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Train journey

The 400 kilometers between Bandung and Yogyakarta can be tiring, unless you travel in a relatively comfortable train, crossing rice fields, small villages and other pleasant landscapes, far from traffic jams and other hassles of the road in Indonesia. Some images of these enchanting landscapes in this film, give a little idea of ​​the countryside in Java Island, Indonesia.

Hinduism in Indonesia

Trade between the Indonesian archipelago and India was very intense from the beginning of our era and the influence of the Hindu religion was great at the time. While the Hindu influence in Indonesia is not due to trade, therefore to mercantile castes, but rather to Brahmin scholars invited by local courts, Arab merchants gradually introduced Islam in Indonesia from of Sumatra from the 8th century. While for more than 1000 years the vast majority of the population was Hindu, the appeal of the new religion was increasingly evident to the people of the archipelago, the vast majority of whom were from the lower castes. A conversion to Islam allowed them to escape their social condition, fixed forever in the caste system that characterizes the Hindu religion.

Even when they became Muslims, Indonesians continued to keep their Hindu rituals to remain in communion with their ancestors.

Only the island of Bali continues to be of Hindu religion today, even if there too the cult of ancestors has interfered in Hindu religious practices (see Bali).

the temple of Prambanan

As the princes and ruling classes were slow to embrace Islam, seeing the caste system to be much more favorable, Hindu constructions continued to thrive on Java. A few kilometers from Yogyakarta is one of the most remarkable Hindu temple complexes in Indonesia. The site dedicated to Shiva, the destroyer and reconstructor has 240 temples. Built around 850 AD, the site soon fell into disuse and was finally abandoned, following the shift of power to the west. Some historians suggest that the construction of this great Hindu temple was a response to that of the largest Buddhist complex in the world, built at the same time, the temple of Borobudur.

It wasn't until the 19th century that it was rediscovered, lost in the jungle and covered with earth. The complex had suffered greatly from the frequent earthquakes that characterize this region of the globe.

The archaeological interest of this complex led from the middle of the 19th century to the reconstruction and restoration of this exceptional site. The restoration of the central temple was completed in 1953, and that of the annexed temples is still in progress. The frequency of earthquakes in the region does not argue in favor of rapid reconstruction. The architects responsible for this restoration try to adopt the principles of construction applied in regions with high soil activity, which makes the work much more complex.

about the place, Prambanan:

Prambanan is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Triurti (trinity of Hindu gods: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the keeper and Shiva, the transformer) built during the 9th century. The temple complex is located on the outskirts of Yogyakarta and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Spoken comments in the film: 

This complex of Hindu temples, built in the 9th century, is located a few kilometers from Yogyakarta and is the largest of its kind in Indonesia. The complex has 240 temples, most of which are still in ruins following a series of earthquakes. 

A major project to rebuild the complex is underway and will take years to complete. This reconstruction takes into account seismic standards as far as possible.