Dieng Temple

The Dieng Plateau in Central Java has certainly been a sacred place for a very long time. Although no megalithic remains have been found there, even the name Di-hyang points to a prehistoric site. The word hyang means deity or deified ancestor and it is still used in three mountainous places in Java; for the lyang Mountains of East Java, the Priangan (Para-hyangan) heights in West Java and for Dieng itself.

The Dieng Plateau is over 2,000 meters above sea level, with the Sumbing and Sundoro Mountains, each over 3,000 meters, standing like portals at its eastern end, and the road from Yogyakarta passing between them. The area is volcanic. There are holes filled with boiling mud, the bubbles breaking with a distinct “plop”, steam issues with a shriek and a hiss from vents in a gorge, where, people say, Gatotkaca, hero of the wayang stories, was immersed in the steam as an infant to make him invulnerable. There are also occasional earthquakes, while a number of villagers have been killed by the sudden effusion of gases.

But not all the plateau is dangerous and volcanic. It is also a misty area, thanks to its height and the swampy ground, and the series of lakes and rivers that thread it. Finally, it is one of the few places in Indonesia where frost can lie on the ground in the mornings. With all these physical properties, it is not difficult to see why Dieng should attracted early worshippers.

The Hindu temple to be found on this plateau were built in the late eighth to early 9th centuries and recognized as the oldest temple of Java. Their history is entirely lost, but it is assumed they are connected with the Sanjaya dynasty. At one time, the buildings once filled an area about 1.8 x 0.8 kilometers, possibly making a large town with a fortress or palace and houses for the sanctuary attendants and pilgrims. The swampy land was once well drainage with deep gutters, some of which, now deep underground, are still functioning, new raised walks help today’s visitors to see the remains and the on-going excavations.

It is surmised that the present villagers may be descendants of early dwellers, for their heads and features differ from those of the Javanese on the rich rice lands that sound the plateau. However that maybe, they and their ancestors have imbibed a deep spirit of mysticism, related to the Javanese culture.

They have named all the temples after heroes and heroines of the wayang stories of the Mahabharata, quite forgetting that once they were obviously dedicated to that great force of the universe, the trinity of the Hindu religion, which is Creator, Preserve, and Destroyer, all in one. Some of the villagers even tell a romantic story of an underground tunnel being built to enable a princess of Mojopahit to escape from confinement. But the underground tunnels are drains that still perform their function, and the 14th century empire of Mojopahit was still some 600 years in the future when the drains were built! Still, it makes a good story, and Dieng is certainly an enchanting place.


source: http://tourism-joglosmart.blogspot.com/