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Ninth century stupas left unattended in C. Java
Four stupas found in separate locations in Nepen village, Boyolali, Central Java, have yet to be adequately preserved.
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Preserving culture – A local resident examines a half-buried stupa in Nepen village, Boyolali, Central Java. It is one of four stupas found in Boyolali and is estimated to be from the Buddhist era in the ninth century. (thejakartapost.com/Ganug Nugroho Adi)
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our stupas found in separate locations in Nepen village, Boyolali, Central Java, have yet to be adequately preserved. Possibly dating back to the ninth century, the stupas, which are similar to those at the iconic Buddhist temple of Borobudur in Yogyakarta, lie unattended in cemetery and plantation areas.
One stupa has been found in complete condition, measuring around 1.5 meters in height and with a diameter of around 1 meter. The other three stupas are wheel-shaped featuring bolts in an octagonal shape. One of the stupas is half buried. No ancient inscriptions or other information have been found to explain more about the presence of stupas in the area.
“These stupas have been here since I was a child. Local people here don’t dare to move or damage them because they are ancient objects. Unfortunately, they are not treated well,” village officer Muhtadi, 40, said on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Boyolali Culture and Tourism Agency’s museum division member Surojo said the discovery of the four stupas was important as they were from the ancient Buddhist period. Most of the ancient objects discovered in Boyolali are from the Hindu era.
“Another special thing about this discovery is that these stupas are still complete. All this time, only a few stupas have been discovered still in complete condition,” he said.
Surojo said his institution had asked the Central Java Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency (BPCB) branch office in Yogyakarta to carry out excavations because it was possible that other ancient objects from the Buddhist era could be found in the area.
Surojo said many temples were buried when Mount Merapi erupted in 1006. They were located across Central Java, including in Magelang, Muntilan, Yogyakarta, Klaten and Boyolali. (ebf)
