indragandul:

Visit Indonesia

Mother Temple of Besakih is the biggest Hindu temple in Bali which the local people call Pura Besakih. It is one of the most important temple of the Hindu religion in Bali and has a beautiful view from the top of the temple area. At the top, you can see a wide panorama of nature extending to the ocean. via allaboutindonesia:

The Borobudur is a giant Buddist temple complex in Central Java (Jawa Tengah), Indonesia. There is no written record of the construction and experts believe that it is most likely built between the 8th and 9th century during the Sailendra dynasty. The building sits on a mountain and has nine so-called stupas. The first 5 make up the piramidacal base of the structure, on top of that are 3 circular stoepa´s and finally there is one big stupa on top of all the others. Around the 3 circular stupa´s are 72 open stupa´s with statues of Buddha inside. In the 10th of 11th century the temple was abandoned, and only rediscovered at the end of the 19th, after which the structure was cleared from the vegetation, and finally at the end of the 20th century it was restored with the help of the UNESCO. Near to the Borobudur is the Hindi Prambanan Temple, which is also on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Photographer: Hawkson

Uluwatu Temple

(Pura Luhur Uluwatu)

Getting here:

About 45 minutes from Nusa Dua, or 1 hr 15 minutes from Kuta or Tuban area. From Nusa Dua, the hilly road will pass through Pecatu, (in)famous for its uncompleted monument and luxury homes. If you are from Kuta, similar hill climbing road through Kedodongan and Jimbaran Hills (and Bay) will bring you here.

Description and Image Source

A favored surfingspot for many. A beautiful hideaway between high cliffs. Uluwatu, Bali - Indonesia. via inqrid

Prambanan Temple

The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, currently is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the towering 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples

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Entry Points to Visit Indonesia , Do’s and Don’ts, General Information to Visit Indonesia, Foreign Representatives

1. Raja Ampat, West Papua

2. Bira Beach, South Sulawesi

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empireofcyr:

The Hidden Buddhist Temple of Borobudur at Sunrise

Source: Stuck in Customs’ Photostream

indonesie:

Candi Prambanan Yogyakarta by zsoolt

coffeeatyosi:

borobudur

Borobudur temple, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Borobudur by *rayhanna

The Exotic Ceto Temple on the Side of Mount Lawu

At 1,400 meters above sea level, on the western slopes of Mount Lawu, Surakarta, Central Java, there stands a temple. These are the archeological remains of the Kingdom of Majapahit from the mid 14th century and the temple is believed to have supranatural powers within its exotic shape.

At a glance Candi Ceto - candi means temple - looks like the building of Pura Besakih, one of the biggest Hindu temples in Bali. Its grandiose main entrance, layered on all levels, indeed gives an impression of the concept of Hindu worship. And, in accordance with the king who commisioned its building, that is King Brawijaya V of the Kingdom of Majapahit in East Java, this temple does have a history rooted in Hindu teaching, the religion that the king embraced.

Although it has a Hindu background, Candi Ceto’s form is different from other Hindu temples built in 7th and 8th centuries in Centra Java such as Prambanan temple. It is fair to say that this temple is a building with special and unique form of architecture, a work of contemporary art in its time.

To reach this temple from Solo in a car, you’ll need about an hour. Around 10 kilometres from the temple the road starts to twist and climb, the higher you get, the more it twists and the steeper it gets.

Another note for drivers: do not be tempted to look right and left to enjoy the gorgeous views of the fertile slopes. If you want to savour the equatorial beauty of this absolute gem of a location, you’d better stop your vehicle and enjoy the views across the lovely expanse of tea plantations.

The air is cool up here at 1,400 metres and there is a spectacular panorama. It is even more beautiful in the evening when Karanganyar and Surakarta are bathed in colourful lights.

From the courtyard, we can already feel the vibe of the temple’s grandeur and sacredness. The towering gate with Mount Lawu in the background feels as though it is taking visitors into another dimension. Walking onto the first terrace, we encounter two statues in respectful poses as if they are welcoming us to go up to the next level.

Archeologists say when the temple was found by one of their Dutch predecessors in 1842, there were about 14 levels (courtyards). But, in the 1970s the temple was restored by people entrusted with the task by President Soeharto and their work was based on mystical concepts and so now there are only 9 terraces.

Experts think that the renovation not following archeological references was a mistake. This explains the announcement posted on the Candi Sukuh information board that the restoration was carried out by a New Order businessman and is in conflict with archeological principles. However, despite the for and against arguments, the artefact from the end of the kingdom of Majapahit is both unique and artistic. It is terraced and each terrace is marked with a gate.

Perhaps one of the most defining things in this temple is the statue on the seventh terrace. A phallus with a ball pierced on its top beside a mortar (for pounding rice) which probably symbolizes female genitals.

The two genital symbols with exotic shape are believed to have several meanings, one of which is fertility. Then there are a big turtle and various creepy crawlies artistically arranged. On this terrace the followers of Kejawen (Javansese traditional beliefs) perform their rituals and meditations.

These symbols of phallus and vagina are actually a different form of the statues of Lingga and Yoni found in many earlier Hindu temples, with a different design which makes them look like a UFO landing site if seen from above.

On the subsequent terraces there are many statues and reliefs of Sudhamala, and also of Sabdo Palon and Noyoginggong believed to be King Brawijaya V’s beloved servants. On the 8th terrace, on the left side, there is a quite big phallus complete with an incense bowl in front of it. On the last terrace there is a cut pyramid on top of which sits a cubical altar which always has a red and white cloth wrapped around it.

That’s the exotic Candi Ceto on the slopes of Mount Lawu, which right up till the present day is used for worship by the followers of Kejawen and Hindus from Java and Bali.

Going to Surakarta (Solo):
Garuda Indonesia flies the Jakarta-Solo vv route 21 times per week. 

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