Jakarta Post
JAVA, INDONESIA, July 13, 2003: The Hindu temples of Gedung Songo are not as famous as their younger Javanese successors, but the scenery, clear mountain air and outstanding views create a setting that rivals Java’s more celebrated temples. The beauty of visiting Gedung Songo lies in being able to slowly meander up and down the hillside, appreciating each temple individually. The six temples are evenly spaced out, about 125 to 225 yards apart, on individual plateaus and ridges. The structures, among Java’s oldest Hindu temples, were built between 750 and 775 CE. The largest group of structures is clustered around temple three. The main temple here is dedicated to Lord Siva, the one to the north Lord Vishnu and the one to the south Lord Brahma. Inside, the statues of Nandiswara on the north and Mahakala on the south are still in place. Lord Ganesha is placed on the wall opposite the door, Goddess Durga on the north and Agastya on the south. This pattern is the earliest example of the distribution that was standard throughout the rest of the Central Javanese classical period, and demonstrate that it was here at Gedung Songo that Javanese architects formulated a style that persisted, with refinements, for centuries.