TEMPO.CO, Malang - Settlements have taken over the areas of Jago Temple and Kidal Temple of the Singasari Kingdom heritage in East Java, hampering efforts to develop the historical sites to become destinations of tourism and scientific purposes.
Parking lots for foreign tourists are often unavailable. Buses or vehicles carrying tourists in large groups are forced to park far from the sites.
“It would be a lot easier to find parking spaces if they didn’t come in large groups,” Suryadi, a caretaker of Jago Temple, said on Friday, March 14, 2014.
Jago Temple is the place that stores the ash of Wisnuwardhana, the fourth generation of Singasari King. The temple’s yard is filled with large statues, including Muka Kala (the Giant Face) and Amogapasha statues (a six-armed man figure of Wisnuwardhana).
The large statues were originally placed on top of the temple, but they have not been returned to their original places. The narrow yard of the temple has made it difficult for restoration work as all the stacked stones have to be dismounted and rearranged.
The temple restoration has been hindered by narrow yard since the stacked stones have to be dismounted and rearranged.
“Settlements and school are surrounding the temple. The distance between the temple and the houses is about three to four meters. So, it’s too narrow. We can’t even expand the temple area for parking spaces,” said Suryadi, who is also a coordinator of Archeology and Ancient Conservation Hall for Malang district.
A similar condition is also evident at Kidal Temple, which was built in 1284. The temple’s yard wall is directly bordering with the locals’ houses. Although the temple’s yard is clean and shady, chicken barns producing bad smell can be spotted near the path to the temple’s entrance.
“Perhaps the barns are the reason why the number of visitors is lower than that of the Jago Temple’s. It’s also difficult to find parking spaces here,” Said Siti Romlah, a caretaker of Kidal Temple.
Suryadi said most historical sites were surrounded by settlements, saying that the areas of Badut Temple, Singasari Temple, and the Patirtaan Watu Gede, could not be expanded due to the settlements.
Lutfi Fauzi, an archeologist who has been researching the Singasari Kingdom’s heritage at Singasari Temple, said that a great deal of historical data was still buried in Singasari. Together with a team from National Archeology Center, Lutfi discovered ancient structures in Bungkuk hamlet in July 2009. But the research had to be ceased as the structures were found in private properties.
Suryadi, Romlah and Lutfi hope that the central and local governments would help expand these areas to preserve the temples and other archeological sites.
ABDI PURMONO
