Scripts of Hinduism
Wisdom
for Tribute (by Ms.Sushama
Londhe ji)
The Aussie Kavadiya
Carl Vadivella Belle,
former Australian diplomat and a devotee of Murugan, talks about his first
visit to a Hindu temple and his interest in Hinduism:
"I was posted in Kuala Lumpur in the '70s. Shortly after my arrival, we were taken to a Murugan temple in Kelang. I was curious about the temple and about Hinduism; I knew very little about the major religions in Malaysia. Malaysians were friendly and were willing to explain their religious beliefs to me.
"I first attended Thai Poosam, a festival associated with Muruga, as an observer in January 1978, at Batu Caves, Malaysia. I was fascinated by enthusiasm of the people who carried kavadis, a wooden stick with two baskets. Later, friends in Malaysia sent me introductory religious material. One of the wisest pieces of advice was offered by an old Telugu friend who wrote to me with cautionary comments. I was told that I should fast for six weeks before taking a kavadi, abstain from alcohol, practise vegetarianism and sleep by myself on the floor.
"I was posted in Kuala Lumpur in the '70s. Shortly after my arrival, we were taken to a Murugan temple in Kelang. I was curious about the temple and about Hinduism; I knew very little about the major religions in Malaysia. Malaysians were friendly and were willing to explain their religious beliefs to me.
"I first attended Thai Poosam, a festival associated with Muruga, as an observer in January 1978, at Batu Caves, Malaysia. I was fascinated by enthusiasm of the people who carried kavadis, a wooden stick with two baskets. Later, friends in Malaysia sent me introductory religious material. One of the wisest pieces of advice was offered by an old Telugu friend who wrote to me with cautionary comments. I was told that I should fast for six weeks before taking a kavadi, abstain from alcohol, practise vegetarianism and sleep by myself on the floor.
"This was new to
me; most Westerners are not used to practising restraint in any way at all!
Later, I adopted the Hindu way of life. I was christened Carl Donald Belle. I
changed my name in 1980s after my third kavadi. I felt that as a Hindu, I
should have a Hindu name and so chose to be called Vadivel meaning Muruga. The
name was adopted after consulting temple
kurukkals or priests at a major
Murugan temple in Kuala Lumpur.
I also became a vegetarian.
I took my
first kavadi in the early '80s. Thai Poosam has been the main focus of my
religious pilgrimages. I think to a large extent this also reflects my
philosophical approach. The festival commemorates Muruga's acquisition of the
Shakti Vel, a weapon he uses to vanquish evil. The act is symbolic of
subjugating the ego; it's an inner journey. One of the greatest features of
Hinduism is the acceptance that there is a diversity of paths to
Self-realisation. I visited the Muruga shrines in 1990s, and I was fortunate enough to join a pilgrimage group on a padayatra that commenced in Palakkad in Kerala and finished in Palani on Thai Poosam day. I was treated with extraordinary kindness during the yatra, and the philosophical conversations greatly enhanced my knowledge. I liked the Muruga seashore temple at Tiruchendur; there I had a powerful spiritual experience. My wife and I plan to spend three to six months in India, over the next few years and visit temples, shrines and monuments all over the country.
In 2005, I was awarded a doctorate for my thesis: Thai Poosam in Malaysia: A
Hindu Festival Misunderstood.I plan to convert this thesis to a book. This was a great experience, because it gave me an understanding of different philosophical pathways within Hinduism.
(source:
The Aussie Kavadi - hinduismtoday.com).
***
Cambodia’s Ancient Lord Shiva
Temple Reopens The fabled 11th-Century Baphuon Shiva temple in the Angkor Thom complex of Cambodia reopened on July 3, 2011, after half a century of reconstruction work. Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia, and is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Described as the world's largest puzzle, renovation work which began in the 1960s but interrupted by Cambodia's civil war, involved dismantling the monument's 300,000 almost unequal sandstone blocks and putting them back together again. All documents to reassemble the Baphuon puzzle were reportedly destroyed by the communist Khmer Rouge regime that came to power in 1975.
This great pyramidal, three-tiered intricately carved ancient temple, one of the largest monuments of Cambodia, was said to be on the brink of collapse when reconstruction work was undertaken.
The inauguration ceremony on July 3, 2011, was attended by Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and French Prime Minister Francois Fillon in Siem Reap province, about 143 miles northwest of capital Phnom Penh. France funded this $14 million undertaking, in which no mortar fills the cracks so each stone has its own place in the monument. Baphuon, one of Cambodia's biggest temples after Angkor Wat, is believed to have been the state temple of King Udayadityavarman II, built in circa 1060 AD
It has Shiva lingam, scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata, depiction of Krishna, Shiva, Hanuman, Sita, Vishnu, Rama, Agni, Ravana, Indrajit, Nila-Sugriva, Asoka trees, Lakshmana, Garuda, Pushpaka, Arjuna, and other Hindu Gods and historical characters.The Angkor Archaeological Park contains magnificent remains of over 1000 temples going back to ninth century, spread over about 400 square kilometers, and receives about three million visitors annually.
(source: Cambodia’s Ancient Shiva Temple Reopens after 50 Years of Renovation - hinduism.about.com).
As the largest Hindu
masterpiece temple in Java, the ethereally slender and graceful temple of Prambanan
is a magnificent spectacle to behold and an icon of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. The
beautiful enchantment of Prambanan Temple stands testimony as the greatest Hindu
cultural heritage in Indonesia,
seen not only from its incredibly architecture and layout, but also its unique
and awesome history and legend. The grandeur, complexity, and integrated
architectural concept of Prambanan makes this a truly amazing structure. As a
unique cultural and architectural marvel, Prambanan was declared a World
Heritage site in 1991 by UNESCO.
Java was
known by Indian chroniclers before 600 BCE. The name Java comes from the
Sanskrit Jawadwip, which means a (dvip) island (yawa) shaped like a
barley corn. The Vedic Indians must have charted Java, Yawadvip, thousands of
years ago because Yawadvip is mentioned in India's earliest epic, the
Ramayana. The Ramayana reveals some knowledge of the eastern regions beyond
seas; for instance Sugriva dispatched his men to Yavadvipa, the island of Java, in search of Sita. It speaks of Burma as the
land of silver mines. The Agni Purana, along with many other Puranas,
calls India proper as
Jambudvipa as distinguished from Dvipantara or India
of the islands or overseas India. Towards
the end of the fifth century, Aryabhatta, the Indian astronomer, wrote that
when the sun rose in Ceylon
it was midday in Yavakoti (Java) and midnight in the Roman land. In the Surya
Siddhanta reference is also made to the Nagari Yavakoti with golden walls and
gates.The Indian influence over South-East Asia expanded a lot during the time of Pallavas between the fifth and seventh centuries and the influence was mainly seen in Cambodia. In Indonesia, Srivijaya, a maritime power and dynasty which controlled the empire stretching from Sumatra to Malaya, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam arose from obscurity in the 8th century. Srivijaya was an Indianized polity, with its capital near Palembang in South Eastern Sumatra. Rival to the Srivijaya dynasty was the joint kingdoms of Sailendra and Sanjaya based in central Java. It was during their time (after 780 CE) that the temple building activity flourished in the island. These temples were based on the layout and elevation of the Pallavan and Chalukyan temples which were based on Vastu Shastra.
What is surprising is the attitude of modern Marxist Indian historians towards the cultural past of Southeast Asia. With their appetite for knowledge Indian historians could have made an impressive study. But on the whole they have remained generally indifferent, not even attempting to integrate their own ancient history with that of their neighbors.
The Ramayana and Mahabharata are still are
favorite themes for performances in Indonesia not only in Hindu Bali
but also in Islamic Java. These epics exert an enormous attraction on a broad
layer of society in the Indonesian islands
An Ancient Spiritual center
The oldest site of Hindu civilization on Java
The oldest site of Hindu civilization on Java
The architectural remains and sculpture of the Dieng (Di-hyang)
plateau, where stone construction is for the first time employed in Java, dates
from the 7th or early 8th century. The architectural
forms show clear analogies with those of the Gupta, Pallava and early Calukya of
the Indian mainland. Architecture and ornament are reserved, and in perfect
correlation; and though we could not imagine these monuments in India proper,
nevertheless they are more Indian than Javanese.
The Dieng plateau represented, not a civil capital, but a place of
pilgrimage comparable to the Jaina temple cities of Palitana and Girnar in
Western India; permanently inhabited only by priests and temple servants, and
for the rest providing only temporary accommodation for pilgrims, amongst other
for the king who visited the plateau once a year. The temples are small and
mutually independent. Out of a much larger number, only eight are now standing.
The leading characteristic of the style is a generally box-like or cubic
construction with vertical and horizontal lines strongly emphasized. Each
temple consist of a single cell, approached by a porch or vestibule projecting
from one face of the outer wall, the tree other wall surfaces being divided by
pilasters into three parts occupied by projecting niches or sculptured panels.
The roof repeats the form of the main cell; the interior is a plain hollow cube
below the hollow pyramid of the roof, whose inner walls approach until the
remaining space can be covered by a single stone. A grosteque Kirtimukha crowns
the doorway and niches; the makara itself is already developed into floriated
ornament and scarcely recognizable.
This description applies to the four temples of the Arjuna group,
Candi Arjuna, Srikandi, Puntadeva and Sembhadra, and to Candi Ghatotkaca but
not of course, to Candi Semar, a small and elegant rectangular building,
perhaps originally a treasury, which forms a part of the Arjuna group. The
isolated and unique Candi Bhima presents a very different appearance. The lower
part of the building is similar to the buildings already described, but the
roof is definitely pyramidal in effect, it consists of diminishing horizontal
stages, of which the first repeats the form of the basement with pilasters, the
other relief, while the angles of the fourth and sixth stages are occupied by
three quarter ribbed amalakas. In all probability a complete amalaka crowned
the summit. Thus the roof structure corresponds exactly with that of a typical
Indo-Aryan sikhara, such as that of Parasuramesvara at Bhuvanesvara, the more
developed form of the latter differing only in that the stages are more
numerous and more closely compressed.
(source: History of Indian and Indonesian Art - By Ananda K
Coomaraswamy p. 200 - 213)
Dieng Plateau, is a marshy plateau that forms
the floor of a caldera complex on the Dieng active volcano complex, and is
located near Wonosobo, Central Java, Indonesia.
It is the site for eight
small Hindu temples from the 7th and 8th centuries, the oldest Hindu temples in
Central Java, and the first known standing
stone structures in Java.
They are originally
thought to have numbered 400 but only 8 remain. The lofty plateau of Dieng
(2093m above sea level) is home to the oldest Hindu temples in Java. Its name
comes from Di-Hyang (Abode of the Gods), and it’s thought that this was once
the site of a flourishing temple-city of priests. More than 400 temples, most
of which were built between the 8th and 9th centuries, covered the highland
plain, but with the mysterious depopulation of Central Java, this site, like
Borobudur, was abandoned and forgotten. It was not until 1856 that the
archaeologist Van Kinsbergen drained the flooded valley around the temples and
catalogued the ruins.
It is situated on the
border of Wonosobo regency and Banjanegara. Dieng temples are beautiful a view,
also looking at the history witness the ancient Hindu civilization, glance when
seen through the lens of the temple lay the usual course, such as temples
scattered generally in Java, there are piles of rocks neatly arranged to form
an artistic temple, especially supported by the natural beauty around and the
cold, making temples in Dieng was beautiful and fascinating.
They are originally
thought to have numbered 400 but only 8 remain. The lofty plateau of Dieng
(2093m above sea level) is home to the oldest Hindu temples in Java. Its name
comes from Di-Hyang (Abode of the Gods), and it’s thought that this was once
the site of a flourishing temple-city of priests. More than 400 temples, most
of which were built between the 8th and 9th centuries, covered the highland
plain, but with the mysterious depopulation of Central Java, this site, like
Borobudur, was abandoned and forgotten. It was not until 1856 that the
archaeologist Van Kinsbergen drained the flooded valley around the temples and
catalogued the ruins.
It is situated on the
border of Wonosobo regency and Banjanegara. Dieng temples are beautiful a view,
also looking at the history witness the ancient Hindu civilization, glance when
seen through the lens of the temple lay the usual course, such as temples
scattered generally in Java, there are piles of rocks neatly arranged to form
an artistic temple, especially supported by the natural beauty around and the
cold, making temples in Dieng was beautiful and fascinating.
***
The name
"Dieng" comes from Di Hyang which means "Abode of the
Gods". Its misty location almost 2000 m above sea level, and its mists,
poisonous effusions and sulphur-coloured lakes make it a particularly
auspicious place for religious tribute. The temples are small shrines built as
monuments dedicated to Lord Shiva. These chandi (temples) have been
given name based on the heroes of Pandawa family of the Mahabharata,
such as Bima, Arjuna and Gatutkaca. Beside the
temples, Dieng Plateau has several sulphur craters and a
lake named Telaga Warna (colored lake). Goa Semar cave - for meditation.
Candi Sambisari was
built in the first half of the 9th century, it was a Sivaitic sanctuary. The
central temple still contains a Shiva Linga. The external walls are decorated
with images of Durga, Ganesha and Agastya.
Candi Sambisari was
unearthed only in 1966 and is now completely reconstructed. It was covered by
volcanic ashes which preserved it for 11 centuries and now lies in a 4 meter
deep pit. The temple was buried about five metres underground. Parts
of the original temple have been excavated.
The temple was
accidentally discovered in July 1966 by a farmer when working on land that
belongs to Karyowinangun. His hoe hit the carved stone which was a part of the
buried temple ruins. The news of discovery reached the Archaeology office in
Prambanan and the area was secured. The excavation and reconstruction works was
completed in March 1987. The temple is thought to have been buried by an
eruption of volcanic ash from the nearby Mount Merapi.
The discovery of
Sambisari temple probably was the most exciting archaeological findings in
Yogyakarta in recent years, leading to speculation about whether there are
other ancient temples still underground in the vicinity, buried under Mount Merapi
volcanic ash.
History
Based on the architecture
style and ornaments of the building that resembles those on Prambanan, the
findings of Hindu statues around the temple walls, and the lingga-yoni inside
the main temple; historians concluded that Sambisari was a Shivaite Hindu
temple built around first or second decade of 9th century (circa 812-838).
This conclusion was supported by the findings of gold plate in vicinity
engraved with letters that according to paleography was used in early 9th
century ancient Java.
According to Wanua
Tengah inscription III dated 908 that contains the name of kings that ruled
Mataram
Kingdom, the temple
was probably built during the reign of Rakai Garung (ruled 828-846).
However, historians also consider that the construction of a temple was not
always issued by a king. Lesser nobles might have also ordered and funded the
construction.
Architecture
The Sambisari complex
was surrounded by rectangular wall made from white stone measured 50 meters x
48 meters. In this main yard, there are eight small lingga, four located at the
cardinal points and four others in the corners. The Sambisari temple
complex consisted of a main temple and a row of three smaller pervara
(guardian) temples in front of it.
The body of the main
temple measures 5 x 5 meters and 2.5 meters high. Around the temple walls are
niches contains statues of Hindu gods, adorned with Kala's head on top of it.
In northern niche are founds Durga statue, Ganesha statue in
eastern niche, and Agastya statue in southern niche.
The Slaughter of
Hindus by the Dutch
On May 27, 1905, a
Chinese steamer was shipwrecked on the beach of Sanur
about four miles from Badung. The Balinese looted the wreckage, as they had
done for centuries, but the Dutch Government claimed an indemnity of 75 hundred
florins from the Rajah of Badung. He considered such a request an insult
and refused to pay.
This was the excuse
the Dutch were waiting for, and in 2906 they sent an expeditionary force into South Bali. Surrounded on all sides by Dutch troops, the
defenders, seeing that their cause was lost, decided to die honorably rather
than surrender.
In September 1906, the
Dutch launched one of the most shameful and gruesome episodes in colonial
history.
During the night of September 20, the Prince
set fire to the Palace and the next morning opened the gate. Thousands of
Balinese advanced slowly towards the Dutch guns. The men, sparkling with
jewels, wore their ceremonial red, black and gold costumes, while the women,
carrying their children, wore pure white sarongs, and were also covered with
jewels and pearls. On a throne supported by the tallest warriors, the Rajah, a
slender young man, sat pale and silent. Suddenly, within fifty yards of the
Dutch, the Rajah drew his kris from its scabbard. This was the signal, and the
Balinese drew their swords. They shared a curious exaltation at the thought of
death. They dedicated themselves, and the sacrifice of their bodies was but the
shadow of reality. It was an offering to the gods in the age old struggle between
good and evil.
The Dutch Captain gave the order to
fire and the slaughter began.
The Rajah fell and so did hundreds of his
followers; wounded women stabbed their babies for fear that they should
survive, then husbands killed their wives. The Balinese warriors and children
brandishing spears and knives charged the firing canons. Three times the Dutch
ceased fire in attempt to stop the slaughter, but the Balinese had decided to
die.
The Dutch looted jewelry from the
corpses and sacked the palace ruins.
European Imperialism -
A Christian Enterprise was blessed by the Holy Pope
The Romanus Pontifex,
also issued by Pope Nicholas V in 1455, sanctioned the seizure of non-Christian
lands, and encouraged the enslavement of non-Christian people.
Apart from a few babies there were no
survivors of the massacre. This was the end – the Dutch were now the masters of
all Bali. A similar scene was repeated at the
smaller court of Pemecutan in Denpasar. If the Dutch had hoped that events
would end there, they were mistaken.
Puputan – a ritual suicide meaning end
of a kingdom.
Kshatriya honor
Kshatriya honor
The final act of Bali’s
tragedy took place in 1908. The King of Klungkung carrying his
ancestral dagger, the kris, slowly emerged from the palace. His court and
more than 200 people accompanying him to face the Dutch. The King knelt down
and a Dutch bullet killed the king. His wives knelt around his corpse and drove
keris blades into their hearts while the others began the rite of Puputan.
Klung kung palace was razed. After nearly 600 years, the Balinese courts that
had descended from the Royal Majapahit Empire of Java were gone.
Hindu Bali was now completely
under the control of the Dutch Colonists. Today, the Square in Den Pasar, the
former Badung, where it took place, has become a football ground.
Vedic India had
honorable rules in Warfare.
"The Hindu laws
of war are very chivalrous and humane, and prohibit the slaying of the unarmed,
of women, of the old, and of the conquered."
European Imperialism
was a disgraceful and cruel chapter in Human History where Despicable Greed and
Arrogance and lack of respect for ancient civilization were the principal
factors in absence of rules in warfare.
In 1920 and in 1924, more permits were
given to Catholic and Protestant Missionaries to carry on their work in Bali.
After 350 years of Imperialism, in 1945, a
republic was proclaimed and the whole archipelago took the name of Indonesia – Islands of India.
(source: Lovers in Paradise - By Barbara Cartland and Insight Guides: Java and Insight Guides: Bali and Lombok)
Until the end of the 15th century, Hinduism
was the predominant religion in the islands of Java and Sumatra.
Hinduism is said to have spread to these islands as early as the first century AD.
The Tarumanagara inscriptions of the 4th century AD are the earliest evidence
of Hindu influence in Java. Hinduism flourished in these Indonesian islands
until the arrival of Islam in the 14th century.
Indonesia is today the most
populous Muslim-majority nation, with 86.1% Muslims (2000 census) and 3%
Hindus. However, there is a self-conscious Hindu revival movement emerging from
the Javanese society with constant reference to the famous Javanese prophecies
of Sabdapalon and Jayabhaya.
It is interesting to note that the ancient
Indian Sanskrit epic, Ramayana, makes a mention of these islands. After
the abduction of Sita from the Panchavati forest, Rama and Lakshmana go in
search of her. They meet Vali and Sugreeva. Hanuman and Sugreeva near the
vicinity of the mountain Rishyamukha. Rama helps Sugreeva by killing his elder
brother Vali and making him the king of Kishkinda. In return of Rama’s help,
Sugreeva and the Vanaras agree to find Sita. Sugreeva orders Niila, his
commander to assemble the troops. He orders Vinata, a mighty vanara warrior to
search the Eastern side for Sita. While doing so he describes the islands of South East Asia.
In Kishkindha Kanda
of Valmiki Ramayana, chapter 40 verses 30, 31 and 32, the islands of Java
and Sumatra are said to have been described by
Sugreeva:
yatnavanto yava
dviipam sapta raajya upashobhitam | suvarNa ruupyakam dviipam suvarNa aakara
maNDitam || 4-40-30 yava dviipam atikramya shishiro naama parvataH | divam
spR^ishati shR^ingeNa deva daanava sevitaH || 4-40-31 eteSaam giri durgeSu
prapaateSu vaneSu ca | maargadhvam sahitaaH sarve raama patniim yashasviniim ||
4-40-32
“You strive hard in
the island of Yava, which will be splendorous with
seven kingdoms, like that even in Golden and Silver islands that are enwreathed
with gold-mines, in and around Yava islands. On crossing over Yava Island,
there is a mountain named Shishira, which touches heaven with its peak, and
which gods and demons adore. You shall collectively rake through all the
impassable mountains, waterfalls, and forests in these islands for the glorious
wife of Rama.”
The islands of Yava
mentioned in the above verses are said to be the modern day Java islands. The
Golden and Silver islands refer to Sumatra which was earlier known as
Swarnadwīpa (Island
of Gold). The seven
kingdoms may refer to the Indonesian archipelago. This clearly indicates the
knowledge of geography of regions beyond the Bharata khand by the ancient
Hindus. This also suggests that people of ancient Bharat have travelled to
these lands and back.
People in Java
believed that Rishi Agastya came from India and settled here. Usually
called Bharata Guru, Agastya is an extremely popular legendary figure in Indonesia, and
he was widely worshipped and venerated; numerous reproductions of his image in
art and sculpture are found in the country.
O C Ganguly has observed:
“In the Javanese
images of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma mudras, the asanas, the lotus seat and the
scroll ornamentation on the aureole at the back are derived from the vocabulary
of Indian sculpture. In the whole repertoire of sculptural forms in Java there
is hardly any motive or element which is not derived from Indian sources. The
so-called Kala Makara ornament of Javanese invention is the descendant of old
Indian Kirti Mukha
which can be traced as far back as fourth century. The makara torana is
similarly borrowed from India.
The temple watchers or door keepers of Java are likewise derived from the
various types of dvarpalas of South Indian temples and the rakshasa types
clearly descended from the gana figures which frequently occur in early Hindu
temples."
Before the arrival of
Hinduism in the early first century AD, the native people of Indonesian
Archipelago are said to have been practicing an indigenous belief system common
to Austronesian people. The indigenous spiritual concepts were fused with
Hinduism which evolved into Javanese Hinduism. Many of the ancient Indonesian
kingdoms followed Hinduism. The most famous are the Mataram, Kediri and Singhasari kingdoms. The
archipelagic empire of Majapahit which ruled between 1293 and 1500 was the most
powerful last major empire in Indonesian history.
The spread of Hinduism
to Indonesia in the first
century, with its accompanying artistic traditions meant that it was India that
stood at the center and this process continued until the mid 15th
century when Intrusive Islamic influence gained an upper hand. Hindus and
Buddhist had to retreat to Bali.
In the 15th century
Indonesians abandoned Hinduism for Islam. It abandoned the boundless richness
of the Hindu faith, its universal appeal, its tolerance, the profundity of
Hindu philosophy and her lavish Epics and settled for the Islamic Discontent of
Monotheism.
***
Sabdapalon prophecies
King Brawijaya V of
the Majapahit Empire is said to have converted to Islam in 1478 thus ending the Hindu
empire. He is said to have been cursed by his priest Sabdapalon for
converting to Islam. Sabdapalon promised to come back after 500 years, at the
time of political corruption and natural disaster to bring back the Javanese
Hinduism. The first modern Hindu temples are said to have been completed on
these islands during 1978 (Pura Agung Blambangan temple). Mass conversions,
back to Hinduism, have also said to have occurred in the region during this
time and the eruption of Mt. Semeru, around this time, are taken as
signs of the prophecy of Sabdapalon being completed.
***
Jayabaya Prophecies
Another prophecy,
well-known throughout Java and Indonesia,
is the Ramalan (or Jangka) Jayabaya. Ratu Joyaboyo (Jayabhaya) was the King
of Widarba (a thousand cities) who is noted for the prophecy where he said
“The Javanese would be
ruled by whites for 3 centuries and by yellow dwarfs for the life span of a
maize plant prior to the return of the Ratu Adil (Just King): whose name
must contain at least one syllable of the Javanese Noto Negoro.”
When Japan occupied
Java and the surrounding islands during the Second World War in 1942, the
Indonesians are said to have come out in the streets dancing, welcoming the
Japanese as a sign of the Jayabhaya prophecy. Later, when Japan granted independence to Indonesia in
1945, most of the Javanese believed the Jayabhaya prophecy had been realized.
Refer to Bali Bombing in
2005 and Mount Merapi eruptions
***
Wooden Garuda
sculpture from Indonesia
Many Javanese appear
to have retained aspects of their indigenous and Hindu traditions through the
centuries of Islamic influence, under the banner of ‘Javanist religion’ or a
non-orthodox ‘Javanese Islam’. The emergence of a self-conscious Hindu revival
movement these days within Javanese community is a sign of significant
development. Hindu symbols are still in use in Indonesia. The state
intelligence agency of Republic of Indonesia
has a Garuda as their symbol and the official airline of Indonesia is called Garuda Indonesia
Today, Indonesia is
the largest Muslim country in the world, yet Indonesian culture is perhaps the
only one which Islam has not penetrated beyond the surface. In Malaya
, too the culture has few Islamic features but the Malays at least have Muslim
names, while most Indonesians have retained their original Indian names. Islam
is not a culture in the true sense of the term, but it has certain recognizable
features, acquired from the Arab and Persian cultures, which it has always
sought to impose on its adherents. The French travaller, Jules Lechercq,
(1894 - 1966) having seen hajis (Muslims returned from Mecca) joining in the worship of ancient
Hindu images, remarked that the advent of the Muslim faith has not
alienated the Javanese from their old beliefs.
While Islam made
religious converts, it could not impose a new culture, for Indonesian culture
was far too developed and distinctive itself at the time. For example,
Islamic fasts in Indonesia
are still called Purwasi upavasa, a term of Sanskrit origin; a Muslim teacher
is called guru; and Muslim sultan bear titles such as Maharaja, Srinara and
Mandulika.
President Sukarno
stands for Su Karna (one of heroes of Mahabharata).
***
Note to Ponder: After
experiencing the intrinsic superiority of the Indian religion with a glorious
and colorful spiritual tradition and powerful prosperous kingdoms, it is
puzzling to ponder that the Javanese people turned to a dry, intrusive and
unimaginative faith from the Arabian peninsula
In the words of Dr. Koenraad Elst
(1959 -) Dutch historian, born in Leuven, Belgium,
on 7 August 1959, into a Flemish (i.e. Dutch-speaking Belgian) Catholic family.
He graduated in Philosophy, Chinese Studies and Indo-Iranian Studies at the
Catholic University of Leuven. He is the author of several books including Psychology of
Prophetism and Negationism in
India: Concealilng the Record of Islam
“Islam has no chance
of becoming the religion of a science-based, space-conquering world society.
Exclusivist revelations have no appeal among educated people, especially after
they have acquainted themselves with the Vedantic or Buddhist philosophies.”
(source: Why Indians Should
Reject St. Thomas And Christianity – Koenraad Elst).
***
Golden Age prophesized
by Hindu king--when "iron wagons drive without horses and ships sail
through the sky "- catalyzes religious movements.
Islam came late to
Indonesia, and its dominance was never complete. Hinduism survived in full form
quite well in Bali and a few other areas. In
some regions where Islam had only a moderate impact, a considerable proportion
of the population are only nominal Muslims. For several reasons, including the
country's complex political dynamics, there has been, in recent decades, an
increasing trend of these nominal Muslims to return to Hinduism.
Java is a center of
Islam within the Indonesian archipelago, which, in turn, is home to the world's
most populous Muslim nation. Eighty-eight percent of Indonesia's 235 million people are
Muslims, and just two percent are Hindus. But the many ancient monuments scattered
across its landscape remind one of a very different Java, one where Hindu
kingdoms flourished for more than a millennium. At the peak of its power in the
15th century, the influence of Majapahit, the last and largest among Hindu
Javanese empires, reached far across the Indonesian archipelago.
Islamic influence
first advanced along trade networks, gaining a foothold along the northern
coast of Java with the rise of early
sultanates. Hinduism lost its status as the dominant state religion in Java at
the beginning of the 16th century, as these new Islamic polities expanded and
the Hindu empire Majapahit collapsed.
(source: Java's Hinduism Revivial - By Dr. Thomas Reuter -
hinduismtoday.com).
Did You Know?
ASI to help restore Hindu temples in
Vietnam
maar naam, tomaar naam, Vietnam, Vietnam. After years of
sloganeering, India is finally getting a chance to put its mortar where its
mouth was.
New Delhi will help
conserve a portion of My Son sanctuary, a world heritage site in Vietnam
that has one of the largest collections of Hindu temples and monuments, the
oldest dating back to the 4th century AD, outside the subcontinent.
The Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) will be restoring the damage done by a weeklong US
carpet-bombing during the Vietnam War, when the slogan “Amaar naam,
tomaar naam (my name, your name)” was coined in Bengal to show solidarity
with the Vietnamese.
Bengal politicians’
other “war effort” had been to try and embarrass the Americans by renaming
Calcutta’s Harrington Street, where the US consulate is located, as Ho Chi
Minh Sarani after the Vietnamese war leader.
The Kingdom of Champa in Vietnam, which flourished from the second
to the 15th centuries, was strongly influenced by Hinduism. Hindu temples were
constructed, Sanskrit was used as a sacred language, Indian art was idolized
and Hindu Deities, especially Siva, were worshiped. In fact, Lord Siva was
regarded as the founder and protector of the Champa dynasties.
Ancient Monuments: US carpet-bombing during the Vietnam War did
significant damage to the Temple
Four decades have
since passed but My Son’s 70-odd monuments still wear their war wounds from the
B52 bomber raids of August 1969. The surrounding area is considered dangerous
even now because of undetected landmines, another legacy of the war.
“A team of ASI
officials has visited the site and is finalising the preliminary report,” said
ASI additional director-general B.R. Mani.
One reason the
sanctuary was awarded world heritage status was that Unesco recognised it as an
exceptional example of cultural interchange. It is the place where
subcontinental Hindu architecture was introduced into Southeast Asia over 1,600
years ago and evolved for over 10 centuries. For several years now, teams from
Italy and France have been working on the site, dotted with red-brick shrines
and other structures, mainly built in the Indian architectural style of
Shikhara (tapering towers).
“Our (Indian) help has
been sought because we have expertise in Indian architecture,” said an official
of the ASI, which has undertaken the project under the foreign ministry’s
directions. “We will be working on only one portion of the sanctuary.”
The restoration is expected
to be a part of next week’s scheduled bilateral talks with the Vietnamese
President in India. The temples at the sanctuary, set in a valley surrounded
by high mountains, were built by the Cham rulers, who established the Champa
kingdom towards the end of the 2nd century AD and soon came under the influence
of Hinduism.
Most of the shrines
are Shiva temples though some are dedicated to other deities. The earliest is
dedicated to Bhadresvara (Shiva), a name that derives from that of the Cham
king Bhadravarman.
“The peak construction
time was between the 8th and 10th centuries, when some of the most magnificent
monuments came up here,” the ASI official said. For conservationists, the
challenge is that much of the construction technique of the Cham dynasty’s
workers is still a mystery. Even the decorative carvings on the temples were
cut directly onto the bricks themselves, rather than onto sandstone slabs
inserted into the brick walls.
From AD 1190 to 1220,
the Champa kingdom was occupied by the Khmers. From the 13th century, it slowly
declined and was absorbed by the growing power of Dai Viet. It ceased to exist
as a kingdom in the later 15th century, when worship ceased at My Son. The site
was rediscovered and introduced to the modern world in 1898 by a French
scholar, M.C. Paris.
(source: ASI to help restore Hindu temples damaged in US bombing -
telegraphindia.com ).
Pustakasala (also known as Kimpulan
temple) is a 9th to 10th century Hindu temple located in the area of
Universitas Islam Indonesia (Indonesia Islamic University or UII), Kaliurang
road, Kaliurang, Sleman, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The temple was buried about
five metres underground. Parts of the temple have been excavated to reveal
square andesite stone walls and statues of Ganesha, Nandi, and Lingam-Yoni.
The temple
was accidentally discovered on 11 December 2009 during land excavations to lay
foundations for the construction of a new university library.The discovery drew
public attention and sparked excitement and curiosity. The news instantly drew
many visitors to the site. Archaeology office (BP3) in Yogyakarta feared that
large numbers of curious visitors would harm the excavation site, and feared
the looting might take place. As the result, the area was surrounded with tin
fences and closed; it is presently off-limits for visitors.Like the temples of Sambisari, Morangan and Kedulan, the temple is thought to have been buried by an ancient volcanic eruption from nearby Mount Merapi about a millennia ago. The discovery of this temple was the most exciting archaeological findings in Yogyakarta recently, leading to speculation about whether other ancient temples still lie underground in the vicinity, buried under Mount Merapi volcanic ash.
History
Further study and archaeological excavation are currently in progress by the Yogyakarta Archaeological office. So far the temple clearly shows its Hindu Shivaistic nature, and by the style of carving and statues strongly suggests construction somewhere around the 9th to 10th century, during Mataram Kingdom period.During the discovery, the temple was initially known to public as Candi UII (Universitas Islam Indonesia temple), because it was discovered on the UII campus grounds. Later the Archaeological Office of Yogyakarta (BP3) named the temple Candi Kimpulan after Kimpulan village, the location of the site. However the UII Wakf Foundation Board suggested another name; Pustakasala which means "library" in Sanskrit. The suggested name was meant to emphasize its history of discovery, as the temple site was originally meant to be the university library.
The name "Pustakasala" was also chosen to emphasize the education nature the university. Moreover the Ganesha statue was discovered in the site, since in Java, Ganesha traditionally known as the god of learning, intellectual, wisdom, and knowledge.
Archaeologists in
Indonesia have uncovered a 1,000-year-old temple that could shed light on the
country's Hindu past.
The intricately carved
statues and reliefs are some of the best preserved in Indonesia, but the dig is
being conducted under tight security to protect the site from well-organised
relic thieves. The temple was found on the grounds of Yogyakarta's Islamic
University as workers probed the ground to lay foundations for a new library,
and they realised the earth beneath their feet was not stable
Digging soon revealed
an extraordinary find: three metres underground were still-standing temple
walls. Heavy rains then exposed the top of a statue of the god Ganesha in
pristine condition. A few weeks into the excavation, archaeologists are
declaring the temple and its rare and beautiful statues an important discovery
that could provide insights into Indonesia's pre-Islamic culture.
"This temple is a
quite significant and very valuable because we have never found a temple as
whole and intact as this one," said archaeologist Dr Budhy Sancoyo, who is
one of the researchers painstakingly cleaning up the temple.
"For example,
looking at where the statues are placed in this temple, they are in their
original positions, unlike the other temples.
"This temple is
important for understanding the culture of our ancestors."
A volcanic eruption is
thought most likely to have covered the temple around the 10th century, about
100 years after it was built. The eruption preserved its statues and reliefs in
better condition than almost everything else discovered in Indonesia from that
period, including the Borobodur and Prambanan temple complexes.
But now that
they are exposed, the temple's contents need to be protected with 24-hour
security. Last November, thieves plundered the nearby Plaosan Temple. The heads
of two rare Buddhist statues were stolen, to be traded by organised syndicates
dealing in artefacts. Tri Wismabudhi from central Java's culture and heritage
agency says temple thieves are robbing Indonesians of a piece of their history.
Borobudur - On a Hindu Foundation
Borobudur is commonly considered a Buddhist
structure, yet its first and second terraces were Hindu constructions begun in
775 AD. as a large step pyramid by Hindu King Indra of the Shailandra Dynasty
The colossal temple at Borobudur, which apparently started as a
Hindu temple and was converted to a Buddhist place of worship. This world’s
largest Buddhist stupa was actually built on Hindu foundations, a series
of three stone terraces which began life in 775 AD as a large step pyramid.
When the Buddhist Sailendras took over the site fifteen years
later, building resumed on top of the three terraces to become their own
temple. Borobudur temple was originally built in the shape multilevel scheme.
It seems designed as a pyramid-shaped like a ladder, but then this design
changed. As evidence is the existence of the scheme dismantled.
***
"To us,
archaeological sites like this are archaeological data, so if the data is
missing or incomplete, that means the history of the nation is also
missing," he said. "People don't understand that. That's why they
steal, because they don't realise how important this is for us as a
nation."At the Kimpulan temple on the campus of Yogyakarta's Islamic University, the statue of Ganesha is being kept slightly buried to make it harder to steal. It could sell for up to $250,000 on the black market.
The university wants to open the site to the public once the dig is complete. The library that was destined for the site will be redesigned to incorporate the Hindu temple.
(source: New York times article).
Did you Know?
How India inspired a Dance pioneer
With little exposure to the real thing, Ruth St. Denis (1879 - 1968) dazzled audiences across America and Europe with her creation of "Radha" and other Indian dances.
After first appearing on the western stage in 1838, Indian dance once again surfaced prominently in the early 20th century. As with the bayaderes in 1838, the performers of the troupe in 1906 were of Indian origin. This time, however, their lead dancer and choreographer was not an Indian, but a young American named Ruth St. Denis. St. Denis' Indian dance pieces were attempts to convey Hindu philosophical ideas to Western audiences in a manner that would be intelligible to them. These were not authentic Indian dances, as were those of the bayaderes, but were inspired by Indian themes and included the sinuous and rippling arm motions and graceful body movements and postures of classical Indian dances.
St. Denis abundantly used Indian dress materials and jewelry and designed and wore long flowing costumes. To create an Eastern ambience, she used Indian brassware, ornate columns, flowers, incense and other creative stage props. St. Denis was a gifted dancer whose artistic creations demonstrated how to relink dance with spiritualism at a time when Western dancers had generally cut themselves off from its religious and spiritual origins. She had studied and was deeply inspired by non-Western and especially Indian civilization at a time when a tendency--much later dubbed as "Orientalism" by Edward Said--prompted her contemporaries to look upon non-Western people as inferior, backward and static or even weird and animalistic.
Ruth St. Denis's relative open-mindedness was thus a fresh departure that helped free Western dance from its shackles, elevated it onto a higher plane and placed important and even profound facets of Indian culture before Western audiences.
Studying the East
But her plan changed when a turn towards Indian dancing started her on a journey to increase her knowledge about India, and especially Hindu culture. As she went about extracting information from the East Indian dancers she met in Luna Park, lapping up knowledge about India from books in the Indian section of Astor Library and seeking help from experts such as the extraordinary Indophile Edmund Russell, she became aware of the wonder that was India. She was particularly fascinated by the Hindu temple dancers, devadasis; and she felt she had hit upon a universal fundamental truth in the Bhagavad Gita's declaration that inner peace and freedom from sorrow lay not in the bottomless whirlpool of worldly pleasures, but in shaking off the yoke of the flesh and performing one's duty with detachment.
She returned to the US soon afterward, taking her Indian dances all over the country. The general response of her countrymen was positive, and in her homeland she impressed art historian Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy and Indian poetess Sarojini Naidu. Even Rabindranath Tagore was sufficiently impressed to request St. Denis to stay on and teach dance at Viswa-Bharati University in Shantiniketan.
Legacy
Evaluating the impact of her many tours, or "journeys," St. Denis wrote: "It took many years to realize the full effect of the pioneering work on these journeys. I have been told by Hindus that the value of these early tours, when their Hindu culture was introduced through the dance, can scarcely be overestimated.
(source: How India Inspired a Dance Pioneer - By Dr. Kusum Pant Joshi - hinduismtoday.com).
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
( My humble Pranam, Honour
and also gratefulness to
Ms. Sushma Londhe ji for her noble, magnanimous and eminent
works on the peerless Wisdom of our Sacred Scriptures)
(My
humble salutations to , H H Swamyjis, Hindu Wisdom, great Universal
Philosophers, Historians, Professors and Devotees for the
discovering collection)
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