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Bumiayu temple compound, or locally known as ''Candi Bumiayu'', is a Sumatran
Shivaist Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
complex located near the banks of Lematang river, precisely in Bumiayu village, Tanah Abang district,
Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir Regency Penukal Abab Lematang Ilir Regency (often abbreviated to PALI) is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency of South Sumatra Province, Indonesia. It takes its name from the three main rivers which flow through that area - the Penukal River, Abab River and ...
,
South Sumatra South Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Selatan) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southeast of the island of Sumatra, The province spans and had a population of 8,467,432 at the 2020 Census. The capital of the province is Palembang. The pro ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. The temple located about 120 kilometres west of
Palembang Palembang () is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River on the eastern lowland of southern Sumatra. It had a population of 1,668,848 at the 2020 Census. Palembang ...
city. The
red brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...
structures are estimated dated from 8th to 13th-century, and linked to the
Srivijaya Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th t ...
kingdom. Compared to Java, only a few Hindu-Buddhist temple ruins has been rediscovered in
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
. The temple is known as one of the few surviving Hindu temple remnant in South Sumatra. Other temple ruins in Sumatra are Muaro Jambi in Jambi,
Muara Takus Muara Takus ( id, Candi Muara Takus) is a Buddhist temple complex, thought to belong to the Srivijaya empire. It is situated in Kampar Regency in Riau province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Its surviving temples and other archaeological remains are thought ...
in Riau, and
Bahal temple Candi Bahal, also known as Biaro Bahal (''biaro'', derived from '' vihara'', a monastery) or Candi Portibi (Batak ''portibi'', derived from prithivi, "earth") is Vajrayana Buddhist candi complex in Bahal village, Padang Bolak, Portibi, Padang L ...
in North Sumatra.


History

Historian suggests that the temple compound were built and used in the period between the 8th to 13th century. It is linked to Srivijaya kingdom that centered in
Palembang Palembang () is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River on the eastern lowland of southern Sumatra. It had a population of 1,668,848 at the 2020 Census. Palembang ...
, located to the northeast from the Bumiayu site, connected by Lematang river, a tributary of
Musi River Musi may refer to: * Musi River (Indonesia) * Musi River (India), Telangana * Moosy River, Andhra Pradesh, India * Musi language, a Malay language spoken in Indonesia * Angelo Musi (1918–2009), American basketball player * Agostino de' Musi, real ...
. The Bumiayu temple compound was probably built by a ''
Kedatuan ''Kedatuan'' (ancient or Sundanese spelling: ''kadatuan''; Javanese romanization: ''kedaton'') were historical semi-independent city-states or principalities throughout ancient Maritime Southeast Asia in present-day Indonesia, Malaysia, and the ...
'' settlement or principality that belongs within Srivijayan
mandala A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for e ...
sphere of influence. The fact that Hindu temple was discovered within the area of Srivijayan Buddhist empire suggests that the kingdom's population adheres to both Hinduism and Buddhism that coexist harmoniously. According to the styles of Shiva and Agastya statues found in temple 1, those Hindu statues are dated from around the 9th to 10th-century. By the 12th to 13th-century it seems that the faith was shifted from Hinduism to
Tantric Buddhism Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...
. This suggestions was based on the discovery of tantric inscription near Lematang river, the statue of Camundi and lions pulling carriages, which is similar to those Tantric statues of Orrissa in India and
Singhasari Singhasari ( jv, ꦏꦫꦠꦺꦴꦤ꧀ꦱꦶꦔ꧀ꦲꦱꦫꦶ, translit=Karaton Singhasari or , id, Kerajaan Singasari) was a Javanese Hindu kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded the Kingdom of Kediri as ...
Buddhist statues of East Java. As an indicator of a settlement, the fragments of pottery and Chinese ceramics dated from the
Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
and Yuan dynasties (11-13th century CE) were also found. The settlements site are found on the banks of the Lematang river. The temple compound was abandoned, probably in the 16th century or earlier, possible due to the arrival of
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and the conversion of the local population. Subsequently, the temple compound were forgotten, buried under earth and tropical jungle. The rediscovery of the Bumiayu archaeological site was first reported by E.P. Tombrink in 1864 in his report ''Hindoe Monumenten in de Bovenlanden van Palembang''. During his visit to Lematang Ulu, he reported that there are 26 Hindu statues relics, including the statue of
Nandi Nandi may refer to: People * Nandy (surname), Indian surname * Nandi (mother of Shaka) (1760–1827), daughter of Bhebe of the Langeni tribe * Onandi Lowe (born 1974), Jamaican footballer nicknamed Nandi * Nandi Bushell (born 2010), South Afri ...
. In Lematang Ilir, there are ruins of a temple near Tanah Abang hamlet, and a relief of a parrot which is now kept in the
National Museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...
. According to local story that been recorded by a Dutch controller named A.J. Knaap in 1902, what is now called the Bumiayu temple is the former palace of a kingdom called Gedebong Undang. Furthermore, Knaap reported in 1904 the archaeological remnants of the site; a 1.75 meter high brick building was found in the Lematang area. part from brick temple ruins, stone and metal statues were also found. Another finding was a gold sheet that read ''om yam''. The temple were reconstructed in the 1990s, although not complete since many parts of temple were ruined and many bricks are missing.


Temple structure

Bumiayu temple site covering an area of about 15 hectares, which is bordered by 7 perimeter ditch. The temple complex consists of 13 red brick structures that most of them are now in ruins in form of earth mounds. Only 5 structures has been reconstructed; temple 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8. Only temple 1 is located in the center of the village, the rest is scattered around the village or within the rubber plantation.


Temple 1

The temple 1 has a square plan with a size of 10.21 x 10.47 meters and the ascending stairs located on the east side. On the left and right of the stairs are decorated with carriages drawn by lion that is now headless. At the front of the ascending stairs are the remains of a pavilion. Several statues were found from the ruins of temple 1, namely the statue of Shiva Mahadeva,
Agastya Agastya ( kn, ಅಗಸ್ತ್ಯ, ta, அகத்தியர், sa, अगस्त्य, te, అగస్త్యుడు, ml, അഗസ്ത്യൻ, hi, अगस्त्य) was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the I ...
, the statue of Gajasimha, two figures, and the statue of Nandi.


Temple 3

Temple 3 is a group of buildings consisting of a main temple and three ''perwara'' (ancillary) temples, each of which is located in the north, east, and south. Based on the location of the stairs, the main temple building faces northeast. The main temple building has an octagonal design that stands on the rectangular base. From the temple 3 ruins, there were found fragments of the demon's head, a statue of a woman torso wearing a skull shaped necklace, a statue of a woman holding a snake, and several animal statues of lions, crocodiles, dogs and snakes. In temple 3 there are some exquisite and detailed
terracotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based ceramic glaze, unglazed or glazed ceramic where the pottery firing, fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, a ...
relief depicts
kala Kala or Kalah may refer to: Religion Hinduism *Kāla, a Sanskrit word meaning ''time'' *Kāla, a Hindu deity of time, destiny, death and destruction closely related to Yama and Shiva. *Kalā, a Sanskrit word meaning ''performing arts'' * Kala Bo, ...
and
makara ''Makara'' ( sa, मकर, translit=Makara) is a legendary sea-creature in Hindu mythology. In Hindu astrology, Makara is equivalent to the Zodiac sign Capricorn. Makara appears as the vahana (vehicle) of the river goddess Ganga, Narmada, a ...
with rich decorations. The reconstructed temple ruins are now covered with roofs to protect the red brick structures from torrential rains. Some of statues and relics discovered in Bumiayu temple compound are now stored in an ''
in situ ''In situ'' (; often not italicized in English) is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "on site" or "in position." It can mean "locally", "on site", "on the premises", or "in place" to describe where an event takes place and is used in ...
'' gallery, also in Balaputradeva Museum and Srivijaya Museum in
Palembang Palembang () is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River on the eastern lowland of southern Sumatra. It had a population of 1,668,848 at the 2020 Census. Palembang ...
.


See also

*
Candi of Indonesia A candi () is a Hindu or Buddhist temple in Indonesia, mostly built during the ''Zaman Hindu-Buddha'' or " Hindu-Buddhist period" between circa the 4th and 15th centuries. The ''Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia'' defines a ''candi'' as an ancient s ...


References

{{Indonesia topics Srivijaya Archaeological sites in Indonesia Buildings and structures in South Sumatra Cultural Properties of Indonesia in South Sumatra Hindu temples in Indonesia