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.

Kampung Naga, An Unique & Exotic Traditional Sundanese Village In West-Java Indonesia

Kampung Naga is a hamlet located in the area of Neglasari Village, Salawu District, Tasikmalaya Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia.

Kampung Naga is a village which is inhabited by a community in a very strong tradition of holding the remainder ancestors. The differences are visible when compared with other communities outside Kampung Naga. The community are living in the framework of an atmosphere in a traditional simplicity and environmental wisdom.

Kampung Naga is located not far from the main road that connects with the city of Garut Tasikmalaya. Villages are located in a fertile valley, with the boundaries, in the West Village by Naga forest. The forest is sacred because it is located in the ancestral cemetery. In the south is the rice fields, and in the north and east are surrounded by river Ciwulan, which the source of water comes from Mount Cikuray in Garut. The distance from the town of Tasikmalaya to Kampung Naga is approximately 30 kilometers, while the distance from the city of Garut is 26 kilometers. To reach Kampung Naga from Garut, Tasikmalaya, people must climb down the ladder in the wall (Sunda: sengked) to the bank of the river Ciwulan with the slope about 45 degrees with a distance of approximately 500 meters. Then through the paths into Kampung Naga. The settlement is easier to visit than the most ancient Sundanese village in Baduy.^[1]

According to the data from Neglasari village, the surface soil of Kampung Naga hills with those used for land productivity can be fertile. Area of land in Kampung Naga is one of half a hectare, mostly used for housing, yards, ponds, and the rest is used for agriculture rice harvested twice a year.

The preservation of the village has been supported by national government beginning during the Suharto presidency, and it has been described as part of the "public face of regulation in Suharto's Indonesia".^[2] The government provided concrete steps which connected the village to the outside world and battery powered radios as gifts for the village; tour guides were government-trained and reiterated the Naga people's desire for: self-sufficiency; the continuation of their traditions; and their desire to be model citizens.^[3]

Source: Wikipedia

Bandung, The Parijs Van Java

(Source: Wikipedia & Google Image)

Bandung (/ˈbɑːndʊŋ/) (Sundanese: ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Indonesian: Kota Bandung), is the capital of West Java province inIndonesia and Indonesia's fourth largest city after Jakarta, Surabaya and Medan, ^[1][2] make it the third largest city by population, with over 2.4 million, and Greater Bandung made up of 2 municipalities and 38 districts, making it the nation's 2nd largest metropolitan area with 6,965,655 inhabitants at the 2010 census.^[3] Located 768 metres (2,520 ft) above sea level, approximately 140 kilometres (87 miles) south east of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler temperatures year-round than most other Indonesian cities. The city lies on a river basin surrounded by volcanicmountains. This topography provides a natural defense system, which was the primary reason for the Dutch East Indies government's plan to move the colony capital from Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) to Bandung.

The Dutch colonials first established tea plantations around the mountains in the eighteenth century, and a road was constructed to connect the plantation area to the colonial capital Batavia (180 kilometres (112 miles) to the northwest). The Dutch inhabitants of Bandung demanded establishment of a municipality (gemeente), which was granted in 1906, and Bandung gradually developed into a resort city for plantation owners. Luxurious hotels, restaurants, cafes and European boutiques were opened, hence the city was nicknamed Parijs van Java (Dutch:"The Paris of Java").

After Indonesia declared independence in 1945, the city experienced rapid development and urbanization, transforming Bandung from an idyllic town into a dense 16,500 people/km² (per square kilometer) metropolitan area, a living space for over 2.5 million people. Natural resources have been heavily exploited, particularly by conversion of protected upland area into highland villas and real estate and, although the city has encountered many problems (ranging from waste disposal and floods to a complicated traffic system and lack of road infrastructure), Bandung still attracts large numbers of tourists, weekend sightseers and migrants from other parts of Indonesia.

Geography

Bandung, the capital of West Java province, located about 180 kilometres (110 mi) southeast of Jakarta, is the third largest city in Indonesia. Its elevation is 768 metres (2,520 ft) above sea level and is surrounded by up to 2,400 m (7,874 ft) high Late Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic terrain.^[4] The 400 km² flat of central Bandung plain is situated in the middle of 2,340.88 km² wide of the Bandung Basin; the basin comprises Bandung, the Cimahi city, part ofBandung Regency, part of West Bandung Regency, and part of Sumedang Regency.^[5] The basin's main river is theCitarum; one of its branches, the Cikapundung, divides Bandung from north to south before it merges with Citarum again in Dayeuhkolot. The Bandung Basin is an important source of water for potable water, irrigation and fisheries, with its 6,147 million m³ of groundwater being a major reservoir for the city.

www.zigra.co.id

The northern section of Bandung is hillier than other parts of the city, and the distinguished truncated flat-peak shape of the Tangkuban Perahu volcano (Tangkuban Perahu literally means 'upside-down boat') can be seen from the city to the north. Long-term volcanic activity has created fertile andisol soil in the north, suitable for intensive rice,fruit, tea, tobacco and coffee plantations. In the south and east, alluvial soils deposited by the Cikapundung river predominate.

1. geography Geological data shows that the Bandung Basin is located on an ancient volcano, known as Mount Sunda, erected up to 3,000–4,000 metres (9,850–13,100 ft) during the Pleistocene age.^[6] Two large-scale eruptions took place; the first formed the basin and the second (est. 55,000 Before Present) blocked the Citarum river, turning the basin into a lake known as "the Great Prehistoric Lake of Bandung".^[7] The lake drained away; for reasons which are the subject of ongoing debate among geologists.

History[edit]

Main article: History of Bandung

The Dago Waterfall near Bandung, date 1920-1932

Jalan Braga circa 1935-1938

Jembatan Pasupati

The official name of the city during the colonial Dutch East Indies period wasBandoeng.

The earliest reference to the area dates back to 1488, although archaeological findings suggest a type of Homo erectus species had long previously lived on the banks of the Cikapundung River and around the old lake of Bandung.^[11] During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) established plantations in the Bandung area. In 1786, a supply road connecting Batavia (now Jakarta), Bogor, Cianjur, Bandung, Sumedang and Cirebon was constructed. In 1809, Napoleon Bonaparte, French Emperor and conqueror of much of Europe including the Netherlands and its colonies, ordered the Dutch Indies Governor H.W. Daendels to improve the defensive systems of Java to protect against the British in India. Daendels built a road, stretching approximately 1,000 km (620 mi) from the west to the east coast of Java, passing through Bandung.^[12][13] In 1810, the road was laid down in Bandung and was named De Groote Postweg (or the 'Great Post Road'), the present-day location of Asia-Afrika Street. Under Daendels' orders, R.A. Wiranatakusumah II, the Chief Administrator of the Bandung regency at that time, moved office from Krapyak, in the south, to a place near a pair of holy city wells (sumur Bandung), the present-day site of the city square (alun-alun). He built his dalem (palace), masjid agung (the grand mosque) and pendopo (public-official meeting place) in the classical Sundanese orientation,^[14] with the pendopo facing Tangkuban Perahu mountain, which was believed to have a mystical ambience.

In 1880, the first major railroad between Batavia and Bandung was completed,^[15] boosting light industry in Bandung. Chinese flocked in to the city to help run facilities, services and as vendors. The area adjacent to the train station is still recognisable as the old Chinatown district. In 1906, Bandung was given the status ofgemeente (municipality) and then twenty years later stadsgemeente (city municipality).

Beginning of time the early 1920s, the Dutch East Indies government made plans to move their capital from Batavia to Bandung. Accordingly, during this decade, the Dutch colonial government commenced construction of military barracks, the central government building (Gouvernments Bedrijven, the present-day Gedung Sate) and other government buildings. However, this plan, was cut short by World War II, after which the Dutch were not able to re-establish their colony due to the Indonesian Declaration of Independence.

The fertile area of the Parahyangan Mountains surrounding Bandung supports productive tea plantations. In the nineteenth century, Franz Junghuhn introduced thecinchona (kina) plant.^[16] With its cooler elevated landscape, surrounded by major plantations, Bandung became an exclusive European resort area.^[17] Rich plantation owners visited the city on weekends, attracting ladies and business people from the capital, Batavia. Braga Street grew into a promenade street with cafes, restaurants and boutique shops. Two art-deco style hotels, Savoy Homann and Preanger, were built in the vicinity of the Concordia Society, a club house for the wealthy with a large ballroom and a theatre.^[15] The nickname "Parijs van Java" was given to the city.

Bandung Cathedral, seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bandung

Gedung Merdeka (Merdeka Building) during the Asian-African Conference in 1955

After the Indonesian Independence in 1945, Bandung was designated the capital of West Java province. During the 1945-1949 independence struggle against the Netherlandsseeking to retake its colonies in the "Dutch East Indies", some of the heaviest battles occurred in and around Bandung. At the end of World War II Dutch troops were virtually absent in Java. To assist the restoration of Dutch sovereignty, the British took a military hold on Java's major cities, and the British military commander set an ultimatum for the Indonesian combatants in Bandung to leave the city. In response, on 24 March 1946, much of the southern part of Bandung was deliberately set alight as the combatants left; an event known as Bandung Lautan Api or the 'Bandung Sea of Fire'.^[18]

In 1955, the first Asian-African Conference - also known as the Bandung Conference - was hosted in Bandung by President Soekarno, and attended by the heads of states representing twenty-nine independent countries from Asia and Africa.^[19] The conference venue was at the Gedung Merdeka, the former Concordia Society building. The conference announced 10 points of declaration for the promotion of world peace promotion and for opposition against colonialism, and is known as the Declaration of Bandung. This was followed by a wave of nationalism movements around the globe which remapped world politics. The conference was also the first international conference of people of color in the history of mankind. Richard Wright in his book, The Color Curtain, claims that there was epic meaning of the conference for people of color around the world.

In 2005, an Asian-African Conference was partly held in Bandung, attended by world leaders such as Indonesian President Susilo B. Yudhoyono, President of ChinaHu Jintao, Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh, President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki, President of Nigeria Obasanjo, and other luminaries.

In 1987, the city boundary was expanded by the 'Greater Bandung' (Bandung Raya) plan; with a relocation of higher concentration development zones outside the city in an attempt to dilute population density in the old city. During this development, the city core was often uprooted, with old buildings torn down, lot sizes regrouped and rezoned, changing idyllic residential areas to commercial zones with bustling chain supermarkets, malls, banks and upscale developments.

Main attractions[edit]

See also: Indonesian architecture and List of colonial buildings in Bandung

Bandung is home to numerous examples of Dutch colonial architecture; most notably the tropical Art Deco, dubbed New Indies Style. Henri Maclaine-Pont was among the first Dutch architects to recognise the importance of combining each architectural style with local cultural traditions. He stressed that modern architecture should interact with local history and native elements.^[29] In 1920, Pont planned and designed buildings for the first technical university in the Dutch East Indies,Technische Hogeschool te Bandung (the present-day Institut Teknologi Bandung), after which he was named as a Professor of Architecture at the university. A striking local Sundanese roof style is clearly seen adorning the top of the campus' ceremonial hall, and is embedded in his artwork.^[29]

The Savoy homann hotel architectural design by Albert Aalbers in 1939 is one of the most significant examples of the Art Deco style for which Bandung is renowned

In the same year, another Dutch architect J Gerber designed Gouverments Bedrijven (Government Companies) in line with the colonial government plan to move the capital from Batavia to Bandung. The building is an example of a harmonious mixture between West and East architectural styles, particularly the Italian Renaissance style of arch structures in the wings and pendopo-like structures commonly found in Java in the middle section. The building is known as Gedung Sate, named after the distinguished small satay-shaped structure on the roof, and is today used as the head office of the West Java provincial government and House of Representatives.

The architectural blending of modern and native traditional was followed by several Dutch architects who shaped the city landmarks. In the 1930s, Bandung became known as an architectural laboratory due to the many Dutch architects who experimented with new architectural designs. Albert Aalbers added the streamline moderne style to the Art Deco by designing the DENIS bank (1936) and renovated the Savoy Homann Hotel (1939). C.P.W. Schoemaker was one of architects who strongly added native elements in his artworks, including the Villa Isola (1932), Hotel Preanger (1929), the regional military headquarter (1918), Gedung Merdeka (1921) and ITB Rectorate Building (1925).

Culture[edit]

Bandung is considered a major & significant cultural hub in Indonesia. Most people in the surrounding province of West Java are Sundanese. Sundanese languageis often spoken as the first language and is commonly used as informal language for communication in streets, school, campus, work and markets, while Indonesian—Indonesia's national language and a lingua franca among its many ethnic units — is used as the lingua franca, the official language and the language of government, businesses, and instruction at schools.

Tourism[edit]

Denim store, Cihampelas Street

Bandung is a popular weekend destination for residents of Jakarta. The cooler climate of the highland plantation area, the varieties of food, the cheaper fashion shops located in factory outlets and distros, golf courses, and the zoo, are some of the attractions of the city.^[30] Bandung is also a popular shopping destination due to cheap textile and fashion products, especially for Malaysian andSingaporean tourists.^[31]

In the 1990s, local designers opened denim clothing stores along Cihampelas Street, which was transformed into a "jeans street". The city attracts people from other big cities to buy local fashion wares, as they are cheaper than branded items.^[32] Beside at Cihampelas Street, many factory outlets also opened at Riau Street, Setiabudi Street, and Djuanda Street (known as Dago). Textile factories on the outskirts of Bandung have opened factory outlets on site selling what is marketed as sisa export (rejected or over-produced export quality items).^[33] Bandung Supermal, Bandung Indah Plaza, Ciwalk^{[clarification needed]} (abbreviation of Cihampelas Walk) and Paris van Java are popular shopping centres in Bandung.

Significant tourist sites near Bandung include the Tangkuban Prahu volcano crater to the north, the striking Kawah Putih volcano lake, and Patenggang Lake, a lake surrounded by tea plantations about 50 kilometres (31 miles) to the south of the city.

To view the Bandung Basin clearly in its mountain surroundings, visitors travel to the Bongkor protected forest area (kawasan hutan lindung), Saung Daweung and Arcamanik; to the slopes of West Manglayang Mountain in an area known as Caringin Tilu, with entry from Padasuka and Cicaheum to the north. The forest is located in 1,500 above sea level and is covered with pine trees managed by a government corporation Perhutani and can be accessed with 30 minutes drive from downtown.^[34][35] Visitors going to the north of the city also find Taman Hutan Raya Ir. H. Djuanda. The Cicaheum area also hosts Bukit Moko, a tourist spot famous for its views and its steel statue of a giant star called Puncak Bintang. Bandung has several museums that should be visited by tourists, such as the Geological Museum of Bandung, the Indonesia Postal Museum, Sri Baduga Museum, and the Asian-African Conference Museum.