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Hinduism was introduced to Java as early
as the 1st century CE by
Indian traders along with their political
system of administration closely associated with
their belief in divine powers, cultural skills
and artforms. Magnificent temples and shrines
were created to house statues of gods
and deities. They signify the connection between
divinity and humans especially in the case
of sovereigns. The perception of a close
link with a particular god or gods indicated
the king’s powers including those that are
divine because of these special relationships.
Such powers were deemed ‘necessary’ to ensure
prosperity and safety of the kingdom and
its people. Hence, the architecture of temples
and shrines strictly conform with Hindu cosmology
and symbolisms.
The best building materials were reserved for
creating structures that represent the abode
of the gods. For instance, towers reached
up high into the skies like the peaks
of Mount Meru which made up the heavenly
city of the gods. While earthly palaces
for the kings were mainly made of timber
which were degradable over time, durable stones
were reserved for building temples and shrines.
In Java and in particular the ancient
Kedu plains , volcanic rocks
were used for construction and fine decorative
sculptures representing deities, mythical creatures
and all things belonging to the divine
world.
The Ramayana Epic exerts the biggest influence
over the local culture of Yogyakarta (and
Java) until present day even though majority
of the local population have converted to
Islam. Temples ‘come alive’ with extensive and
beautiful bas reliefs narrating excerpts of
the great story of the demi-gods and demons.
They are also the main themes in music
and dramatic performances in puppet shows, shadow
plays and ballets, forms of artistic designs
and paintings.
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