Temples of Dieng Plateau

Primarily named after the characters of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, the temple compounds located in the Dieng Plateau in Central Java has been dated as far back of the 7^th to 8^th Century CE. Even though most tourists venturing on cultural escapes in Indonesia frequently visits the world heritage sites of Borobudur and Prambanan Temple complexes, Dieng Plateau is frequently overlooked due to being unaware of its’ existence as much as difficulty of access. After all, the trip to the temple compound which is located nearly 2,100 m above sea level could take over 3 hours from Yogyakarta even with private transportation.

Dieng temples are some of the oldest surviving religious structures in the island of Java, and the earliest Hindu temples found in Indonesia. The temples which resembles many features of Indian Hindu Temple Architecture has been dedicated to Lord Shiva.

No written information has been discovered about the history of the Dieng Plateau. However, it is believed that the temples may have been either built during the time of the Kalingga Kingdom: a 6^th Century Indianized Kingdom on the North of Central Java or during the time of its’ successors, the Medang (Mataram) Kingdom which was ruled by the Sailendra Dynasty which ruled between 8^th Century CE to 11^th Century CE.

Today, Dieng Plateau consists of three compounds named Arjuna, Gatotkaca and Dwarawati as well as an individual temple named Bima.

Candi Arjuna or the Arjuna temple compound is in the middle of the Dieng Temple area. It comprises of five temples. Four of them: Arjuna, Srikandi, Puntadewa and Sembadra have been constructed in a row from North to South whereas the fifth temple named Semar has been constructed in front of Arjuna temple.

Arjuna Temple Compound - north to south view

Arjuna Temple Compound - south to north view

Candi Arjuna

Candi Srikandi

Candi Puntadewa

Candi Semar

Candi Gatotkaca or the Gatotkaca temple compound have originally consisted of five temples: Gatotkaca, Setyaki, Nakula, Sadewa, and Gareng. However, today only the Gatotkaca temple remains intact.

Candi Gatotkaca

Candi Gatotkaca - side view

Similarly, Candi Dwarawati or the Dwarawati temple compound have originally consisted of four temples: Dwarawati, Abiyasa, Pandu, and Margasari.  However, only the Dwarawati temple remains relatively intact as of now.

Candi Bima or the Bima temple is a solitary temple situated on a hill separated from the other temples of the Dieng Plateau. It also is the largest and tallest among the Dieng temples which are still intact.

Candi Bima

Candi Bima - side view

Dieng temples receive much less visitors than the surrounding attractions of Sikidang Crater and Warna Lake (Telaga Warna). However, with some structures still under restoration and increased awareness, this historical site which may not have been even visited by most locals could one day become a major attraction for those with a thirst for history.

Warna Lake (Telaga Warna)