Bima Temple, Indonesia

Address

Bima Temple, Indonesia

Dieng Kulon Village, Batur District,

Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java

Indonesia 53456

Moolavar

Bima

Introduction

Bima Temple is one of the largest temple sites found in the Dieng Plateau area precisely in Dieng Kulon Village, Batur District, Banjarnegara Regency, Central Java. This temple is unique in that its shape is different from the temples found in Central Java in general. The unique architecture of this temple is often associated with Indian architectural styles. Bima Temple has a height of about 8 meters, built on a square-shaped foundation measuring 6 x 6 meters. Bima Temple has a decoration at the top. This temple in the form of Sikhara (a bowl cupped), has the influence of an architectural style from North India. While the influence of South Indian architectural styles, there are on tower decorations and horseshoe-shaped niches.

Puranic Significance

Bima Temple consists of one main building of the temple without any ancillary temples. The position of the entrance into the room in the temple is on the east side so that the temple faces east. This temple is unique in that the building is similar to a temple building found in India which has three horizontal levels.
On the roof there are niches with head reliefs called kudu which are not found in the buildings of other temples in Indonesia and have ornaments on their buds. Bima Temple is the highest temple found in the Dieng Plateau.
Previously Bima Temple had 24 statues, namely a statue shaped like a human head located in a window booth. This kudu statue weighs 15 kg with a height of 24 cm, width of 20 cm and a thickness of 27 cm. Until now, there are 13 statues of Kudu in Bima Temple.
There were no inscriptions regarding the construction of the Bima temple. Estimates of the construction of this temple are also unclear and it was only concluded by archaeologists that the construction was not much different from the construction of temples in the Arjuna Temple Complex. To estimate that the Bima Temple was built before the Mataram kingdom (8th and 11th centuries) stood because there were no reliefs and statue in this building.