Candi Kalasan
Encyclopedia
Kalasan also known as Candi Kalibening, is an 8th century Buddhist temple in Indonesia
. It is located 13 km east of Yogyakarta
on the way to Prambanan
temple, on the south side of the main road 'Jalan Solo' between Yogyakarta and Surakarta
.
dated 778 AD, written in Sanskrit
using Pranagari script
, the temple was erected by the will of Guru Sang Raja Sailendravamçatilaka (the Jewel of Sailendra
family) that succeed to persuade Maharaja Tejapurnapana Panangkaran
(in other part of the inscription also called as Kariyana Panangkaran) to construct a holy building for the goddess (boddhisattvadevi) Tara
and also build a vihara
(monastery
) for buddhist monks from Sailendra family's realm. Panangkaran awarded the Kalaça village to sangha
(buddhist monastic community).. According to the date of this inscription, Kalasan temple is the oldest among temples built in the Prambanan Plain
.
Despite being renovated and partially rebuilt during the Dutch colonial era, the temple currently is in poor condition. Compared to other temples nearby such as Prambanan, Sewu
, and Sambisari
the temple is not well maintained.
The temple is richly decorated with buddhist figures such as bodhisattva and gana
. The Kala
Face above the southern door has been photographed and used by a number of foreign academics in their books to give an idea of the artistry in stone by Central Javanese artists of a millennia ago. Niches where the statues would have been placed are found inside and outside the temple. The niches adorned outer wall intricately carved with Kala, gods and divinities in scene of svarga
loka, celestial palace abode of gods, apsaras, and gandharvas.
The roof of the temple is designed in three sections. The lower one are still according to the polygonal shape of the body and contains small niches with statues of boddhisatvas seated on lotus. Each of this niches is crowned with stupas. The middle part of the roof is in octagonal (eight sided) shape. Each of this eight sides adorned with niches contains statue of a Dhyani Buddha flanked by two standing boddhisatvas. The top part of the roof is almost circular and also have 8 niches crowned with single large dagoba
. The octagonal aspect of the structure has led to speculation of non-buddhist elements in the temple, similar to some interpretations of the early Borobudur
structure.
The temple is facing east, with eastern room also served as access to main central room. In the larger main room there is lotus pedestal and throne carved with makara, lion, and elephant figure, similar to the Buddha Vairocana
throne founds in Mendut
temple. According to the Kalasan inscription, the temple once houses the large (probably reaching 4 meters tall) statue of the Boddhisattvadevi Tara. By the design of the throne, most probably the statue of the goddess was in seated position and made from bronze. Now the statue is missing, probably the same fate as bronze Buddha statue in Sewu temple, being looted for scrap metal over centuries.
On the outer wall of the temple found the traces of plaster called vajralepa (lit: diamond plaster). The same substance also founds in nearby Sari
temple. The white-yellowish plaster was applied to protect the temple wall, but now the plaster has worn off.
The temple is located on archaeologically rich Prambanan valley. Just a few hundred meters north east from Kalasan temple is located Sari temple. Candi Sari most probably was the monastery mentioned in Kalasan inscription. Further east lies the Prambanan complex, Sewu temple, and Plaosan
temple.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is located 13 km east of Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (city)
Yogyakarta is a city in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia. It is renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows. Yogyakarta was the Indonesian capital during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 to...
on the way to Prambanan
Prambanan
Prambanan is a ninth century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator , the Sustainer and the Destroyer...
temple, on the south side of the main road 'Jalan Solo' between Yogyakarta and Surakarta
Surakarta
Surakarta, also called Solo or Sala, is a city in Central Java, Indonesia of more than 520,061 people with a population density of 11,811.5 people/km2. The 44 km2 city adjoins Karanganyar Regency and Boyolali Regency to the north, Karanganyar Regency and Sukoharjo Regency to the east and...
.
History
According to a Kalasan inscriptionKalasan inscription
The Kalasan inscription is an inscription dated 700 Saka , discovered in Kalasan village, Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The inscription was written in Sanskrit with Pranagari script .-Contents:...
dated 778 AD, written in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
using Pranagari script
Nagari script
The Nāgarī script is the ancestor of Devanagari, Assamese, Bengali and other variants, and was first used to write Prakrit and Sanskrit. It was in vogue from before the 10th century...
, the temple was erected by the will of Guru Sang Raja Sailendravamçatilaka (the Jewel of Sailendra
Sailendra
Sailendra is the name of an influential Indonesian dynasty that emerged in 8th century Java.The Sailendras were active promoters of Mahayana Buddhism and covered the Kedu Plain of Central Java with Buddhist monuments, including the world famous Borobudur.The Sailendras are considered to be a...
family) that succeed to persuade Maharaja Tejapurnapana Panangkaran
Panangkaran
Panangkaran was the ruler of Mataram Kingdom between AD 760—780, the kingdom of which its power centralized on Java island of Indonesia. Crowned as Rakai Panangkaran, he was the immediate successor of Sri Sanjaya, the founder of Sanjaya Dynasty...
(in other part of the inscription also called as Kariyana Panangkaran) to construct a holy building for the goddess (boddhisattvadevi) Tara
Tara (Buddhism)
Tara or Ārya Tārā, also known as Jetsun Dolma in Tibetan Buddhism, is a female Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism who appears as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. She is known as the "mother of liberation", and represents the virtues of success in work and achievements...
and also build a vihara
Vihara
Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....
(monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
) for buddhist monks from Sailendra family's realm. Panangkaran awarded the Kalaça village to sangha
Sangha
Sangha is a word in Pali or Sanskrit that can be translated roughly as "association" or "assembly," "company" or "community" with common goal, vision or purpose...
(buddhist monastic community).. According to the date of this inscription, Kalasan temple is the oldest among temples built in the Prambanan Plain
Prambanan Plain
Kewu Plain or also known as Prambanan Plain is a fertile volcanic plain that lies between Merapi-Merbabu complex in the north, Bantul lowlands and Sewu limestone range in the south, Bengawan Solo river valley in east, and the Progo River in the west, and Kedu Plain on northwest...
.
Despite being renovated and partially rebuilt during the Dutch colonial era, the temple currently is in poor condition. Compared to other temples nearby such as Prambanan, Sewu
Candi Sewu
Sewu is an 8th-century Buddhist temple located 800 meters north of Prambanan in Central Java. Candi Sewu is actually the second largest Buddhist Temple in Central Java after Borobudur. Candi Sewu predates "Loro Jonggrang"...
, and Sambisari
Sambisari
Sambisari is a 9th century Hindu temple located at Sambisari hamlet, Purwomartani village, Kalasan, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The temple was buried about five metres underground. Parts of the original temple have been excavated...
the temple is not well maintained.
Architecture
The temple stands on square 14.20 meters sub-basement. The temple plan is cross-shaped 12 corners polygon. Each of four cardinal points have stairs and gates adorned with Kala-Makara and also have rooms measured 3,5 square meters. No statue is found in the smaller room facing north, west, and south; but the lotus pedestals suggested that the rooms once contains statues of bodhisattvas.The temple is richly decorated with buddhist figures such as bodhisattva and gana
Gana
The word ' , in Sanskrit, means "flock, troop, multitude, number, tribe, series, class" . It can also be used to refer to a "body of attendants" and can refer to "a company, any assemblage or association of men formed for the attainment of the same aims".In Hinduism, the s are attendants of Shiva...
. The Kala
Kala (java)
' denotes a fixed or right point in time . It is also the name of a deity, in which sense it is not always distinguishable from meaning "black".-Etymology:...
Face above the southern door has been photographed and used by a number of foreign academics in their books to give an idea of the artistry in stone by Central Javanese artists of a millennia ago. Niches where the statues would have been placed are found inside and outside the temple. The niches adorned outer wall intricately carved with Kala, gods and divinities in scene of svarga
Svarga
In Hinduism, Svarga is a set of heavenly worlds located on and above Mt. Meru. It is a heaven where the righteous live in a paradise before their next reincarnation...
loka, celestial palace abode of gods, apsaras, and gandharvas.
The roof of the temple is designed in three sections. The lower one are still according to the polygonal shape of the body and contains small niches with statues of boddhisatvas seated on lotus. Each of this niches is crowned with stupas. The middle part of the roof is in octagonal (eight sided) shape. Each of this eight sides adorned with niches contains statue of a Dhyani Buddha flanked by two standing boddhisatvas. The top part of the roof is almost circular and also have 8 niches crowned with single large dagoba
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
. The octagonal aspect of the structure has led to speculation of non-buddhist elements in the temple, similar to some interpretations of the early Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues...
structure.
The temple is facing east, with eastern room also served as access to main central room. In the larger main room there is lotus pedestal and throne carved with makara, lion, and elephant figure, similar to the Buddha Vairocana
Vairocana
Vairocana is a celestial Buddha who is often interpreted as the Bliss Body of the historical Gautama Buddha; he can also be referred to as the dharmakaya Buddha and the great solar Buddha. In Sino-Japanese Buddhism, Vairocana is also seen as the embodiment of the Buddhist concept of shunyata or...
throne founds in Mendut
Mendut
Mendut is a ninth century Buddhist temple, located in Mendut village, Mungkid sub-district, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The temple is located about three kilometres east from Borobudur. Mendut, Borobudur and Pawon, all of which are Buddhist temples, are located in one straight line...
temple. According to the Kalasan inscription, the temple once houses the large (probably reaching 4 meters tall) statue of the Boddhisattvadevi Tara. By the design of the throne, most probably the statue of the goddess was in seated position and made from bronze. Now the statue is missing, probably the same fate as bronze Buddha statue in Sewu temple, being looted for scrap metal over centuries.
On the outer wall of the temple found the traces of plaster called vajralepa (lit: diamond plaster). The same substance also founds in nearby Sari
Candi Sari
Sari , is an 8th century Buddhist temple located at Dusun Bendan, Tirtomartani village, Kalasan, Sleman regency, Yogyakarta.It is located about 130 meters north east from Kalasan temple. This temple was a two story building with wooden beams, floors, stairs completed with windows and doors; all...
temple. The white-yellowish plaster was applied to protect the temple wall, but now the plaster has worn off.
The temple is located on archaeologically rich Prambanan valley. Just a few hundred meters north east from Kalasan temple is located Sari temple. Candi Sari most probably was the monastery mentioned in Kalasan inscription. Further east lies the Prambanan complex, Sewu temple, and Plaosan
Candi Plaosan
Candi Plaosan, also known as the 'Plaosan Complex', is one of the Buddhist temples located in Bugisan village, Prambanan district, Central Java, Indonesia....
temple.