Temples of Java

"Today, across the three provinces of Java, are hundreds of temples showing that once powerful and prosperous kingdoms existed. They also tell us about the religions of that time: Hindu and Buddha. The temples are spread evenly, within close reach. The kingdoms of the Hindu and Buddha period were also close in terms of time. There could even be two kingdoms or governments, each with different religions existing at the same time. But still, Hindu's growth exceeded that of Buddha's, and reached its peak during the reign of Majapahit. From the beginning of the 7th century up to the 16th century, there has been an uninterrupted history of temple building, during which some fundamental and important changes have occurred. Design is the most distinctive characteristic of the old temples in Central Java; whilst the temples of East Java have gone through a development in style, as well as in the building material. For instance, the temples built in more recent times were made not of rocks from lava, like the older temples, but of red bricks. It is my hope that this guide book will be useful to you to introduce the temples in Java, as well as its locations; and also contribute to the long history of culture."--The author.