yogyakarta

THE EXTRAORDINARY CULTURAL HERITAGE OF CENTRAL JAVA

A lush tropical landscape dotted with hundreds of archeological temples, including two UNESCO world heritage sites, Borobudur and Prambanan, this is a destination that leaves you spellbound. The grandeur and complexity of the temples has to be seen to be believed, and photography struggles to convey the depth.
At a time when Europe was still in the dark ages, the “Central Javanese Period“ was building religious structures and art, now recognised as being the oldest and highest level of art within South East Asia Central Javanese spirituality and artistic endeavour continues to exist side by side with mundanities of every day life.
	Traditional craft continues to be a feature of Central   Javan life, here a batik cloth is carefully treated by a   villager with wax before dying

A BRIEF HISTORY

At the time in which these monuments were built, Indian pilgrims had spread Buddhist and Hindu teachings spread across Java, Indonesia. The proud ruling dynasties of Central Java built a seemingly endless number of structures, of all scales. Buddhist and Hindu religions lived harmoniously side by side across Java, and as families of different religions married, even mixed religion temples were built. The adaption of Indian religion and customs with the local artistry and traditions bred its own unique style; “Hindu-Java Art” . Around 920 the power shifted from Central Java to West Java and the monuments including Borobudur, Prambanan and Ratu Boko became neglected, exposed to ash from volcanic eruptions, and the ravages of the local vegetation. Now restoration sees these world relevant sites back on the map with millions of people visiting each year.(Google)