A CARVING OF CANDRASANGKALA ( IN JAVENESE LANGUAGE "GAJAH WIKU ANAHUT BUNTUT" )  OR AN ELEPHANT PRIEST BITING ITS OWN TAIL , WHICH IS ALSO A PARABLE  WHICH HAS MEANING  OF 8-7-3-1 MEANS 1378 SAKA  OR 1456 AD.

TO GO TO THE UPPER SIDE OF THE TERRACE WHICH LOCATED ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE BUILDING , WE HAVE TO CLIMB A STEEP STAIRS AND GO THROUGH THE NARROW AISLE. IN FRONT OF THE STAIRS THERE IS A SMALL TEMPLE WITH THE NARROW CAVITY, ACCORDING TO THE MYTH THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE PROSPECTIVE LIFE PARTNER PERFORMED RITUAL PURITY TEST. FOR THE WOMAN WHO DECIDED TO DO THE TEST, SHE MUST WEAR A SPECIAL CLOTHES WITH LONG FABRIC BEFORE SHE WENT THROUGH THE  SMALL HALLWAY. IF THE FABRIC STUCKED AND RIPPED BY , IT SIGNIFY THAT THE WOMAN IS NOT VIRGIN ANYMORE. FOR THE MAN, THEY PROVE THEIR VIRGINITY BY GOING THROUGH THE NARROW AISLE, AND IF THEY SUDDENLY URINATE, IT MEANS THAT MAN IS DEFINITELY NOT A VIRGIN. THERE,  ALSO WE WILL FIND A RELIEF OF LINGGA FACING TOWARDS A YONI - WHICH IS A WORSHIP OF FERTILITY SYMBOL, DECORATING THE FLOOR SURFACE.

SEXUAL INTIMIDATION BY GIANT FIGURE

IN ADDITION, WE CAN ALSO FIND  5 GROUPS OF RELIEF SERIES WITH VARIOUS TELLS ABOUT MEANING OF LIFE  THAT FINDING PROCESS OF TIRTA AMERTA ( WATER OF LIFE ) FROM HIGH PHILOSOPHY BOOK OF RAMAYANA'S EPICNESS. THERE RELIEFS REFLECTED MANY  JAVANESE WAYANG FIGURES SUCH AS THE BIMA , ARJUNA, NAKULA SADEWA,YUDISTIRA UNTIL FIGURE OF PUNAKAWAN. THEN THERE IS ALSO HAVE ILLUSTRATION RELIEF OF THE  MADNESS OF GODESS DURGA WHO TURNED TO A GIANT WITH THE DESIRE TO KILL THE BOUNDED SADEWA. IN SOME OTHER SCULPTURES, THERE'S AN ILLUSTRATION EPISODE OF A  GARUDA BIRD OF MYTH OR EAGLE-SHAPED FIGURE STATUE THAT PARTICIPATED TO FIND A TIRTA AMERTA . 

OTHER INTERESTING SCULPTURES ARE A GIANT FIGURE WITH IT HAD MISSING A HEAD, PROBABLY BIMA FIGURE WHO WAS HOLDING A FORM OF HIS OWN GENITAL AS IF FOR SHOWING OF INTIMIDATION SUPERIOR SUPREMACY.

 A MYSTERIOUS SUMERIAN, BABYLONIAN, MAYAN AND EGYTIAN FIGURES AND CARVING STYLE

THAT MYSTERIOUS FIGURE ALSO SHOWN IN SOME OTHER SCULPTURES THEME WHERE A MAN FIGURE WHO WEAR A WATCH ACCESSORIES LOOK ALIKE WITH SUMERIAN, BABYLONIAN OR ASSYRIAN SCULPTURE STYLE. IT HAS CARVING DETAIL FORMS WITH MAYAN CARVING AND EGYPTIAN STYLE AND IT HAS EAGLE SHAPE OR HEAD OF KALA. THIS IS A VERY UNUSUAL JAVANESE CARVING STYLE IN GENERAL.

THE SIMILARITY COULD JUST BE BY ACCIDENT ,  WHAT IF IT'S JUST COPYCAT FORMS OF THE OTHER TEMPLE FARAWAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DIFFERENT CONTINENT? OR THE SAME ARCHITECT COULD HAVE BEEN HERE IN THIS ARCHIPELAGO IN THE PAST. BUT EXAMINED FROM THE COMMUNICATION LIMITATIONS AROUND THAT ERA AND THE LIMITED TECHNOLOGY,THAT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE....... OR COULD IT BE THE UFO THAT HAD A GIG?.

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