1. Origins
The oldest known temples that have been preserved are those of the Dieng plateau near Wonosobo on Central Java. Dieng was not a capital or a major settlement. Its location, at a high altitude in a poorly accessible, damp and wet mountain vale, is ill suited for human habitation. In Indian tradition, the Gods live on the mountains, so that the location might be explained from this perspective. Even today, the place at a high altitude feels mystical, enshrouded in clouds and surrounded by coloured lakes.
Picture: tabisite.comThe Dieng complex is dedicated to Çiva. A statue of Çiva from the Dieng plateau can be seen in the National Museum in Jakarta.
Chinese sources quoted by Krom (1923) report annual visits to Dieng by the King of Java. The Candi at Dieng were built in two stages in the 8th and the 9thC. Of the structures at Dieng, seven survive in relatively complete state. Remaining foundations show that there used to be more temples.
The temples are known by the names of key characters from the Javanese shadow play, such as Semar and Arjuna. Not all the buildings were used for religious purposes. Candi Semar is widely believed to be a storage place for artefacts. Dieng was a religious settlement in nature.
Picture: i.pbase.comWith the main town likely far removed from the mountaintop, a store for key implements seems a necessity. It is interesting, though, that this store would be made from stone rather than wood that was used for the priests' dwellings.
An inscription dated 808 dated found at Dieng is the oldest old Javanese inscription handed down to present times. A carved inscription found at Dieng and dating from 1210 suggests that the complex had been in use continuously. Dumarcay draws the conclusion from this that the temples were changed over the centuries as demanded by ritual. As an example he quotes Candi Gatotkaca where in the mid 9thC the base was enlarged to accommodate a second shrine to the south of the original building. This new building is now in ruins because it did not have a strong foundation.
2. Description of architecture
3. Description of reliefs and statues
Early buildings (late 7th C to 730)
o Arjuna: Had a lingga, and a gutter for carrying away the waste water from the temple ceremonies.
o Semar: Had the bull Nandin, mount of Siva (not all scholars agree, might have been a storage place). Unique temple type for Java, and similar to the Pallava temples of the 7th c.
o Srikandi: External reliefs: Visnu on the North, Siva on the East and Brahma on the South face.
o Gatotkaca:
Later buildings (730 to 780)
o Puntadeva
o Sembadra
o Bima: Model remniscent of Orissa temples.
o Dwarawati
Picture: hanacaraka.com4. Rediscovery and restoration
First cleaning undertaken by an engineer of the Department of Public Works in 1864 in preparation for photography by Van Kinsbergen. Department/engineer continued with research through 1878, after which this task became part of the routine duties of his successor. Neglect ensued. Groeneveldt turned the tide in 1883 and secured an annual allowance of F430 for this purpose.
Source: hanacaraka.com
