Cangkuang Temple, The First Founded Hindu Temple In West Java Province, Indonesia

Source:  http://candi.pnri.go.id/temples_en/deskripsi-west_java-cangkuang_temple_27


This temple is located at Kampung Pulo, the village of Cangkuang, sub-district of Leles, Garut district- West Java. The village of Cangkuang is surrounded by four huge mountains, namely Mt. Harumun, Mt. Kaledong, Mt. Mandalawangi and Mt. Guntur. The name Cangkuang for the temple is derived from the name of the village. The word ‘Cangkuang’ refers to a kind of pandanus furcatus plant family heavily growing in the grave yard of Mbah Dalem Arief Muhammad, the forefather of Kampung Pulo. The leaves of cangkuang are exploited to make sun hats, mats or cover sugar palm.

Cangkuang cultural preservation is located in a plain likely an island in the middle of a small lake (in Sundanese, called Situ), by which one should take the raft to get to the place. Beside the temple, there is also a cultural residence namely Kampung Pulo that becomes one of the cultural preservation subjects of that region.

Cangkuang temple was discovered by the historical team of Leles on 9 December1996. The research team sponsored by Mr. Idji Htadji (CV. Harumun) was under the coordination of Prof. Harsoyo, Uka Tjandrasasmita (the leader of Islamic History and archeological institution), and the students of Bandung IKIP (Teacher Training Institute). The excavation carried out was inspired by the notes of Vorderman in his book of Notulen Bataviaasch Genotschap, published in 1893, saying that there were an old grave yard and a damaged statue in the village of Cangkuang. It is said that the discoveries are located in a hill of Kampung Pulo.

The grave yard and the statue of Shiva were discovered by the team. The old grave yard does belong to Mbah Arief Muhammad considered as the forefather of local people. At the beginning of the excavation, there was seen a heap of rocks likely ruins of a temple with the old grave nearby and a statue of Shiva lying among the ruins of the building. Discovering the andesite rock blocks, the team under the leadership of Tjandrasasmita became sure that the place around the space was originally standing a temple. Local people usually exploit the blocks of the rocks to build the tombs.

To their convincing, they began to dig out the location. The team found the foundation of the Temple of 4.5 x 4.5 meters and the spreading rocks nearby the gravestone of Mbah Arief Muhammad.

These initial discoveries have encouraged the Historical Team and The Archeological Institution to do further excavation at the location immediately. The excavation was carried out until 1968. The process of renovation was carried out during 1974 – 1975 and the reconstruction was done at 1976 covering the frame of the body, the roof and the Shiva statue and a joglo (Javanese roof style) museum. The museum was intended to keep and to register the archeological articles of archeological remains from throughout of Garut district. In carrying out the renovation in 1974, the rocks of the temple were discovered as the parts of the temple’s foot. The main impediment for temple reconstruction was missing of the rocks. Only 40 % of the whole original rocks were found. Hence, the rest parts were constructed with the mixture of stones, cement, split coral, sand and irons.

Cangkuang temple was the parts of the remains firstly renovated; it was aimed to build historical missing link between Purnawarman and Pajajaran. The scientists came to their conclusion that Candi Cangkuang was built at eighth century, referring to the following considerations:
1. The decay condition of the rocks
2. The plain forms (no relief).

After being renovated, the temple seems have the measures appropriate to the circumstances of the nature. The total height of the building is 8.5 m. The body of the Temple is standing on the longitudinal foot of 4.5 x 4.5 meters. The roofs were arranged in row forming pyramid. A long each side of the rows is decorated by a kind of little crowns like, similar to the Temples of Gedongsanga.

The entrance gate into the Temple is on the east side. To the get to the gate one should pass through the stairs of 75 cm in width and 1 meter in height. The entrance gate is flanked by the walls forming the frame. There is no carved decoration at the gate’s frame.

Presently, the entrance gate into the room is set a door of iron locked trellis. There is a room of 2.2 m square inside the temple, and the height is 3.38 m. The statue of Shiva of 62 cm is in the center of the room. It is said that here is a hole of 7 meter in depth underneath the statue, but it cannot be proved as no one is allowed to enter into the room.

The cultural residence of Kampung Pulo

The cultural residence of Kampung Pulo is a small village, comprises six houses and six family leaders. It has been traditionally assigned that the houses and the leaders of the families should be six with the arrangement three are on the right and the rest three on the left sides facing one to another. There is a mosque in the complex as the place to pray. It means that there is no new building, neither any diminishing.

When a couple get married, lately two weeks after the wedding they should leave their original homes, building their own home out of the complex. Those who leave outside of the complex might some day be allowed to inhabit one of the six houses when the member of the family is died. However, there is certain conditions to be followed. It should be a lady and based on the family’s consensus.

Mbah Dalem Arief Muhammad

Mbah Dalem Arief Muhammad and the local people have built the dikes around the area, and hence, it is filled with the water likely a lake called Situ Cangkuang. After building the dikes, the low plan turns into the lake, and the hills become the islands. The islands are Pulau Panjang (the place of Kampung Pulo), Pulau Gede, Pulau Leutik (small), Pulau Wedus, Pulau Katanda, and Pulau Masigit. Mbah Dalem Arief Muhammad was a soldier of Mataram Kingdom, Central Java. He and his troops were sent to attack the VOC army in Batavia and to spread the Islam in Cangkuang village.

The village of Cangkuang, particularly Kampung Pulo, has been inhabited by the Hindu people. The Hindu Temple being renovated is the evidence to the past situation. Mbah Arief then began to let the local people know about Islam applying the teaching method applied by Wali Songo. Prudently, he suggested the people to take Islam.

Teaching guidelines carried out by Mbah Arief Muhammad referred the Islamic ideology avoiding anarchist and compulsion, oriented to the peace and all one’s soul and heart. His teachings and notes written in the manuscript were not different from those we get from the ulamas in this time being. He taught all things based on Al-Qur’an and Hadits, to bring the people facing the reality forming the real personality of a Moslem in the unity of Almighty God, having good morals, and leaving behind what is forbidden.

The evidences concerning the spreading of Islam carried out at the beginning of XVII century, such as: The manuscript of Friday’s sermons written on goat leather of 176 x 23 cm. Although in quite poor condition, but the writings are still clearly read.

The Al Qur’an was made of saih (the leather of the tree) with the size of 33 x 24 cm. Due to its old age, the condition of this Al-Qur’an is badly damaged, but can be read clearly. The book of Fikih was made of Saih with the size of 26 x 18.5 cm.

The grave yard of Mbah Dalem Arief Muhammad is located on the southern part of Cangkuang temple. This indicates that there have been harmonious lives among Indonesian people of different back ground of religions.

The people of Kampung Pulo then turned one by one to take Islam as their religion, but part the old traditions based on Hindu are still carried out. Take for example, the holy day for them is Wednesday, not the Friday.

Saung Angklung Udjo & A Story of Angklung As A UNESCO World Heritage

Angklung

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Angklung
ᮃᮀᮊᮣᮥᮀ

Angklung with eight pitches
Percussion instrument
Classification	Idiophone
Hornbostel–Sachs classification	111.232 (Sets of percussion tubes)
Developed	Indonesia

Angklung as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

The angklung is a musical instrument from Indonesia made of two to four bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame. The tubes are carved to have a resonant pitch when struck and are tuned to octaves, similar to American handbells. The base of the frame is held in one hand, whilst the other hand shakes the instrument. This causes a repeating note to sound. Each of three or more performers in an angklung ensemble play just one note or more, but altogether complete melodies are produced.

The angklung is popular throughout Southeast Asia, but it originated in what is now West Java and Banten provinces inIndonesia, and has been played by the Sundanese for many centuries. Angklung and its music has become the cultural identity of Sundanese communities in West Java and Banten.^[1] Playing angklung as an orchestra requires cooperation and coordination, and is believed promotes the values of teamwork, mutual respect and social harmony.

On November 18, 2010, UNESCO officially recognized Indonesian angklung as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, and encourage Indonesian people and government to safeguard, transmit, promote performances and to encourage the craftsmanship of angklung making.

Etymology[edit]

Music of Indonesia
Kempul gongs from Java
Timeline Samples
Genres
Classical Kecak Kecapi suling Tembang sunda Pop Indo Dance-pop Dangdut Hip hop Kroncong Gambang kromong Gambus Jaipongan Langgam jawa Pop Batak Pop Minang Pop Sunda Qasidah modern Rock Tapanuli ogong Tembang jawa
Specific forms
Gamelan Angklung Beleganjur Degung Gambang Gender Wayang Gong gede Gong kebyar Jegog Joged bumbung Salendro Selunding Semar pegulingan
Regional music
Bali Borneo Java Moluccan Islands Papua Sulawesi Sumatra Sunda
v t e

The word "angklung" may have originated from Sundanese "angkleung-angkleungan", suggesting the movement of the angklung player and the "klung" sound that comes from the instrument.

Another theory suggests that the word "angklung" was formed from two Balinese words – angka and lung. Angka means "tone", and lung means "broken" or "lost". Angklung thus means "incomplete tone".

History[edit]

Daeng Soetigna in 1971

According to Dr. Groneman, angklung had already been a favorite musical instrument of the entire archipelago even before the Hindu era. According to Jaap Kunst in Music in Java, besides West Java, angklung also exists in South Sumatra and Kalimantan. Lampung, East Java and Central Java are also familiar with the instrument.^[3]

In the Hindu period and the time of the Kingdom of Sunda, the angklung played an important role in ceremonies. The angklung was played to honor Dewi Sri, the goddess of fertility, so she would bless their land and lives.^[4] The angklung also signaled the time for prayers, and was said to have been played since the 7th century in Kingdom of Sunda. In the Kingdom of Sunda, it provided martial music during the Battle of Bubat, as told in the Kidung Sunda.^[5] The oldest surviving angklung is 400 years old Angklung Gubrag. It was made in the 17th century in Jasinga, Bogor. Other antique angklung are stored in the Sri Baduga Museum, Bandung.^[5] The oldest angklung tradition is called "Angklung Buhun" (Sundanese: "Ancient Angklung") from Lebak Regency, Banten ^[6] Angklung buhun is an ancient type of angklung played by Baduypeople of inland Banten province during Seren Taun harvest ceremony.

In 1938, Daeng Soetigna [Sutigna], from Bandung, created an angklung that is based on the diatonic scale instead of the traditional pélog or sléndro scales. Since then, the angklung has returned to popularity and is used for education and entertainment, and may even accompany western instruments in an orchestra. One of the first performances of angklung in an orchestra was in 1955 during the Bandung Conference. In 1966 Udjo Ngalagena, a student of Daeng Soetigna, opened his "Saung Angklung" (House of Angklung) as a centre for its preservation and development.^[5]

UNESCO designated the angklung a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity on November 18, 2010.

Balinese gamelan angklung[edit]

Single pitch angklung, for use in orchestras

In Bali, an ensemble of angklung is called gamelan angklung (anklung). While the ensemble gets its name from the bamboo shakers, most modern compositions for Gamelan Angklung do not use them. An ensemble of mostly bronze metallophones is used instead, generally with about 20 musicians.

While the instrumentation of gamelan angklung is similar to gamelan gong kebyar, there are several critical differences. The instruments in angklung are tuned to a 5-tone slendro scale, although most ensembles use a four-tone mode of the five-tone scale played on instruments with four keys. An exception is the five-tone angklung from the north of Bali. In four-tone angklung groups, the flute players will occasionally use an implied fifth tone. Additionally, whereas many of the instruments in gong kebyar span multiple octaves of its pentatonic scale, mosts gamelan angklung instruments only contain one octave, although some five-tone ensembles have roughly an octave and a half. The instruments are considerably smaller than those of the gong kebyar.

Gamelan angklung is heard in Balinese temples, where it supplies musical accompaniment to temple anniversaries (odalan). It is also characteristic of rituals related to death, and therefore connected in Balinese culture to the invisible spiritual realm and transitions from life to death and beyond. Because of its portability, gamelan angklung may be carried in processions while a funeral bier is carried from temporary burial in a cemetery to the cremation site. The musicians also often play music to accompany the cremation ceremony. Thus, many Balinese listeners associate angklung music with strong emotions evoking a combination of sacred sweetness and sadness.

The structure of the music is similar to gong kebyar, although employing a four-tone scale. Jublag and jegog carry the basic melody, which is elaborated by gangsa, reyong, ceng-ceng, drum, and flute. A medium-sized gong, called kempur, is generally used to punctuate a piece's major sections.

Most older compositions do not employ gong kebyar's more ostentatious virtuosity and showmanship. Recently, many Balinese composers have created kebyar-style works for gamelan angklung or have rearranged kebyar melodies to fit the angklung's more restricted four-tone scale. These new pieces often feature dance, so the gamelan angklung is augmented with more gongs and heavier gongs. Additionally, some modern composers have created experimental instrumental pieces for the gamelan angklung.

Outside Indonesia[edit]

Sundanese boys playing the Angklung in 1918.

The angklung was first invented in West Java, Indonesia; with a possibility of cultural transmittance to various other places such as Malaysia & the Philippines over the course of several centuries. In the early 20th century during the time of Dutch East Indies, the angklung was adopted in Thailand, where it is called angkalung (อังกะลุง). It was recorded that angklung was brought to Siam in 1908 by Luang Pradit Pairoh, royal musician in the entourage of HRH Field Marshal Prince Bhanurangsi Savangwongse of Siam, who paid a royal visit to Java that year (27 years after the first state visit of his elder brother, KingChulalongkorn to Java in 1871.) The Thai angklung are typically tuned in the Thai tuning system of seven equidistant steps per octave, and each angklung has three bamboo tubes tuned in three separate octaves rather than two, as is typical in Indonesia.

In 2008, there was a grand celebration in the Thai traditional music circle, to mark the 100th anniversary of the introduction of angklung to Thailand. Both the Thai and Indonesian governments supported to celebration.

Angklung has also been adopted by its Austronesian-speaking neighbors, in particular by Malaysia and the Philippines, where they are played as part of bamboo xylophone orchestras. Formally introduced into Malaysia sometime after the end of the Confrontation, angklung found immediate popularity.^[8] They are generally played using a pentatonic scale similar to the Indonesian slendro, although in the Philippines, sets also come in the diatonic and minor scales used to perform various Spanish-influenced folk music in addition to native songs in pentatonic.

At least one Sundanese angklung buncis ensemble exists in the United States. Angklung Buncis Sukahejo is an ensemble at The Evergreen State College, and includes eighteen double rattles (nine tuned pairs) and four dog-dog drums.

World record[edit]

On July 9, 2011 5,182 people from many nations played angklung together in Washington DC and are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest angklung ensemble.