Temple architecture in Java and Bali

The earliest reference to Java is in Rāmāyaṇa, according to which the King Sugrīva, the friend and ally of Rāmacandra, is stated to have sent out search-parties in quest of Sītā, among other places to the island of Java (Yavadvīpa). The Indian colonization of Java was completed in fifth century A. D. when an extensive commerce was carried with Gujarat. This island is in Malava Archipelago and received the same form of religio-cultural upsurge as other countries of greater India by means of progressive movements which infiltrated into it during the courses of the first millennium. Owing to the longitudinal shape and orientation of the island as a whole, it has been found expendient [expedient?] to resolve the country politically into three regions, referred to as West-Middle, Middle and East and accordingly Percy Brown has described the building art of Java.

The western region does not possess architectural records. The central division, termed as Mid-Java is famous for a site known as the D. Jung Plateau where a group of Viṣṇuite [Vishnuite] temple was erected about the 8th century A.D., These Hindu temples represent the earliest phase of the building art in Java. A century later Mahayan [Mahayana] Buddhism also began to make its appeal and for some considerable time as shown by their monuments, the two religions flourished side by side.

“This combined movement led to the consummation of the architectural effort in the island, referred to as the Golden Age, where in Mid-Java, in an area, not far removed from the more recent capital of Jokyakarta, the finest examples were created, culminating in the grandest of all Buddhist buildings the stupa of Borobudur (C. 850 A.D.)—Brown”.

The Golden Age of Javanese architecture abruptly ended early in the tenth century. In the eleventh century, a fresh move was initiated which lasted till 15th century when the people accepted Islam. Thus a newly oriented another movement on the part of the Indonesians, brought forth a reversion to a form of folk-art. Finally the occupation of the island by the Dutch in the 18th century A.D. brought in European forms which are the main features in the modern style. Percy Brown has presented a very informative tabulation in his book ‘Indian Architecture’ on page 232.

This tabulation makes an interesting reading for us when we see that in the golden age of Mid Java the temples of Bhīma, Arjuna and other Hindu temples also found a remarkable impetus for their foundation and dedication along with so many religious buildings of Buddhist attribution.

The Djeng temples have been designated by the names of the heroes of the Mahābhārata, such as Bhīma and Arjuna, but they were originally dedicated to Viṣṇu. The Bhīma resembles with the brick temple at Bhitagaon near Kanpur. After this initial Brahmanical phase as illustrated by the shrines at Djeng, a period of Buddhism intervened when a number of large and important buildings were erected on a separate site in Mid-Java, which were inspired by the advent in the island by the Sailendra of Sumatra (760-850) a powerful Buddhist dynasty “whose influence extended over a very large portion of south-east Asia towards the 8th century A. D. Their domination over a great part of Java stimulated the architectural aspirations of the people to a remarkable degree, so much so that the productions of the Sailendra-Sumatra period in Mid-java were of such a high order as to entitle this movement to be designated as already mentioned the Golden Age in Java’s architectural history.”

A large number of temples were built of which the most notable ones are the Kalason (778), the Sari, the Memdul (880) and the Pawn, which represent a phase in the building art of Java of great significance.

“But contracting with the relatively moderate dimensions of the above, and included with this group, as it was built about the same time, is the stupa of Borobudur, the largest and most remarkable monument erected to the Buddhist faith, and therefore in every way standing in a class by itself”.

The Kala-an is dedicated to the Buddhist Mahayan goddess Tara and is planned in shape of a Great Cross. In the opinion of Percy Brown, the general character of the work on the Kalsan temple and other examples of this group, seems most nearly allied to the art of Bengal of the Pāla period (8th century A.D.). On the upper band the temple of Mandut is the most expressive of the Javanese art.