Ruins of Ancient Temple Found in Yogyakarta

The Jakarta Globe, Ary Adji HS

A statue of the Hindu god Ganesha at the site where it was discovered at the Indonesian Islamic University in Yogyakarta. (JG Photo/Boy T Harjanto)

The ruins of an ancient building discovered at the Indonesian Islamic University in Yogyakarta have been confirmed as a temple to worship the Hindu gods Shiva and Ganesha.

Linga, the symbol for the worship of Shiva, and yoni, a Sanskrit symbol for divine passage or place of birth, were found in the area, said archaeologists at the Yogyakarta Antiquities and Relics Conservation Agency yesterday.

“So much evidence indicating the relics to be genuine has been found,” said head of the excavation team Indung Panca Putra. “The first discovery was the Ganesha statue on December 21, while the yoni was found on Tuesday. The identity of the relic being a Hindu temple was reinforced by the fact that it faced East,” he said.

“We don’t know yet the exact dimensions of the statue, the ornaments that go with the Ganesha statue, and the linga and yoni. Ganesha is believed to be a war god as well as the god of education. Linga and yoni are the symbols of man and woman. They are the sacred form of male and female genitals. Linga and yoni are the symbol of the god Shiva in Hindu teaching,” Indung said.

The statue’s outer surface was yellowed having been buried for centuries.

It is expected that more statues will be found within the temple complex.

“Based on Hindu mythology, temples are built in the following sequence: temple fence, gate, then the statue of the Lord Shiva, represented in this complex with the presence of the linga and yoni. Shiva is always flanked by Durga. So we predict that other statues will be found,” Indung said.

The Ganesha statue is simply carved, he said.

“It is also small in size. It is assumed that this is because the sculptor of the discovered temple was less skilled than the one who built the Prambanan Temple,” Indung said.

“The Ganesha of Prambanan wears a crown, whereas the one here has no crown,” he added.

Until Wednesday, the team, consisting of 20 diggers, four archaeologists and four engineers, had been digging to discover other statues commonly found in similar temples.

“The excavation will work until Jan. 4. We believe there are more relics and structures that will be found,” Indung said.

For security reasons, the campus has installed a fence which surrounds the dig site.

The archaeological find is considered vulnerable to thefts, considering the historical value of the temple, particularly the statue of Ganesha, which has a high commercial value.