For a long time,
the only old temple known in the province of western Java was that of Leles
close to Garut. But, the research undertaken since about fifteen years made
it possible to update other sites
hindo/bouddhistic in the district of Karawang, to 40 km in the east of Jakarta,
and also in the south of Ciamis, 100 km in the east of Bandung.
This single building, dated from VIIIe century, is in the village of Leles, little before Garut. A bus making the line Bandung Garut can stop at the junction from where, with the assistance of a motor bike taxi, you will be able to reach the monument located at 3 km from there at the edge of a pretty lake.
The temple
himself even does not have a great interest, apart from the fact that it is
the only
one upright in
the area. Indeed, it was rebuilt with many new materials, and does not present
any decoration. Its dimension at the base is 4,5 m X 4,5 m. His height is 8,5
metres.
Its true interest, in addition to the superb site where it is, lies in the statue, very original, of Shiva, sitted on the Nandin bull, which is in the square cella of 0,90 m.
It is to approximately 50 km in the east of the center of Jakarta (3 hours of road), and 30 km in the north of Bekasi along the river sungai Citarum.
The remainders of constructions, all of solid bricks, are divided into two groups close to the village of Batujaya: the group of Segaran, which counts 13 sites, and the group of Telagajaya, which counts 11 sites. Many sites are easily locatable, for in this plain used for rice growing, the sites are appeared as broad tumulus of a few meters in height.
The whole of these constructions is spread out since VIe century until XIe century. Many archaeologists think that there was here that the capital of the kingdom of Tarumanegara was, the oldest known kingdom of Java.
On the 24 found buildings, only some was the subject of thorough excavations or was released.
The surprise is that the two great updated structures are buddhistic stupas - rare in Java - and, dated from VIIe century, that is to say approximately a century before the temples of the Dieng plateau , oldest of Java centers.
This monument, the only one restored, is a stupa of 9 m of dimensions at its base. The base is posed, under the level of the ground, on a platform concreted with a flow pattern which isolates the monument from the rice plantations which surround it, and preserves it from water infiltrations.
Candi Segaran V ou Candi Blandongan (timber) :
This monument, which is in process of being restorated, was discovered only in 1993. Its base forms a square of 24, 2 meters of dimensions.
It has three levels. Four staircases of nine steps and 1,60 m width give access a platform from where four openings crossed a low wall giving accés to the body of thr stupa. However, these four passages were blocked thereafter by some 50 cm height stones.
Upright in the center, my friend, the archaeologist of Puslitarkenas of Jakarta, Peiter Ferdinandus, which directs research, and which made me visit the sites of Batujaya.
The four angles of the buildings advance of 50 cm outside, forming a species of strengthened bastion, and the wall making the turn of the monument has a thickness of 1, 75 m.
The terrace is
with two meters in height compared to the rice plantation, and the stones forming
the ground are in andesite.
Here, the external wall superbly appears, with particularly neat junctions.
In the firt plan, a large stone with striated surface proves of his megalithic origin , showing a very old human presence in these places.
Three amulets with the éffigie of the Buddha Amitabha (the Buddha of the sailors), were found around the temple. These statuettes, related with the Thai style Dvaravati, would make date this candi from VIe / VIIe S.
Candi Telagajaya V or Candi Asam (tamarind tree)
It is a square building of 10 m in dimensions which have two staircases located on the eastern and western faces .
The higher part of the monument presents a brick superposition, deposited in concentric circles, indicating that we are here still in the presence of a buddhistic stupa .
Candi Telagajaya VIII or Candi Sumur (well)
It is a building of 8 m X 11,50 m, in the center of which one can see a square well of 1,50 m in dimensions.
It is in Cibuaya,
located close to the sea, to approximately 15 km in the north east of Batujaya,
that one found the remainders of the first kingdoms of Java, with the discovery,
since 1952, of a statue of Vishnu. In 1957, a second statue of Vishnu will be
updated then, in 1975, of the fragments of a third statue of Vishnu. These statues,
very crudes, and dated from VIIe and VIIIe centuries
are visible into the National Museum of Jakarta.
Near the statues, five archeological sites were revealed, all hinduistics.
But the only visible monument currently Is candi Cibuaya II, discovered in 1984. It is appeared as a tumulus of 9 m in dimension and 2 m in height , at the top of which is a lingga of 1 m in height with a diameter of 0,40 m . A door and a staircase opening towards the east show that it is a shivaïstic monument .
