Blitar Regency is a

regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

East Java East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean bord ...

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 ...

. It covers an area of 1,558.79 km² and had a population of 1,116,639 at the 2010 Census and 1,223,745 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 1,242,207. Since 2010, its capital has been located in Kanigoro, after sharing the same capital with

Blitar Blitar is a landlocked city in East Java, Indonesia, about 73 km from Malang and 167 km from Surabaya. The area lies within longitude 111° 40' – 112° 09' East and its latitude is 8° 06' South. The city of Blitar lies at an altitude ...

city for more than a century. Blitar city is now a separate administrative entity, enclaved within the regency but completely independent from it.

History

Blitar Regency as an administrative area is believed to be established in 5 August 1324 AD during the reign of King Jayanegara (1309-1328).

Administrative districts

Blitar Regency (excluding the city) is divided into twenty-two districts (''kecamatan''), tabulated below with their areas and their population totals from the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2021.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2022. The table also includes the number of administrative villages (rural ''desa'' and urban ''kelurahan'') in each district, and its postal codes. The districts are grouped into southern and northern sectors, which have no administrative or legal significance, but highlight the much lower density in the south of the regency (adjoining the sea) compared with the north (centred on

city). Notes: (a) including 7 small offshore islands. (b) including 13 small offshore islands. (c) including 8 small offshore islands.

Temples

Because of its strategic location, Blitar has been important for religious activities in the past, especially

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 ...

. The most famous temple in this area is

Candi Penataran Penataran or Panataran ( id, Candi Penataran) is one of the largest Hindu temple ruins complex in East Java, Indonesia. It is located roughly 12 km northeast of Blitar, with the closest airport being farther away at Malang. Believed to hav ...

located in Penataran village, Nglegok District. According to history, Candi Penataran used to be a ''temple state'' or the main temple of the kingdom. Candi Penataran was built when King Kertajaya offered ''sima'' to adore ''sira majesty of Lord Palah'' in the year 1119 Saka (1197 AD). Other temples are scattered throughout Blitar, including : * Candi Bacem * Candi Gambar Wetan * Candi Kalicilik * Candi Kotes * Candi Sawentar * Candi Sumbernanas * Candi Plumbangan * Candi Simping * Candi Tepas * Candi Wringin Branjang

Beaches

* Jolosutro Beach * Pangi Beach * Peh Pulo Beach * Serang Beach * Tambakrejo Beach

References

{{Authority control Regencies of East Java