Hindu and Buddha archeological sites found in West Sumatra

Hindu and Buddha archeological sites found in West Sumatra

Kasparman, The Jakarta Post, Padang, West Sumatra

Archeologists from the West Sumatra Ancient Heritage
Conservation Center are studying historical objects that were
recently found in six Hindu and Buddha archeological sites in
Sawahlunto Sijunjung and Limapuluh Kota regencies.

Head of the center, Marsis Sutopo said on Thursday the
findings would provide new evidence of the development of
civilization in Sumatra, which, like other parts of the country,
encompassed cultural heritage of Hindu, Buddha and Islam.

He said his team of archeologists discovered five sites in
Sawahlunto along the Batanghari River which runs down the Bukit
Barisan mountain. They are located in Pulau Sawah, Bukit Awang,
Padang Rocok, Rambahan and Padang Laweh areas, with temples found
in the first three places.

Marsis said four temples were uncovered in Pulau Sawah, along
with some artifacts from the Dharmasraya Kingdom, such as a
statue of Goddess Durga Mahesasuramardhini and a statue depicting
a man sitting on a raft.

There were five statues discovered in the compound of Padang
Rocok temple, one of them is a giant statue that resembles the
Adityawarman statue in the Jakarta National Museum. There is a
moat surrounding the temple, which archeologists believe was used
as part of their defense.

Marsis said that the Batanghari River was the main road access
to major towns in West Sumatra and Jambi kingdoms in the past.
Old manuscripts describes that delegates of Singasari Kingdom in
East Java sailed through the river as part of their Pamalayu
expedition to Malacca Kingdom in the 13th century.

Marsis said the giant statue of Adityawarman was one of the
expedition's scattered belongings.

The Dharmasraya Kingdom, according to Marsis, existed between
the 13th century and 14th century. He said that the kingdom was
moved from Batanghari River to Pagaruyung by King Adityawarman in
a bid to save his crown from the enemy.

In Limapuluh Kota regency, the archeologists uncovered a
titanic stone from the Megalith era in Taeh Bukik village, some
120 kilometers east of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra.
Marsis said that the stone had thin lines, inscribed with the
stars' orbit and some scratches of Pallawan letters.

Regent Alis Maradjo said that he would find a historian to
read the writings on the stone. He said the local people called
the stone as "Batu Borobono (Borobono Stone).

He said there were also some stones found near the foot of
Bunsu Mountain, one of fascinating tourist sites in the regency.
The stones were located at a site of 600 meters above sea level
is believed to be linked to the Borobono stone.

The regency is a home to at least eight archeological sites,
one of the most ancient sites situated in Mahat, where thousands
of megalith stones, menhir, and phallus of Hindus temple are
found.

Earlier this month, a group of archeologists from the Bandung
Archeologists Council and the Serang Historical Heritage
Conservation Office unearthed seven menhirs, which symbolize men,
at a temple site in Bojongmenje, Cangkuang Rancaekek, some 25
kilometers southeast of Bandung, West Java. Menhir is usually
found in Hindu temples.

Also unearthed was a Hindu Temple in Ringinamon village,
Magelang, Central Java while a team of archeologists discovered a
stone statue of the Hindu god Siva, which is believed to be from
the fifth century, in the Kalasan district, just three kilometers
from the renowned Prambanan temple.