Exploring lost great kingdoms in East Java province

By Simon Marcus Gower

MALANG, East Java (JP): The great temple sites of Central Java are well known, even world famous. The abundance of structures at the Hindu complex of Prambanan, the monumental vastness of the Buddhist Borobudur temple and the remarkable landscape and setting of the temples situated on the Dieng Plateau are, rightly, much respected and honored architectural and religious sites. But East Java, too, has its share of ancient temples and shrines; and though perhaps not as large or famous as those of Central Java, they are the last structural reminders of the great kingdoms that once ruled these lands.

Whilst these sites may not have the scale of the likes of Borobudur or Prambanan they are nonetheless significant. Visiting them one may encounter some remarkable stone structures, sculptures and carvings; and one may even begin to get an inkling of what the long lost kingdoms that created them might have been like.

From a base in Malang it is possible to visit with ease some of the many ancient structures that proliferate in East Java. On a small road out of Malang, in a village called Tumpang, stands Candi Kidal. (It is worth taking a moment out here to explain what a candi is. A reasonable definition would be "ancient shrine". Javanese candi are, then, shrines but also temples of worship to Gods. As will be seen, many of East Java's candi seem to have served as places that honor both heavenly Gods and earthly humans.)

Candi Kidal is a single tower construction now surrounded by village houses. It was built in the middle of the 13th century as a memorial to King Anusapati and, doubtless, in those far off times and lost kingdoms a tall building such as this -- it stands perhaps 15 metres in height -- would have been a focal and domineering point in the lives of the local people. Its stone carvings add to its impressive nature. In particular, the fearsome Kala heads (death and blackness images) that gaze down from above the tower's doorways are liable to give a fright.

On to Candi Jago and again one encounters an ancient shrine in the midst of modern day Indonesia. This shrine has a local school as a neighbor and consequently among the visitors to this site are school children on their breaks. Climbing precariously all over the monument, however, they may not be the most welcome of visitors.

Jago is a funeral monument to King Vishnuvardhana of the Singasari kingdom. Built in the latter half of the 13th century it is now somewhat ruined, but running around all five of its levels are quite remarkable relief carvings, telling a combination of Buddhist, Hindu and local legends.

Moving on from Candi Jago one may go on to Singasari. This is a tower of similar "Javanese" design to that of Kidal, but is perhaps a little taller with less relief carving and signs of craftsmanship. It is a powerful structural entity and, once again, aggressive Kala heads gaze upon the visitor as they have done for centuries.

The tower was constructed around 1300 as a monument to Kertanagara, the last king of the Singasari kingdom and nearby stand two giant (more than 3-metre tall) stone-carved monsters (Dvarapala) at what once must have been the entrance gate to the Singasari kingdom. Resting on their knees and clutching enormous clubs, one is almost in fear as one approaches them. Though of solid stone, the skill of their carving creates the feeling that at any moment they might come to life, rise up and crush all before them. In the dark days of the 13th and 14th centuries one can well imagine the fear and awe such figures must have created.

Leaving Singasari one may head for the hill resort of Batu. There, amongst the holiday homes, hotels and swimming pools, lie the tiny remnants of Candi Songgoriti. Little is left of this candi other than a few statues and ruined stones that suggest that a larger building once stood there. The principal feature of this site is a hot spring well that bubbles up immediately below the temple's remains.

Oldest

On the road back to Malang a stop may be made at Candi Badut. This plain, box-like structure, (along with the remains of Songgoriti) is the oldest candi in East Java, dating back to the 8th century.

It is a Hindu temple built in honor of Gajayana of the Kanjuruhan kingdom. Standing among rice fields and on the edge of urban development, perhaps the most unusual aspect of this candi is its name. Badut is usually translated as "joker" or even "clown", which seems an unusual title for a place of worship.

In nearly all of these stones shrines there is a combination of Buddhist and Hindu design that tells of the remarkable assimilation of faiths that ancient Javanese kingdoms were able to accommodate. (Such assimilation is, perhaps, something that modern Indonesia could do with in these troubled times of religious conflict.)

But ulterior motives may have been at work in 13th and 14th century East Java. A Singasari king, for example, may have been considered an incarnation of a Hindu God such as Vishnu, but would simultaneously hold Buddhist beliefs. Thus many such kings would have been manipulating the religious beliefs (whether Buddhist or Hindu) of their people to bolster their sovereign status.

Many of the carvings, then, depict kings as players in the religious stories being represented. Portrait sculptures and carvings place these monarchs into the myths and legends being depicted. In this way the link between gods and monarchs was being made directly, and consequently the kings were being deified to become god-kings.

The Majapahit kingdom was, perhaps, the most successful of these East Javanese kingdoms. Traveling from Malang to Blitar allows one to see the most significant candi in all of East Java -- Candi Panataran. This is a Majapahit development and it is the most extensive temple/ shrine in East Java.

The sleepy little town of Blitar's main claim to fame is that it was the birthplace of Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, and it is where his mausoleum now stands. But just a short drive out of town brings you to Panataran. This is a complex of various structures that range from tower forms like those at Kidal and Singasari to the box-like, tiered structures of Jago and Badut.

To the rear of the complex there is even a pond, now occupied by numerous fish, in which crystal clear water stands. The extent and variety of structures and sculptures suggest that Panataran may have been more than just a temple or shrine to a god or king. The finery of the carvings hints at the importance of this place within the life of a successful Kingdom.

Donation

Relatively little of these ancient kingdoms remains now, but perhaps something of the spirit and respect for those kingdoms lives on. Upon leaving all of these sites one is obliged to make a small donation. The etiquette of visiting these sites seems to include signing the visitors' book and leaving some money that may help maintain the buildings etc ... though there is always the fear that such a donation may in fact be cigarette money. At Candi Panataran, however, a different experience awaits.

An elderly lady may be encountered sweeping the stones of the monuments. She will speak her age, though her dialect and a speech impediment make understanding difficult. However, one instinctively knows that in giving her a donation for the upkeep of the candi one is almost certainly donating to a descendant of those long lost kingdoms -- the very spirit of the place.

The prosperity and success of these kingdoms adds to the significance of these monuments. The Majapahit kingdom grew to be a large and important player in the life of early Southeast Asia. With relative sophistication in politics, diplomacy, literature and arts it rose to form a major empire. In the field of commerce it grew to such an extent that it could attract trade from across South and East Asia -- from India to the Siamese and Khmers across to the Chinese mainland.

These lost kingdoms still occasionally feature in modern Indonesia. Famous names from these kingdoms, such as Hayam Wuruk (Majapahit king 1350-1389) and Gajah Mada (Majapahit leader 1331- 1364) have given their names to roads in Jakarta and many other major cities. The numerous candi of East Java are a testimony to the fact that these kingdoms may be lost but are still with us.