Having sighted the sundown moments in Bali’s beaches, we were game for the sunup moments that the ramparts of Jogjakarta promised.
So we headed for Jogja in the hope of capturing ‘that first golden chink’ on the horizon; to find ‘that’ composure and equanimity that marks the Buddha’s countenance; to rediscover world-renowned sites of immense archaeological credence.
Bali is indeed a
bagful but Yogyakarta for most Indians cannot be designed as a stand-alone trip
and that’s how it found its way into our itinerary especially after a
relative’s suggestion.
Borobudur and Prambanan
Temples both of which are the cynosures of Yogyakarta were on our agenda with our
intention being- to offer salutations to the sun at the crack of dawn, follow its course &
call it a day as it leaves its fading trail at Yogyakarta’s many baronial architectural
marvels.
Hindu Temples,
Prambanan, Jogjakarta, Indonesia
Yogyakarta as it is
christened where ‘yogya’ means ‘best suited’ & ‘karta’ means
‘prosperous’ is an adaptation of India’s ‘Ayodhya’ and denotes ‘a city that’s
prosperous’ or 'fit to prosper'. Jogjakarta and ultimately ‘jogja’ are the colloquial versions of
the original.
Borobudur is incredible for the sunrise views but Prambanan & Ratu Boko ruins are what will offer you the best shots while the sun goes down; in fact photographers wait with bated breath to film the ebbing orb that can be beheld through the various ingresses on the monument's bulwarks.
We landed
in Jogjakarta from Bali on a late April evening. The sight of moist ground & the smell of wet
earth that otherwise lift my spirits seemed to dampen my mood. The following
day’s celestial clarity & stellar rise was dependent on the prevailing
weather.
Our jeep inched through the traffic at snail’s pace. As the weather was intent on playing spoilsport, we decided to reschedule our visit to Borobudur to the second day of our 3 day visit and instead decided to head for Prambanan the very next day.
The following day dawned with a clarity that erased all traces of gloominess of the previous day but as we had decidedly lazed around while the sun rose, we sped off to Prambanan post breakfast. It took us more than an hour from Jogja to Prambanan, given the heavy traffic.
Hindu Temples,
Prambanan, Jogjakarta, Indonesia
As we edged closer to the precincts, the facades of the temple towers rose like flames, to touch the heavens!
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Candi Ciwa (for Shiva) in the centre facing east, towering tall and proud (47 metres tall), has an undoubtedly electrifying appeal as it looms large dwarfing the milling populace. It is flanked by the Vishnu Temple in the north & Brahma in the south. 
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What Herculean
efforts the artisans & laborers of yore might’ve put in, cannot be fathomed,
for the humongous edifices that stand today, have stood the test of time!
Candi Brahma
The temples are distinct
in design, symmetry and character and some of the bas-reliefs bear Indian motifs of sages and nymphs.
Prambanan Temples are Hindu temples that were deified by the Mataram Kings who reigned Central Java & nearby kingdoms.
Statue of Vishnu
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Each main
temple has a shrine on the opposite called Vahana Temple. The Nandi Temple is posited opposite the
Shiva shrine, the Garuda Temple faces the Vishnu Temple & the Angsa Temple (Hamsa) stands facing the Brahma Temple.
Pervara
Ruins
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Sewu Buddhist Temple
Scattered farther
afield the Hindu temples, are a few Buddhist temples which aren’t exactly
crowd-pullers, but a visit to these is a must, for it’s here in their desolate
yet divine environs that time stands still.
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This triumvirate is
dedicated to the Hindu Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva.
Ijo Temples
Ijo Temples
Candi Plaosan
The shrine was a gift
from a Hindu Prince Rakai Pikata of the Sanjaya dynasty to the Buddhist Princess Pramodavardhini of the
Shailendra dynasty. The couple was united in wedlock- their union arranged for political reasons.
In spite of both kingdoms having nursed inimical sentiments, the Plaosan Temple is a monumental symbol of love & peace!
The name was enough
to cause momentary nostalgia!
While strolling around the complex, a calliopean sound echoed across the lawns, accompanied by
the sounds of percussion. Perched on a dais was a band playing an exotic tune
to which a little lass crooned melodiously. Seated next to her was a couple of
well-dressed local women, their hair done in a typical chignon and diademed
gracefully. We paused awhile, heard their song, exchanged pleasantries &
clicked snaps for posterity before bidding them adieu.
Across the field, you’d
find hawkers selling their wares but beware that the goods at the emporium are
fairly priced.
We had Ratu Boko on
our agenda & hence avoided Sewu Temple. However, as the minutes ticked by, the serpentine queue of vehicles
before us at the palace gates blighted our chance & finally when we did manage to race ahead, the pall of clouds that hung on the horizon seemed to gather force. We
decided to retreat. That was sad, because snapshots of Ratu Boko with spectacular views of the setting sun splashed all over the net as well
as magazines had us all keyed up.
Borobudur
Nevertheless, the
next day’s Borobudur odyssey kept us excited. After an early supper, we retired
by 10 p.m. and were up by 4 a.m. Our hosts at the home-stay drove us to the famed temple.
Trampling on moist
grass was one hell of an experience, for it was impossible to discern if we
were indeed treading on safe grounds or were about to step on a slithering specimen!
But our guides dismissed our fears by asserting that taking tourists to &
fro was their daily job. Muffled giggles & whispers from other travellers assuaged our qualms.
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All of a sudden, we were confronted by the silhouette of a colossal structure that spread over the
sprawling mead! At that tenebrous hour, the silhouette appeared frightfully gigantic. We had
reached the gates of the renowned temple!
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We haltingly trudged through the flight of steps, guided by the cell’s flashlight. It was still dark & we had to ensure that we didn't bump into tourists who were ahead of us. Yes, there were many heliophiles than we had imagined who had reached the place much before us, to reserve their spot under the sun (shall we say sky?☺)& had already begun to mount their tripods & other paraphernalia.
We haltingly trudged through the flight of steps, guided by the cell’s flashlight. It was still dark & we had to ensure that we didn't bump into tourists who were ahead of us. Yes, there were many heliophiles than we had imagined who had reached the place much before us, to reserve their spot under the sun (shall we say sky?☺)& had already begun to mount their tripods & other paraphernalia.
People spoke in
hushed tones & waited patiently for the screen to unfold. Despite
the mob that had gathered, there was ample space & we perched ourselves facing a particular
direction because the entire crowd faced that direction, which certainly had
to be east! The onslaught of tourists continued but the monument happened to be massive, for, the crowd dispersed evenly.
And we waited with bated
breath. Suddenly the sound of semantra resonated softly, suffusing the stillness
& stilling the whispers, & the baritonal litany of Buddhist chants resounded
through. That was our moment of nirvana!
Dawn dawned! In a few moments, the inky vault slowly but steadily began to clarify into a breathtaking aurora & as its clarity grew in intensity, people poised themselves for heliolatry.
A stray cloud-white and fluffy could be seen sailing across the violet vault, only to be soon streaked with a pinkish hue-the pink that perfused the skies. The pink soon gave way to a golden peach which was no doubt dulled by a cloudy grey.
Slowly a weak sun
emerged from behind a veil of clouds. Its lambent light soon engulfed the
heavens & lo and behold the best kept secrets of the Borobudur Temple came
alive!
The surrounding mammoth
structures throbbed with life & the serene visages of the Buddha busts
stayed put- unmindful of the regular hustle & bustle.
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The different tiers
of the temple showcase a plethora of carvings depicting the Buddha’s life. One
set with the Buddha in various mudras (hand gestures in different meditative
poses) attracted maximum attention.
Given the temple’s gargantuan
proportions, you’d find yourself isolated, despite the influx of tourists. And
these are moments when the ubiquitous miens of the Buddha seem to assert their presence,
watching over your every step non-judgmentally yet compassionately!
Even as the crowd
dispersed & trickled to the stupa’s different tiers to capture the various facets
of the marvel, a new stream of eager tourists was seen making its way into the
precincts.
To See or Not to See
The nimbus of grandeur surrounding the Borobudur Temple may seem hyped for some. Yet, it is not without reason that tourists make a beeline to this site at the crack of dawn with the hope of sighting its hallowed sunrise! Believe me, you will never regret it; in fact it’s so splendid, that you’d want to come back to behold its splendour again & again!
The nimbus of grandeur surrounding the Borobudur Temple may seem hyped for some. Yet, it is not without reason that tourists make a beeline to this site at the crack of dawn with the hope of sighting its hallowed sunrise! Believe me, you will never regret it; in fact it’s so splendid, that you’d want to come back to behold its splendour again & again!
And when you finally
make it, you’d want to lock in its beauty from various angles but
the best snapshots that can be had are undeniably from Punthuk Sethumbu Hills
that lie 4 kilometers to the west of the temple.
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Built in the 9th century, the Borobudur Temple depicts the Mandala. That such a pharaonic structure was covered in volcanic ash that erupted in Java in 1006 AD & remained thus till the 19th century when it was unearthed by Raffles, appears somewhat incredulous!
Built in the 9th century, the Borobudur Temple depicts the Mandala. That such a pharaonic structure was covered in volcanic ash that erupted in Java in 1006 AD & remained thus till the 19th century when it was unearthed by Raffles, appears somewhat incredulous!
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The Borobudur Temple & the Prambanan Temples of Java, are both UNESCO World
Heritage Sites. The Borobudur Temple is the world's largest Buddhist temple & the Prambanan Temple Complex is the largest in Indonesia.
The Borobudur Temple in
its entirety
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Note: Borobodur is
approximately 44 kilometers away from Adisucipto International Airport & can take an hour to reach. However, beware that the roads leading to Borobudur throb with the trundle of cars and
jeeps as early as 3 a.m. So it’s advisable to choose an accommodation closer to
the temple in the town of Borobudur itself. Hotel Manohara usually is the first
choice among tourists although we opted for a home-stay very close to Borobudur Temple.
Contrary to the many
warnings regarding the difficulty in availing tickets to the
temple at dawn, I must inform that staff at any of Borobudur’s hotels or
home-stays, do have the required influence to procure you tickets,
provided you inform them about your visit well in advance. I think the
difficulty arises only when you arrive at the last minute from the city.
Post breakfast, we drove to the Pawon & Mendut Temples, which together with the Borobudur form a triad of temples built in a straight line. Candi Mendut boasts
of a Buddha bust that towers 3 meters.
Candi Pawon
Situated between
Mendut & Borobudur, Candi Pawon is a lone temple, whose exteriors are profusely
carved & interiors are bereft of idols. While one theory claims that
the temple was used for quiet contemplation, another maintains that the chamber was
used for incineration of the dead in the days of yore.
A number of souvenir
shops beside both temples vie for attention; luckily hawkers are not permitted inside the premises.
Candi Mendut Buddhist Monastery
This Buddhist Vihara or
Monastery in the purlieus of the Mendut Temple is a must-visit!
When you’re done with petitioning your requests, you’d perhaps need some quiet moments for perpension & this becomes you ideal retreat. Although not archaic, this monastery ensconced amid Arcadian environs, renders the kind of heartsease one needs after hectic visits to temples.
When you’re done with petitioning your requests, you’d perhaps need some quiet moments for perpension & this becomes you ideal retreat. Although not archaic, this monastery ensconced amid Arcadian environs, renders the kind of heartsease one needs after hectic visits to temples.
As we ambled along
the allee, the aligned stupas stood as if welcoming us. And despite the
monastery being a recent addition, the Genius Loci was instantly soothing... & it felt magical.
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Beyond this allee was
a well-manicured lawn dotted with stupas & statues & most prominent
among those was a sizeable statue of the Buddha overseeing the lawn. 
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While one part of the
monastery appeared modern, another looked characteristically ancient.
There was no literature to enlighten us on its history, nor were there any monks
to show us around. Nevertheless, we did enjoy the solitude.
I suppose this emaciated sculpture of the Buddha was before his death when he suffered a bout of dysentery. (not
sure about this).
Some more interesting
icons
I wasn’t aware that
the monastery holds a meditation session every evening, where guests are also allowed to join in. Surely, I missed what might’ve been a priceless experience.
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As we drove around
Borobudur, the temple towers were a constant, & Borobudur’s campestral
milieu only presented an unhindered vista.
Having completed our tour to Yogyakarta, we packed off to Singapore early next morning.
Yogyakarta has more to offer & a fortnight’s stay is recommended if you wish to enjoy an unhurried vacation. This also allows you to pack as much as you can in your lens and into your bags! Believe me, it’ll be worth your while.
Yogyakarta has more to offer & a fortnight’s stay is recommended if you wish to enjoy an unhurried vacation. This also allows you to pack as much as you can in your lens and into your bags! Believe me, it’ll be worth your while.
Prambanan is 17 kms
from Yogyakarta city. So after you choose an accommodation in the city, it’s wise to
shift base to Borobudur after exploring the attractions closer to the main
city.
Do watch this space for
more on my next sojourn & do go through the first on this series, http://tra-verse.blogspot.in/2017/05/bewitching-bali.html
