Travelistar: The Prambanan Plain, Land of Ancient Ruins (part 3 of 3)

Top of Candi Sewu

Surrounding Temples

Not far from Prambanan Compound, we can see other smaller ancient ruins. They are Candi Lumbung, Candi Bubrah and Candi Sewu. The last one is somehow got my interest. Only few hundreds meters walk and we can see them right away. There isn't much left from the first two ruins I saw. At the ruins of Candi Lumbung we shall see a badly damaged central building surrounded by smaller temples. By looking at the architectural type, we can see that it is a Budhist Candi. Only four or five smaller temples survived or well restored, each has stupa on its top.

At the ruin of Candi Bubrah, initially was just a bunch of shapeless piled rocks, is a restoration in progress. It seems that they are building a new one, based on the original rock structure as its foundation. I have know idea if it will still hold the name ancient, since most of the materials are new. What was a shapeless ruins is now become a beautiful new building. Such a deceiving status.

main Temple of Candi Lumbung

Inside Candi Lumbung

Smaller Temples

Statue of Budhist Deity

Ruins of Candi Sewu

At the ruins of Candi Sewu, however, we can see compound of ancient Budhist monastery. Similar to Prambanan Compound, it has one large structure at the center that surrounded by many smaller candis. As many as two hundred and ninety-six temples, this where the name comes from, Sewu means many refers to the many structures. At the entrances in all four directions, we can see the giant guardian statues called the Dwarapalas. Each holding a baseball stick like weapon.

Ruins of Candi Sewu, to me, is the most exotic Budhist ancient ruins. The shape is typical Budhist but in a unique way. Unlike Borobudur that intensify on its massive scale to be the admiration point, Candi Sewu is rather more artistic. It has both Budhism and Hinduism aspect on its architecture. Maybe the reigning dinasty, which was Hindus, has influenced the architecture at the time of its construction.

Many surrounding temples has become heap of rocks, but in square shape foundation. Some of them are well restored. This what makes the ruins looks exotic. As if we are exploring the ruins in original shape when it was rediscovered a hundred years ago. Thanks to Thomas Stamford Raffless colonial administration, where many ancient ruins like Borobudur and Prambanan to be rediscovered and maintained as well as first attempt of restoration. Though they also robbed many of Javanese historical objects like part of Candi or Javanese ancient literatures during their five years British colonial administration (1811-1816) in Java.

Deity figure at smaller temple of Candi Sewu

View from main temple of Candi Sewu

However, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffless succeed in constructing, more than any historian today (as he claimed), Java's history in his monumental book "The History of Java". In his book he mentions about the Candi Sewu:

"The exterior of this great temple contains great variety of ornamental sculpture; but no human or emblematical figures, or even niches in the wall, as in all the small temples surrounding it. The capital of the pilasters (as in the niches in the body of the temples) are indeed supported by the very diminutive figures before mentioned; but nothing further appears in that way throughout the whole structure. The style, taste, and manner of execution, are everywhere light , chaste, and beautiful, evincing a fertile invention, most delicate workmanship, and experience in the art. All the figures occupying the niches of the smaller temples (and there were thirteen to each of the two hundred and ninety-six) are wonderful variety of mythological characters, which the Brahmin said figured in the Hindu legends". (History of Java II, page 22, Sir Thomas Stamford Rafless)

I don't think there is a better description of this temple than the above paragraph written by Rafless himself. All I could feel during my visit was admiration of Javanese craftsmanship, of how they managed to built such structures in many different ways, though they are in the same location. There is, however, two more ancient compound called Candi Plaosan Lor and Candi Plaosan Kidul that located only about five hundred meters from these ruins. Only that we ran out of time, so I wasn't able to complete my mission on Prambanan Plain.

Discovering remains of ancient civilization, for me, is not just to enjoy the grandeur and architectural design. It is more to learn how our ancestor live their life. And to understand the culture and level of welfare that they have, so that they could built such monumental creations. Civilization is not just great building, it derived from the word civil that could become civilian which mean the people. So civilization is about how the people live, how they interact one to another, and about their characteristic.