This is a list of Hindu temples and their remains in Indonesia. Indonesia has been part of Indosphere of Greater India where sanskritization and Hinduism spread across Indonesia. [1] [2] Hindus in Indonesia are a multi-ethnic society consisting of different Indonesian ethnicities, such as Balinese, Javanese, Indian and other ethnic groups. According to government statistics, the majority of Indonesian Hindus are Balinese that inhabit the island of Bali. This claim has been disputed by one of the leading Hindu bodies of the nation, the Parishada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI), which estimates there are about 18 million Hindus, indicating that most are not of Balinese origin. [3] There is also a significant Indonesian Indian Hindu minority settled in large cities. Numbers of Indonesian natives that adhere to a form of native Austronesian ancestral and natural worship might also be categorized as Hindus, such as Dayak people (Kaharingan), Batak Karo (Parmalim), Javanese (Kejawen) and, Baduy people (Sunda Wiwitan). Hindu Dayak and Kaharingan groups are concentrated in Central Kalimantan.
The design, style, layout, architecture and decoration of Hindu temples differ among various ethnic groups. In general, Indonesian Hindu temples are based on the Vasusastra-Manasara, a Hindu text on architecture, though they have significant native and Chinese influence. [4] Balinese Hindu temples do not have the Gopuram above temples unlike Indian Tamil Hindu temples which feature a prominent Gopuram at the entrance. Indian temples are designed as indoor house of worship, while Balinese temples are designed as open-air temple within walled compound connected by series of intricately decorated roofed gates and split gates. In Indonesia, there are roughly three types of Hindu templesː
Candi is an Indonesian term to refer to ancient temples, the word originated from the Sanskrit word Candikargha which is associated with the Goddess Durga. Prior to the rise of Islam, between the 5th to 15th century Dharmic faiths (Hinduism and Buddhism) were the majority in Indonesian archipelago, especially in Java and Sumatra. As the result numerous Hindu temples, locally known as candi , constructed and dominated the landscape of Java. According to local beliefs, Java had thousands of Hindu temples which co-existed with Buddhist temples, most of which were buried in massive eruption of Mount Merapi in 1006 AD. [5] [6]
Between 1100 and 1500 additional Hindu temples were built, but abandoned by Hindus and Buddhists as Islam spread in Java circa 15th to 16th century.
In last 200 years, some of these have been rediscovered mostly by farmers while preparing their lands for crops. Most of these ancient temples were rediscovered and reconstructed between 19th to 20th century, and treated as the important archaeological findings and also as tourist attraction, worship is mainly done on the national days by Balinese and local Hindu and Buddhist on sacred days such as Nyepi and Waisak In Indonesia. The local population mostly has converted to Islam or Christianity, but there are still also many worshipers who follow Kejawèn. Today, these ancient Hindu temples in Java are under the authority of Dinas Purbakala (Archaeological Authority) under the Ministry of Culture.[ citation needed ]
Majority of Hindu temples in Java were dedicated to Shiva, who Javanese Hindus considered as the God who commands the energy to destroy, recombine and recreate the cycle of life. Small temples were often dedicated to Shiva and his family (wife Durga, son Ganesha). Larger temple complexes include temples for Vishnu and Brahma, but the most majestic, sophisticated and central temple was dedicated to Shiva. The 732 AD Canggal inscription found in Southern Central Java, written in Indonesian Sanskrit script, eulogizes Shiva, calling him God par-excellence. [7] [ better source needed ] Historical scripts suggest Javanese recognized amongst themselves three sects of Shiva - Mahesvara, Buddhist (Saugata) and Mahabrahmana (Rsi). The Hindu and Buddhist temples co-existed, people intermarried, with occasional couple featuring a Hindu king and Buddhist wife as evidenced by Candi Plaosan , the husband and wife maintaining their different religious beliefs after marriage. Most of the temples are laid out in perfect squares, with secondary temples or lingas arranged geometrically or circularly. However, midst of the perfect symmetries, is present a shift of the temple complex axis and primary statue enclosure axis; this asymmetry is believed to be deliberate because the shift is always to the north and the ratio of asymmetry is exactly the same in a dozen temples where this has been measured. [8] Some of sculptures and reliefs in the temples represent Hindu dance forms, currently seen in India but not in Java. Some in temples Java have a mix of Hindu and Buddhist features which has made attribution and original purpose against later usage difficult to ascertain.
Central Java region consist of modern Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces. Most of Hindu temples in Cantral Java region are candi or ancient temples built between 8th to 15th century. Some known Hindu temples in Java include: [9] [10]
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Pura is Balinese Hindu temples. Balinese Hinduism is the continuation of Javanese Hindu Dharmic tradition developed in Java between the 8th to 15th century. After Islam toppled Hinduism in Java circa 15th century, the remnants of this ancient Indonesian Hinduism are confined in Bali. Balinese Hinduism incorporate native Austronesian and Hindu worship of ancestors batara-s in Balinese from Sanskrit pitr-s) next to the general ideas from Hinduism of Vedic deities, terms and rituals imported from India. In Bali, a Pura (Balinese temple) is designed as an open-air worship place within a walled compound. The compound walls have a series of intricately decorated gates without doors for the devotee to enter. The design, plan and layout of the holy pura follows a square layout.
Today, Balinese Hindus are concentrated in Bali island and some other cities in Indonesia. In Bali, Hindu Balinese temples (Pura) can be found quite easily, since they are the majority in the island. Outside Bali, they can be found too but not too many, for mostly these temples were followed the migration and only to accommodate Balinese people outside Bali, such as Balinese temples in Greater Jakarta.
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Kovil or koil (kuil in Indonesian) are used to refer Indian Hindu temples. Because of the influx of Indian immigrants into Indonesia back in the 19th century, there are numbers of Indian-style temples erected in Indonesian cities, especially in Medan and Jakarta. The Indian Hindu temples in Indonesia followed closely the design, style, layout and architecture commonly found in India and neighboring Malaysia and Singapore. Tamil Hindus are most concentrated in Medan, North Sumatra. There are around 40 Hindu temples in Medan and nearby but only a few Balinese Hindu temples in North Sumatra. Balaji Venkateshvara Temple (Pasar IV Padang Bulan, Medan) is developed by Tamils. Punjabis are mostly Sikh and Hindu. Most of them mixed these religions and some of them can speak Punjabi. Sindhi peoples are concentrated in Jakarta and usually open textile and garment business. There are around 12 Gurudvaras in Indonesia.
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Compared to Indian Hindu temples, there are relatively few Hindu temples of Indonesian architecture outside the country. They are as follows:
Hinduism in Southeast Asia had a profound impact on the region's cultural development and its history. As the Indic scripts were introduced from the Indian subcontinent, people of Southeast Asia entered the historical period by producing their earliest inscriptions around the 1st to 5th century CE. Today, Hindus in Southeast Asia are mainly Overseas Indians and Balinese. There are also Javanese and Balamon Cham minority in Cambodia and south central Vietnam who also practice Hinduism.
Balinese Hinduism is the form of Hinduism practised by the majority of the population of Bali. This is particularly associated with the Balinese people residing on the island, and represents a distinct form of Hindu worship incorporating local animism, ancestor worship or Pitru Paksha, and reverence for Buddhist saints or Bodhisattava.
Hinduism is the third-largest religion in Indonesia, based on civil registration data in 2023 from Ministry of Home Affairs, is practised by about 1.68% of the total population, and almost 87% of the population in Bali. Hinduism was the dominant religion in the country before the arrival of Islam and is one of the six official religions of Indonesia today. Hinduism came to Indonesia in the 1st-century through Indian traders, sailors, scholars and priests. A syncretic fusion of pre-existing Javanese folk religion, culture and Hindu ideas, that from the 6th-century also synthesized Buddhist ideas as well, evolved as the Indonesian version of Hinduism. These ideas continued to develop during the Srivijaya and Majapahit empires. About 1400 CE, these kingdoms were introduced to Islam from coast-based Muslim traders, and thereafter Hinduism, which was previously the dominant religion in the region, mostly vanished from many of the islands of Indonesia.
Besakih Temple is a pura complex in the village of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung in eastern Bali, Indonesia. It is the most important, largest, and holiest temple of Balinese Hinduism, and one of a series of Balinese temples. Perched nearly 1000 meters up the side of Gunung Agung, it is an extensive complex of 23 separate but related temples with the largest and most important being Pura Penataran Agung. The temple is built on six levels, terraced up the slope. The entrance is marked by a candi bentar, and beyond it, the Kori Agung is the gateway to the second courtyard.
Purbalingga Regency is an inland regency in the southwestern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Purbalingga Regency has an area of 805.76 km2 and a population of 848,952 at the 2010 census and 998,561 at the 2020 census, comprising 505,281 male and 493,280 female inhabitants; the official estimate as at mid-2023 was 1,027,333. The administrative capital is the town of Purbalingga.
The architecture of Indonesia reflects the diversity of cultural, historical, and geographic influences that have shaped Indonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonizers, missionaries, merchants, and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques.
A candi is a Hindu or Buddhist temple in Indonesia, mostly built during the Zaman Hindu-Buddha or "Hindu-Buddhist period" between circa the 4th and 15th centuries.
Hinduism is a minority religion in Belgium. According to the PEW 2014, Hinduism is also the fastest growing religion in Belgium. Attempts have been done by the Hindu Forum of Belgium (HFB) to make Hinduism an officially-recognized religion in Belgium.
Penataran or Panataran is one of the largest Hindu temple ruins complexes in East Java, Indonesia. It is located in Penataran, Blitar Regency, roughly 12 km northeast of Blitar, with the closest airport being farther away at Malang. Believed to have been constructed between the 12th century to the 15th century, the temple played a significant role in the Majapahit Kingdom, especially under King Hayam Wuruk. He considered it his favorite sanctuary. Penataran dates from the Kediri era.
Hyang is a representation of the supreme being, in ancient Java and Bali mythology. The spiritual entity can be either considered divine or ancestral. The reverence for this spiritual entity can be found in the folk religions of Java and Bali, such as the Sunda Wiwitan, Kejawen, Kapitayan, and Gama Tirta. The realm where Hyang resides is called the Kahyangan, which is an Old Javanese term that means "the abode of Hyang", "part of Hyang", or "heaven".
A Pura is a Balinese Hindu temple and the place of worship for adherents of Balinese Hinduism in Indonesia. Puras are built following rules, style, guidance, and rituals found in Balinese architecture. Most puras are found on the island of Bali, where Hinduism is the predominant religion; however many puras exist in other parts of Indonesia where significant numbers of Balinese people reside. Mother Temple of Besakih is the most important, largest, and holiest temple in Bali. Many Puras have been built in Bali, leading it to be titled "the Island of a Thousand Puras".
The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the Republic of Indonesia.
Singhasari temple or Candi Singhasari is a 13th-century syncretic Hindu-Buddhist temple located in Singosari district, Malang Regency, East Java in Indonesia.
The Kingdomship of Bali was a series of Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms that once ruled some parts of the volcanic island of Bali, in Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. With a history of native Balinese kingship spanning from the early 10th to early 20th centuries, Balinese kingdoms demonstrated sophisticated Balinese court culture where native elements of spirit and ancestral reverence combined with Hindu influences—adopted from India through ancient Java intermediary—flourished, enriched and shaped Balinese culture.
Paduraksa, also known as kori is a type of gateway covered with towering roofs that can be found in the island of Java and Bali, Indonesia. This architectural feature is commonly found in buildings from the classical Hindu-Buddhist period of Indonesia. Paduraksa marks the threshold into the most sacred space within a religious compound, a cemetery, or a palace. In Balinese architecture, an elaborately decorated towering paduraksa is often built as the temple's most imposing structure.
A Meru tower, or pelinggih meru, is the principal shrine of a Balinese temple. It is a wooden, pagoda-like structure with a masonry base, a wooden chamber, and multi-tiered thatched roofs. The height of Meru towers represents the Hindu Mount Meru. Meru towers are usually dedicated to either the highest gods of the Hindu pantheon, the local pantheon, or a deified person.
Pura ParahyanganAgung Jagatkarta often referred to simply as Pura Parahyangan is a Hindu temple of Nusantara located in Ciapus village, Tamansari subdistrict, Bogor Regency, West Java, Indonesia.
Pura Lempuyang Luhur is the seventh and highest temple of the Lempuyang temple complex on Mount Lempuyang in Karangasem Regency, east Bali, Indonesia.
Pura Dasar Buana is a Balinese Hindu temple or pura located in Gelgel, Bali, about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Semarapura. Pura Dasar Buana is one of the Pura Dang Kahyangan Jagat, a temple which was built to honor a holy teacher of Hindu teaching. Pura Dasar Buana honored Mpu Ghana, a Brahmin who arrived to Bali from Javanese Majapahit to teach Hinduism in the island.
Based on the results of the study, it was found that the temples of the Majapahit era still have relations with vastusastra-Manasara narrative when viewed in terms of figure and mass-space layout