A Temple Which Is Older Than Borobudur

Temple areas or Batujaya Sites, which are stupa buildings, are estimated from the 4th century (Borobudur Temple is from the 9th century). This area which was discovered in 1984 by the University of Indonesia’s archeology team is used as the centre of Waisak 2552/2008 celebration for West Java area. It takes about an hour to go to these sites from West Karawang highway gate and they are believed to have 24 temples: 13 temples in Segaran village and 11 temples in Tegaljaya village (Karawang).

I had the chance to visit Jiwa Temple and Blandongan Temple. These temples have uniqueness: their location which is in the middle of farm and their material which are from 3 items: andesit stone for the bottom part of the temple, bricks for the body, and tiny stones which are glued to white layer (stuko) for the roof ornament. It breaks the myth that temple with andesit stone as its material tends to remain longer than the one with bricks.

If you take a glance at Jiwa Temple, it might look ordinary. Yet, if you look it from above and imagine how it looks like, you will be very amazed. Its upper structure forms lotus and there is also a circular structure as a place for stupa in the middle of the temple. This temple does not have any stairs and according to some archeologists there is a big Buddha statue sitting on a blossom and floating lotus. Btw, its name was given so since every time the residents put their livestock in the temple debris, the stocks would all die.

The incomplete note from China says that in 414, a monk from China named Fa Shien visited Java Island. He stated that the residents in West Java had already followed some beliefs, Hindu, and Buddha. Two of the actual proofs are Cibuaya Site with Hindu element and Batujaya Site with Buddha element. In that note, it is also stated that a prince (probably from India/Khasmir/Srilanka) who became a monk named Qiu Na Ba Mo (Gunavarman) who spread his teaching in the Northern Beach of West Java and ordained the king, the queen, and the residents to be under the protection of Triratna.

Blandongan Temple is the main temple because of its big size and it has four entrance doors in four of each sides. It was named after the local resident dialect, Blandongan which means rest area. Nearby the building, there was a Viotive Tablet (Tsa Tsa) which is made of clay. It has relief which relates to Saraswati story.

For your info, there is also a monument in Rengasdengklok which was built to remember the kidnap of Soekarno. If it had not happened, our county (Indonesia) would not have had the independence on August 17, 1945.

Enjoy, peace, and love from Sukra. (078 080408)