Dieng Temple lies in ruin

DIENG, Central Java: Dieng Temple, the oldest temple in Central Java, has been waiting in vain for restoration because archeologists have no idea of its original structure.

The temple on the scenic Dieng plateau has remained in ruins while experts and government officials have spent years seeking foreign technical advise on the restoration.

"We will not stop seeking technical input to restore this beautiful temple," Banjarnegara regent Haji Nurachmad told The Jakarta Post last week.

Local archeologists have gone all the way to the Netherlands and Britain to get a mockup of the temple, but to no avail.

The Dieng temple is one of the 17 Pendawa temples spread over the plateau, which is a beautiful holiday spot.

Archeologists have said the temples were built in the seventh and eighth centuries. The temples were all named after Javanese shadow puppet characters.

The Dieng temple was built as a Hindu monastery and place of worship.

The Banjarnegara tourist office's chief, Soeyanto, said Dutch archeologist Van Erp had found the temples submerged in a lake. Years later, a British expert found underground channels around the complex to discharge the water. (wah)