The oldest
temples of Java lies at 2093 m altitude, 26 km north west of Wonosobo near Gunung
Nagasari. The oldest inscription goes back to
809. There, in this imposing place, in the medium of nowhere between lakes with
coloured water and extents of suffers bubbling spouting out from depths of the
Earth, emerge 8 small temples lost in this unsoundable landscape. Dieng come
from "Di Hyang", the residence of the gods, and we can understand why. It is
a forging mill in the clouds. As early as the prehistoric times, this place
was sacred and among the objects revealed by the excavations, there is a bronze
drum. It was a center of very known pilgrimage where people came even from abroad,
and it should be imagined to the 9th century. when there was a hundred temples,
with the monasteries, the monks, the servants, etc.
These temples are all places of religious worship, no king is glorified there. They very strongly resemble the temples of Mahaballipuram, the port of the Pallava dynasty, in the south of Madras in India. According to J. Dumarcay, these temples are built out of stone on the model of older wooden temples (it is thought that the first temples of Java dates from the 5th century.) which disappeared, but which one can see illustrations on certain panels of Borobudur. Although small, these temples are already built with a technique very elaborate.
The construction of the temples started before 750 with a first series of temples including Candi Arjuna, Semar, Puntadeva and Gatotkaca. A score of years after, one built Candi Srikandi and Sembrodo, and remakes Candi Puntadeva. In 850, Candi Gatotkaca was taken again as well as Candi Bima. The niches external of these temples, separately Candi Srikandi and Bima, were to contain the images of Durga, Ganesha and Agastya. These temples do not have reliefs apart from the heads of Kala and Makara. The names of the temples of Java are not origin, they were given to last century.
The site of Dieng was occupied up to 13th century, time or one more temple, in any point identical to those, contemporary, of east Java, was still built here.
Whereas Candi
Sembrodo, Puntadeva, Srikandi, and Arjuna are aligned, this one Is alone in
front of Candi Arjuna. It contained certainly the statue of Nandi, the
mounting of Shiva. It is connected to Candi Arjuna, the temple of Shiva
to which it faces.
Date: at the beginning of 8th century. The oldest temple of the group with Candi Semar to which it faces. It is largest of the group of the five; it is almost whole; it misses just the top of its pyramidal roof. Candi Arjuna has been built on the model of the Mahaballipuram temples in South India.
All the statues
misses, but we can see nice Kala heads.
Candi
Srikandi :
This temple dates from the beginning of the 8th century. Its external decoration is very original since it is not devoted to the "family" of Shiva, but present the reliefs of the three large gods of India: Shiva on the east panel , Vishnu on the northern face, and Brahma of the south side.
This structure comprises
a second originality, with Candi Dworovati, because they have octagonal
pillars almost released, which will not be found nowhere elsewhere in Java.
Built in
750. Identical to Candi Arjuna, but it misses part of the superstructure.
Built also
in 750. This temple was the last of the group of the Pandava to being
built. It is build according to a model of cruciform plan, original at that
time, but which will be in favour later, for example with Candi Sewu
and the other temples at its proximity, when the worship of the five Jina
develops. The superstructure disappeared.
The first
construction dates from the beginning of the 8th century. Hundred years afterwards,
a new base included the first. It supported a second temple, now destroyed.
The temple goes back to 750, but it was altered at the beginning of the 9th century, certainly by Sailendra which made a monument of the bouddhistic type of it, builds on the model of the temples of Orissa in India.
This monument is on the side opposite one with the others compared to the principal road, in the north of the site. It is a temple identical to Candi Gatotkaca.
