The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-09-06
JAVA'S OLD TEMPLES
The SPLENDID RUINS THAT MARK
THE CENTER OF THE ISLAND.

III most people were asked to name
nose countries of the world in which
are still TO be found splendid archi-
tectural remains of bygone civiliza-
lions, the names of Egypt, India, Syria
and Mexico would at once be forth
coming, but few would place the island
OF Java on the list. Yet not one of
these could show ruins more numerous
or more splendid, says the London
Globe
This may seem an eXaggCration, but
the same opinion has been universally
expressed by the most eminent writ
ers on the subject. As to the date and
rise and fall of n civilizn ton which
has left behind it such splendid memo
rials 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 it
is, however, that at one time the island
must have been ruled by Hindoo 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 as the Tyandi Barabudur, sit
uated near the center OF Java, in the
sultanate of Djokjakarta. Originally
designed probably as dagaba or rest
ing place for a portion of the ashes Of
Buddha, this building rises in the form
of a terraced pyramid, the part at pres
ent above the 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.
Each of these terraces is covered on
the inner wall formed by the terrace
above and in the lower terrace 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 a single tier
rcund the upper ones they are esti-
mated to have a total length of over
three miles and represent by continu-
Gus series of pictures not only the birth
and life of the Lord Buddha in his final
incarnation, but also a large number
of the "jatakas" or previous lives Of
the master in the gradually ascend
ing forms of animals 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 Bodhi-
satva when on earth in the form of
a hare. Indra, the lord of heaven, in
the form of traveller weary and hun
CRY, comes down to test the virtues of
the various beasts. He receives fish
from an otter, Il dish of curds from
5ackal and fruit from a monkey, but
the poor hare, having nothing else to
offer, presents his own body to the hun
CRY traveller and throws himself on to
a fire to be roasted. Interrupted now
in many places by the work of thou
sand years of earthquakes, tropical
storms and fanatical Mohammedan de-
stroyers, this wonderful picture story
runs up through gallery 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 Bud
dha raised above all earthly desires or
passions.
In the whole of the series at present
above ground there were originally no
fewer than 2,141 complete bas-relief
pictures, Of which 9SS are still In
fair state of preservation. There were,
in addition, in inches round the ter
race walls, AL statues Of Buddha lar
ger than life, besides smaller ones past
counting. The whole Of this work is
Done not in soft stone, easy to manipu-
late, but In the hardest ard most in
trectable kinds Of lava and trachyte.
Alfred Russell Wallace in his classical
work on the Malay archipelago re-
marks, "The amount Of human labor
and skill expended on the great pyra-
mid Of Egypt sinks into insignificance
when compared with that 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 were sculptors
and architects. Round the entire base
there runs what looks like a broad
pavement of cubes Of stone laid but
not cemented together. This broad
pavement has been removed in sec
tions, each section being replaced in
turn, and underneath was found an
other terrace, larger than any of those
now visible and having it's walls part
ly, but not entirely, covered with 160
more bas-relief pictures in fine preser-
tation. These were photographed and
sovered in again. The total mass of
square blocks Of stone covering this
hidden terrace amounts to 1000 cubic
yards.
The conclusion is inevitable that this
hidden terrace was meant for the orig
inal lower terrace, but that with the
building partly completed and the
first set of sculptures still unfinished
the builders found that their founda-
tions were too weak for the huge
structure and were obliged to sacrifice
ono terrace TO strengthen them