Candi Singosari: the temple of unfinished Kalas
Candi Singosari (or Candi Singhasari), located 12 km north of Malang (East Java ) was built in the memory of the last king of the Singhasari kingdom (1222-1292), King Kertanegara, who was assassinated in 1292. The temple complex of Singosari was probably made of seven or nine temples, only one of which remains today, and was never finished due to the death of the king. A stone inscription from 1351 is dedicated to the priests who died with the king. It is thought to be one of the places where the ashes of the king are deposited.
Candi Singosari is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, and was most probably consecrated as a state temple by the following Majapahit dynasty, where the last king and glorious ancestor would have been revered as a reincarnation of Lord Shiva.
Candi Singosari is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, and was most probably consecrated as a state temple by the following Majapahit dynasty, where the last king and glorious ancestor would have been revered as a reincarnation of Lord Shiva.
The lotus flower on the left side of Agastya is a distinctive stylistic element of the Singosari and later Majapahit kingdoms.

Photos from March 2009.
Labels: architecture, Art, facts to know, heritage, history, Indonesia, Java
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home