Temple near Borobudur Java (UNESCO), Indonesia, South Pacific, Asia.
The word 'candi' (temple) refers to buildings of various shapes and functions, such as a worshipping place, a religious teaching center, a funerary place for keeping ashes of kings, a dwelling place of the divine, a royal bathing place, or a gateway. Although temples once served many functions, they were built mostly to accommodate Buddhism or Hinduism religious activities. Most temples located in East Java were built later than temples in Central Java and Yogyakarta, since the former were constructed by kingdoms such as Kahuripan, Singasari, Kediri, and Majapahit, which were the successors of Mataram Hindu Kingdom when its era was over. The period in which an East Javanese temple was built determined the building material, design, style and narratives depicted in the relief sculpture. Temples built on Singasari Kingdom’s instructions, for example, were made of blocks of andesite and decorated with fragments of Tantrayana (Hindu-Buddhist) teachings, whereas most temples built during the sovereignty of Majapahit Empire were made of bricks and decorated mostly with Buddhist teachings. Most Balinese temples are Hindu shrines, and they still serve as a worshipping place to the present day. There are two temples located in Sumatra Island, Portibi Temple in North Sumatra Province and Muara Takus Temple in Riau Province. Some temples in Indonesia were discovered and restored at the dawn of 20th century. On June 14, 1913 the Dutch colonial administration founded an agency for preserving ancient heritages, which was called Oudheidkundige Dienst (abbreviated as OD). Since then, the efforts to preserve temples intensified.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Java, Indonesia, South Pacific, Asia.
Photo credit: © Thibaut PETIT-BARA / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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