Muara Takus Temple Complex

Dear Travelers, oketravelling will share to you a tourist destination located in the province of Riau, Indonesia, namely the Muara Takus complex.

Muara Takus Complex

Muara Takus is a Buddhist temple complex, is administratively under the Muara Takus Village, in the District of Koto Kampar XIII, Kampar Regency, Riau Province (122 km from Pekanbaru City, Capital of Riau Province), Sumatra, Indonesia. 

Muara Takus Complex is thought to belong to the Srivijaya empire, it's has the largest brick buildings on Sumatra found remotely in a jungle clearing. Its surviving temples and other archaeological remains are thought to date to the eleventh and twelfth century AD. It is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient temple complexes in Sumatra. 

The architecture and design of the temples clearly indicates that they are of Mahayana Buddhist origin. The main Candi Mahligai is a tall stupa flanked by ruins of several other brick sanctuaries. Its tall shape differs from the normally bell-shaped Buddhist stupas found on Java. 

Candi Mahligai

This lotus-shaped Buddhist stupa is unique in Indonesia though there are numerous similar ancient structures in Thailand and Myanmar. This structure founded on an octagonal base and reaches a height of 14.30 metres. The uppermost level of the stupa is decorated with lion figures that are barely discernible from below. On the east side of Candi Mahligai is the base of Candi Palangka.

The site was abandoned for many centuries before it was re-discovered by Cornet De Groot in 1860. The site was explored and surveyed by W.P Groeneveld in 1880 and excavations have been conducted periodically since. The temple is constructed of river boulders, sandstone and earthen bricks and was restored in 1980.

The complex is surrounded by a 74m x 74 m wall, with another earthen rampart of 1.5km x 1.5 km surrounding this, stretching to the edge of the Kampar Kanan river. The outer wall is penetrated by a gateway on the northern side. Within the walls are the remains of four substantial Buddhist temples (candi), they are the Candi Tua, Candi Bungsu, the Mahligai stupa and the Palangka. In the complex is also found a mound believed to be the place for cremations.

The largest structure at Candi Muara Takus is Candi Tua. Its base measures 32.80 metres x 21.80 metres and it reaches a height of 8.50 metres. This temple is terraced and it bears some resemblance in its design to the much larger stupa, like Candi Borobodur, in Java. Like all the temples at Candi Muara Takus, Candi Tua features only minimal decoration. The most notable decorative feature are the seated lion figures on the upper terraces.

Candi Tua

On the east side of Candi Mahligai is the base of Candi Palangka. It is constructed from red stone and now only reaches a height of 1.45 metres. It was reportedly much taller at the time of the earliest colonial expeditions to the site but the upper terraces have long since collapsed. A third structure within the complex is Candi Bungsu.

The Muara Takus complex is the only temple complex found in Riau, evidence that Buddhism had spread here during the early centuries.

If you want to visit the temple, please come to Riau Province, Indonesia. Muara Takus can be reached within 3-4 hours by car from Pekanbaru City, Capital of Riau Province.

Come on travelers, prepare your bags, let's traveling to Muara Takus immediately.

Posted by Unknown

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