Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-15
TEMPLES OF JAVA
BUILT IN CENTER OF ISLAND,
EIGHTH OR NINTH CENTURY.
Architectural Remains of q People Far
Advanced in Arts of Architecture
and Sculpture.
From the London Globe.

10" l-onuou 0ioDe
If most people were asked to name those
countries of the world In which are still
to be found splendid architectural remains
of bygone civilizations. the names of Egypt.
| India Syria and Mexico would at once be
forthcoming; but few would place the Is
land of Java on the list; yet not one of
these could show ruins more numerous or
more splendid.
This may seem an eXaggerat!on, but the
same opinion has been universally ex-
pressed by the most eminent writer's on the
subject. AS to the date and rise and fall
of civilization which has left behind 1t
such splendid memorials authorities are
much at variance, but for the most part
they are placed between the beginning and
the eighth or ninth century of our era.
Certain 1t Is however, that at one time
the island must have been ruled by Hindu
or Buddhist people far advanced In the arts
of architecture and sculpture.
Among the finest and best preserved OF
these ruins is the great temple known
the Tyandi Barabudur, situated near the
center of lava in the sultanate of Djokja-
karta. Originally designed probably as
dagaba or resting place. for a portion of
the ashes of Buddha. this building rises in
the form of terraced pyramid, the part
at present above ground being about $50
feet square by about 100 feet high. The
terraces at present visible are seven in
number, the whole being surmounted by
dome thirty feet in height
Sculpture.
Each of these terraces is covered on the
inner wall formed by the terrace above.
and in the lower terraces also on outer
walls running round them, by series of
bas-reliefs. which for extent. variety and
artistic merit have probably not their
equals in the world Running in a double
tier round the lower galleries and in
single tier round the upper ones. they are
estimate to have a total length OF over
three miles, and represent by a continuous
series of pictures not only the birth and
life of the Lord Buddha in his final incar-
nation. but also a large number of the
'jatakaS, or previous lives. Of the master
in the gradually ascending forms of ami
mails and of men in various positions in
life. and record his good deeds In each of
those lives.
Thus we have the story of the Bodhisatva
when on earth In the form of hare. Indra.
the lord Of heaven, in the form of tra"-
eer. weary and hungry, comes down to
test the virtues of the various beasts lie
receives fish from an otter, dish of curds
rom jackal and fruit from monkey;
but the poor hare. having nothing else 10
offer presents his own body to the hungry
traveller and throws himself on to fire
to be roasted. Interrupted now in many
places by the work of thousand years
of earthquakes, tropical storms and fanat-
ical Mohammedan destroyers, this wonder
after gallery to where. in the central dome,
entirely closed in and hidden. stood the
final image Of the master, free from any
ornament. crown or aureole. the Buddha
raised above all earthly desires or passions.
Bas- Relief Picture.
In the whole of the series at present
above ground there originally no
fewer than 2141 complete bas-relief pic
| tu1es, OF which 98S are still in fair state
| OF preservation. There were. In addition.
| in inches round the terrace walls All stat
| ues of Buddha larger than life. besides
| smaller ones past counting. The whole of
| this work is done not In soft stone. easy to
manipulate but in the hardest and most
| intractable kinds of lava and trachyte. Al
| fred Russell Wallace in his classical Work
| OF. the Malay archipelago remarks: The
| amount of human labor and skill expended
| on the great pyramid of Egypt sinks into
| insignificance when compared with mat
/ required to complete this sculptured hill
| temple in the interior of Java
| There is. however. one peculiar point in
| the construction which tends to show that
| the builders were not as good engineers as
| they We're sculptors and architects Round
| the entire base there runs what looks IKE
| a broad pavement of cubes of stone laid but
! not cemented together. Tnis broad pave
ment has been removed in sections, each
| section being replaced in turn. ana under
| meath was found another terrace. larger
| than any of those now visible. and having
| its walls partly, but not entirely, covered
| with 100 more bas-reli-f pictures in fine
| preservation. These were photographed
| and covered in again. The total mass of
! square blocks of stone covering this hidden
! terrace amounts to ZOO cubic yards.
The Terraces.
The conclusion is inevitable that this hid
! Gen terrace was meant for the original low
er terrace. but that with the building partly
/ cornrl.ta1 and the first SCI of sculptures