Brilio.net/en - Indonesia boasts hundreds of ancient temples and megastructures that may be a treat for a tourist's camera. But one cannot fully appreciate the beauty of these sites without looking further into the back stories that make them all the more fascinating.
1. Borobudur Temple
ALSO READ:
Sumpah Pemuda Museum And The Rise And Fall Of Patriotism
Dating back to the ninth century, Borobudur is the world’s biggest Buddhist structure and is located in Magelang, Central Java. It was built during the reign of King Samaratungga of Sriwijaya. The Borobudur Temple, like the others, was built as a place of worship, but this Unesco World Heritage Site also comes with a few lingering mysteries.
One biggest question is how an ancient civilization could have been so advanced to build a site with such a complex architectural structure, each stone, big and small, all precisely arranged and cut.
Borobudur from above (Photo via Lonely Planet)
ALSO READ:
6 Badass Rulers Of Ancient Indonesia
Borobudur's stupas (Photo by Elia Locardi via miner8)
The highest peak of Borobudur after dawn (Photo via NomadicPixel)
Another mystery scientists have pointed out has to do with the temple's pattern: the 72 bell-shaped stupas, with the biggest one placed at the top of the temple and its smaller counterparts arranged in a circular pattern all the way to the bottom of the site. Some have found questionable patterns that indicate the function of Borobudur as a solarium. Some believe that the patterns of Borobudur stupas were used to mark the periods of cultivation and harvest time.
2. Prambanan Temple
Not too far from Borobudur, in Sleman, Yogyakarta, lies the Prambanan Temple with its own curious set of stories. The site, said to be the biggest Hindu temple in Southeast Asia, was built around the ninth century as a place of worship for Siwa.
The Unesco World Heritage Site also boasts a prominent legend; a story about Roro Jonggrang and Bandung Bondowoso and how the latter fell in love and intended to marry the the former, though she had her hesitations. Roro Jonggrang eventually agreed agreed to marry the man on one condition, asking Bondowoso to build 1,000 temples within a single night.
Prambanan Temple Complex (Photo via Kingofwallpapers)
With all of the power he possessed, Bondowoso and his group of invisible workers managed to build nearly 1,000 temples just before dawn. But the anxious Roro Jonggrang gathered all the ladies in the village to pound the rice with pestles. As the roosters were awakened and started to crow, Bondowoso's efforts were considered a failure. Later, upon discovering Roro Jonggrang had cheated her way out of the deal, he bristled with anger and turned the lady into a statue, which is known as the last temple in the site and gave Prambanan its other alternative name, the Roro Jonggrang temple.
The other temples built by Bondowoso are known as Sewu Temple (sewu means “one thousand”), which are located next to the Prambanan.
Sewu Temple (Photo via Crossroadz)
Statue of Roro Jonggrang (Photo via Wikimedia)
3. Muaro Jambi Temple
Although its structures and ornaments may not be as enormous as Prambanan and Borobudur, Muaro Jambi Temple, which occupies a 260-hectare land, is the largest temple complex in Southeast Asia. The 11th-century temple lies on the bank of Batang Hari River, Jambi, Sumatra. A group of mediums suggested that the temple is guarded by a spirit named Princess Dinaswara.
Muaro Jambi Temple (Photo via Junantoherdiawan)
Muaro Jambi Temple (Photo via Homediarymagazine)
The main temple (Photo via Emeldahs)
The temple complex consists of 110 shrines, whichare divided into 39 groups, with seven of its biggest temples being Astano, Tinggi, Gumpung, Kembar Batu, Gedong, Kedaton, and Koto Mahligai. Rumour has it Muaro Jambi is actually bigger that it appears. People believe that the biggest temple structure on the site still remains buried along with all the legend and history that are waiting to unfold.
CLICK NEXT FOR OTHER ANCIENT MEGASTRUCTURES