Temples of Indonesia

Indonesia - the largest island state, whose coasts are washed by the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Here, huge biodiversity and a rich culture , and the unique temples of Indonesia - this is another reason to come to this country.

There are many religious buildings in Indonesia: temples, stupas, churches, chapels and entire religious complexes. Among them there are both current temples and closed and protected ones, which today are not only a religious but also an architectural and historical monument. By belonging to denominations, temples in Indonesia are Catholic, Buddhist and Hindu.

Catholic Temples of Indonesia

Catholicism in Indonesia appeared relatively recently. Approximately 100-150 years ago, settlers from Europe began to buy land and build Catholic schools, seminaries and churches. It is worth highlighting the following Catholic churches in Indonesia:

1. St. Peter's Cathedral in Bandung , the cathedral of the diocese of Bandung. The temple stands on the foundation of the older structure of the church of St. Francis. The cathedral was built according to the project of the architect from Holland Charles Wolff Shemaker. The consecration of the new building took place on February 19, 1922.
2. The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the city of Bogor , the cathedral of the diocese, is considered the largest temple on the island of Java. The founder of the cathedral was the bishop of the Netherlands, Adam Carolus Klassens. The facade of the building is decorated with a statue of Madonna and Child.
3. Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the city of Semarang , the cathedral of the Diocese of Semarang. It is included in the list of significant cultural values ​​of Indonesia. The temple was built on the site of the old parish church in 1935.

Hindu Temples of Indonesia

As elsewhere in the world, Hindu temples on the islands of Indonesia surprise with their unusual and fabulous beauty. The following objects of Hindu architecture are especially popular with pilgrims and tourists:

1. Garuda Vishnu Kenchana is a private park of the Bukit Peninsula, which draws attention to the largest statue of the god Vishnu in the world - 146 m. ​​The sculptural composition is not yet fully assembled, but already attracts a lot of believers. In the park, separately placed head, hands and a statue of Vishnu in anticipation of assembly.
2. Gedong Songo - a huge temple complex, located in the center of the island of Java . The complex includes 5 temples. It was built in the VIII-IX centuries BC. in the period of the kingdom of Mataram. All the temples were built of volcanic stone and are the oldest Hindu structures on the island of Java. Temple number 3 in the complex is decorated with figures of guards.
3. Chandi - the so-called all the original temples of Hinduism and Buddhism, built in medieval Indonesia. Archaeologists note some architectural mixture of the canons of the construction of medieval India and elements of more ancient traditions. All buildings are rectangular, square or cross-shaped buildings with an elevated base and a concave multi-tiered covering. The most striking example are the shrines of Dieng and Borobudur . Each building was both a temple and a burial vault of ancient rulers.
4. Prambanan is a huge complex of temples of Chandi, dating back to the early medieval period. Prabmanan is located in the heart of the island of Java. Presumably built in the 10th century during the state of Mataram. Since 1991 it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to the legend, the whole complex of temples was built because of unrequited love as a temple with 1000 statues.
5. Besakih - a cult temple complex, located at an altitude of 1 km above sea level among the clouds. The age of the temple is more than 3 thousand years, the complex includes more than 20 different temples with individual names and purposes. The territory of the complex is decorated with a large number of statues depicting demons and deities. The temple is active, only Hindus can enter.

Buddhist Temples of Indonesia

Mysterious temples and ancient Buddhist complexes are the most large-scale structures on the territory of Indonesia. The most popular among scientists and tourists are:

1. Borobudur is a huge Buddhist stupa and a huge temple complex of the Mahayana Buddhism tradition. Built on the island of Java between 750 and 850, the stupa of Borobudur is a place of mass pilgrimage. It has 8 tiers. At the top there are 72 small stupas in the form of a bell, inside there are 504 Buddha statues and 1460 religious bas-reliefs. The temple was discovered in the jungle under the layers of volcanic ash in 1814. In this form, he stood for about 800 years.
2. The ancient temple of Muaro Jambi is located on the island of Sumatra . Presumably built in the XI-XIII century AD. It is an area of ​​large-scale archaeological excavations. It is believed that this is the largest of the surviving ancient Buddhist temple complexes in the whole of Southeast Asia. Most of the temple is still in the thick jungle. The complex is built of red brick, decorated with sculptures and carvings.
3. Buddhist temple Muara Takus is one of the largest and most preserved ancient temples of the island of Sumatra. It is a national monument and the center of large excavations since 1860. The whole complex is surrounded by a stone wall with locks. Within the walls of the temple there are 4 Buddhist stupas. All structures are constructed of two types of materials: red stone and sandstone.
4. Brahmavihara Arama is the largest Buddhist temple on the island of Bali . It is operational, built in 1969. The building is decorated according to all traditions of Buddhism: intricate interior decoration, many flowers and greenery, golden statues of Buddha, orange roofs.