Have you ever found a treasure?
Once buried for centuries, Candi Sambisari finally finds its way to the light.
Today, we got to see its beautiful intricate details and architecture, thanks to the local’s farmer who was casually tending his farm back in 1966. This mysterious temple has a little information and history around it mainly because there’s a few pieces of evidence that could support the history of this temple. Even the naming itself was named after the village it was found)rather than its actual name like some temples in Indonesia as usually there is a scripture or prashastis that mentions the name of the place and its function. It was also difficult to determine who built this building. The only thing that historians can do was search through some evidence found inside and surrounding the temple, then match it with the religion that the kingdom believes.
Candi Sambisari is a hindu temple based on Shaivism, a major hindu tradition that worships Shiva. This temple was presumably built around 9 centuries under the rule of Rakai Garung of Ancient Mataram. And it was an interesting find as it made the historian and archaeologist wonder if there’s another temple beneath it.
The location of this temple is 20 minutes before the biggest hindu temple in Indonesia, Prambanan temple. The exact location itself is away from the main avenue and is in a hamlet of Sambisari, which bears the same name as the temple. It’s easy to get into the temple as you only have to follow google maps and it will lead you exactly to the temple.
The Architecture
To get into the main temple, visitors must go down through some stairs. And the surrounding area is decorated with wildflowers and vibrant life of butterflies and bugs. Once you go down the stairs, you will see one temple surrounded by smaller temples that is called “Perwara”. From above you could see that the shape of the area is rectangular and once you get down, it feels like something made this temple buried underground and the ground elevation lowered down. Some of the temple's stones are missing and I believe that there could be potential buildings around it. Unfortunately, visitors aren’t allowed to go inside of it unlike the previous years where they were allowed in. So, I couldn’t actually see the lingam and the yoni that is located inside. Compared to a Buddhist temple, the top part of the temple is a bit spikier than round. So, if you spot a similar structure, know that it’s Hindu site rather than a buddhist one.
The stones themselves are pretty much similar like prambanan and borobudur. They are andesite stones which are common around this area. The walls are surrounded by some flowery carvings. There are many functions of why a temple is built. With this one, there’s no accurate information as to why it was built. Unlike many temples that I visited, this one doesn’t have any story to tell relating to even moral teachings.
Pictures From the Temple
Here’s how the temple looks from the side.
First, get down from any of the stairs like this one.
Enters the gate
See the temple from the side.
The main temple from the front side. Inside of it, there's yoni and lingam.
The temple from the left side.
Perwara temple (small temple surrounding the main temple)
The reliefs on the temple's wall
The information board of the temple where you can read the details of the temple.
| History of Discovery | The Architecture | Galleries(pictures from the temple) |
|---|---|---|
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If you are lucky, there are so many beautiful butterflies in this area. And good luck catching one, as I did in the butterfly effect post.
I visited this place with two of my cousins. They weren’t as excited as I was. I can understand that as they seem to enjoy nature more than temples or architecture. But they were quite appreciative that they could see a building that could stand for centuries. In my cousin's words, he said, “ People these days are always questioning,” I am bored, what to do”. In the past, if they’re bored, they could build a building that could last for centuries, how awesome is that!”
 | Mac is a jack of all trades. A typical introvert in love with literature, books, technology and philosophy. She is also so into nootropics, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than that, she is passionate about cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, donut cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, leave a comment or a feedback. A re-blog is also appreciated. |