Archaeologists in Indonesia have uncovered a 1,000-year-old temple that could shed light on the country’s Hindu past.
1000 YEAR OLD GANESH TEMPLE IN INDONESIA
A volcanic eruption is thought most likely to have covered the temple around the 10th century, about 100 years after it was built.
The eruption preserved its statues and reliefs in better condition than almost everything else discovered in Indonesia from that period, including the Borobodur and Prambanan temple complexes.
But now that they are exposed, the temple’s contents need to be protected with 24-hour security.
Last November, thieves plundered the nearby Plaosan Temple.
The heads of two rare Buddhist statues were stolen, to be traded by organised syndicates dealing in artefacts.
Tri Wismabudhi from central Java’s culture and heritage agency says temple thieves are robbing Indonesians of a piece of their history.
“To us, archaeological sites like this are archaeological data, so if the data is missing or incomplete, that means the history of the nation is also missing,” he said.
“People don’t understand that. That’s why they steal, because they don’t realise how important this is for us as a nation.”
At the Kimpulan temple on the campus of Yogyakarta’s Islamic University, the statue of Ganesha is being kept slightly buried to make it harder to steal.
It could sell for up to $250,000 on the black market.
The university wants to open the site to the public once the dig is complete.
The library that was destined for the site will be redesigned to incorporate the Hindu temple.
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