Ratu Boko Temple in Boko Palace

Name : Ratu Boko Palace

Location : about three kilometres south of Lara Jonggrang Prambanan temple complex in Yogyakarta Indonesia

History :

Not many people know that this palace is witness of the initial triumph in Sumatera land. Balaputradewa once fled to this palace before leaving for Sumatra when he was struck by Rakai Pikatan. Balaputradewa rebelled because he felt to be second person in the reign of Old Mataram Kingdom because of Rakai Pikatan's marriage to Pramudhawardani (Balaputradewa's sister). After his defeat and escape to Sumatra, he became the king of Sriwijaya Kingdom.

Description : It was a well defended palace-fort, some kind of citadel. Situated up on the hill, the Ratu Boko complex consist of:  Series of Gates.

Protective wall,  Roofless temple for cremation ceremony, Some walled structure of living space (pendopo). The body and roof is made from decayed material like wood or clay roof, but the base of building (palace) remains.

Small miniature of temple for religious ceremony within living space (serve like home temple)

Bathplace (pemandian), series of pools encirceled with walls and series of gates.More foundations and floor of buildings, also walled enclosure with gates.

Aeschetic small cave for meditation At the northern part from pendopo, isolated from the rest of the site, lies two caves that were formed of sediment stones. The upper cave is called Gua Lanang (Male Cave) and the lower cave is called Gua Wadon (Female Cave). In front of Gua Lanang, there is a pond and three effigies. Based on the research, the effigy is known as Aksobya, one of Buddha Pantheons. The cave probably functioned as a meditation place.

This site is located 196 m above the sea level, on the highest point in the site, there is a small pavilion from which one will be able to see a panoramic view of Prambanan temple with Mount Merapi as the background.

 King Boko Palace was a glorious building that was constructed during the reign of Rakai Panangkaran, descendant of Sailendra dynasty. The palace that initially was named Abhayagiri Vihara (that means a monastery on a peaceful hill) was built for seclusion purpose and to focus on spiritual life. From this palace, you will feel peace and will be able to see Yogyakarta city and Prambanan temple with Merapi Mountain as the background.

This palace is located 196 meters above the sea level. The area of the palace as wide as 250,000 m2 is divided into four, namely center, west, southeast, and east parts. The center part consists of the main gateway, square, Combustion Temple (cremation place), pond, square terrace and assembly hall. Meanwhile, the southeast part includes hall, platform, three temples, pond, and a complex for princess. The caves, Buddha effigy, and a pond are in east part while the west part consists of hills only.

If you enter from the palace gateway, you will directly be guided to the center part. Two high gates will welcome you. The first gate has three entrances while the second one has five. If you look it in detail, you will read 'Panabwara' writing on the first gate. Based on Wanua Tengah III inscription, the word was written by Rakai Panabwara (the descendant of Rakai Panangkaran) who took over the palace. The intention of carving his name on the gate was to legitimate his authority, to give 'power' to the gate in order to look more glorious and to give sign that the building was the main building.

About 45 meters away from the second gate, you will see a temple made of white stones so that it was named Candi Batu Putih or Temple of White Stones.

Close to the place, you will also find Combustion Temple. The temple is of square form (measuring 26 meter x 26 meter) with two terraces. The function of the temple is to burn dead body as the name suggests. Around 10 meters away from the Combustion Temple, there are sacred terrace and a pond.

A mysterious well will be seen if you walk southeastward of the Combustion Temple. As the legend tells, the well was named Amerta Mantana that means sacred water treated with charms. At present time, the water of Amerta well is still used. The legend tells that the water brings luck for anyone who uses it. Hindu people use it in Tawur Agung ceremony, one day before the Nyepi day. Using water in the ceremony is believed to support the achievement of the objective, namely to self purify and to return the earth and its content to its initial harmony. IndonesiaTravelVisit.com suggests that you visit Prambanan temple one day before Nyepi day to see the ceremony process.

Moving to the eastern part of the palace, you will see two caves, big pond measuring 20 meters x 50 meters and Buddha effigy that sits quietly. Those two caves were formed of sediment stones. The upper cave is called Gua Lanang (Male Cave) and the lower cave is called Gua Wadon (Female Cave). Right in front of Gua Lanang, there is a pond and three effigies. Based on the research, the effigy is known as Aksobya, one of Buddha Pantheons.

Even though it was built by a Buddhist, there are Hindu elements in it. This can be seen from the presence of Lingga and Yoni, Ganesha statue, and golden plate with the writing "Om Rudra ya namah swaha" on it as form of worship to Rudra as the other name of Shiva. The Hindu elements proved religious tolerance that is reflected in architectural works. In fact, Rakai Panangkaran who embraced Buddhism lived side by side with Hindu people.

Websites :

http://indonesiatravelvisit.blogspot.in/2016/03/king-boko-palace-glory-on-peaceful-hill.html 

Satgarah Temples - Pakistan

Name : Satgarah Temples. Other temples in this complex include Mallot Temple and Katasraj temple. Among this Satgarah and mallot are Hill temples.

Location : KatasRaj is a Hindu temple situated are located 40 kilometres from Chakwal District in Katas village of Punjab in Pakistan.

Legends : Many legends are associated with the temples, some of them involving Shiva himself.

1. Legend says that the five Pandava brothers, heroes of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, stayed here for four out of the 14 years that they spent in exile.

2. Another legend involves the death of Shiva's wife Satti; the story goes that when she died he cried so much and for so long that his tears created two holy ponds - one at Pushkara in Ajmer and the other at Ketaksha, which literally means "raining eyes" in Sanskrit. It is from this name that the word Ketas is derived. Another version of the legend mentions the two pools at Katasraj and Nainital.

3. Another legend involves the death of Shiva's horse Katas; the story goes that when that horse died he cried so much and for so long that his tears created two holy ponds - one at Pushkara in Ajmer and the other at Ketaksha, which literally means "raining eyes" in Sanskrit. It is from this name that the word Ketas is derived.

Another version of the legend mentions the two pools at Katasraj and Nainital.People bathe in that holy pond and seek forgiveness as Hindu belief holds that bathing in the pond (especially on certain occasions) causes the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation. Many people believe that this will come from bathing in the pond at any time. Depth of this holy pond is still a mystery.

Description : Dedicated to Shiva, the temple has existed since the days of Mahabharata and the Pandava brothers spent a substantial part of their exile at the site.

The Ramachandra temple is situated to the east of the Hari Singh Haveli and is closed from all sides except for an entrance on the east.

The Hanuman temple is on the western extreme of a high rectangular enclosure with entrances on the south and the north. The temple's ceiling is undecorated, and lime-plastered. The Shiva temple is also built on a square platform. Its entrance is a recessed round arch with faint cusps and a rectangular opening to the north.

The lake in the complex is believed to have magical powers and supposed to be where Yudhisthira defeated the Yaksha with his wisdom to bring his brothers back to life.
With the major temple complex and the pond on the right. It is a picturesque sight.
Even nowadays, worshippers from all faiths perform pilgrimages to the temple every year and bathe in the sacred pool around which Katasraj is built.

Kbal Spean

Name : Kbal Spean ("Head Bridge")

Location : It is an Angkorian era site on the southwest slopes of the Kulen Hills in Cambodia, 25 km from the main Angkor group.

Description : It is commonly known as the valley of a 1000 Lingas. It consists of a series of stone carvings in and around the Stung Kbal Spean river. The motifs for the stone carvings are roughly three: myriads of lingams, depicted as neatly arranged bumps that cover the surface of a rock; lingam - yoni designs; and various Hindu mythological motifs, including depictions of gods and animals.

The majority of Kbal Spean's archaeological vestiges date to the 11th to 13th centuries. Construction of Kbal Spean was started by King Suryavarman I and later completed by King Udayadityavarman II.



It is commonly known as the valley of a 1000 Lingas due to the presence of the estimated one thousand lingas, which are sculptures dug in the Siem Reap riverbeds. Lingas were believed to fertilize the water of the East Baray and irrigate the rice fields in Cambodia.

Penang Hill - Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan

Name : Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan Temple, or better known as the Penang Hill Hindu Temple.

Location : Until the hill train is in operation again, the only two ways to reach Bellevue Hotel is by either jeep or by hiking. Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan is located at Gun Hill, a small hillock in Penang Hill, Malaysia.

Description : This is one of the oldest Hindu temples in Penang. It started off in the 1800's as a small shrine to the Hindu deity Murugan - the deity associated with Thaipusam - by the Indian sepoys and sedan chair carriers, and is located at a mount within Penang Hill called Gun Hill. A trident, or Murugan Vel, was installed there by the devotees. Over the years, it was enlarged and rebuilt. The present-day incarnation of the Sri Aruloli Thirumurugan is a very ornate Hindu temple in the Dravidian architectural style of South India.

The Dravidian style of constructing Hindu temples calls for four principal parts. The temple proper, or vimana, is the shrine with a tower, a mandapa, or porch, gopurams, or gate towers, and chawadis, or pillar halls. In addition, there would usually be a tank of water for use in sacred rituals or for cleansing.

The sculptures on the gopuram and vimana are exquisitely ornate and colorful. Photography enthusiasts should enjoy capturing every small detail of the temple. From the location of this temple, one can get good views of the surroundings.

Mullayanagiri Shiva Temple

Name : Mullayanagiri

Location : Mullayanagiri, the tallest peak in the vicinity (and also the tallest in Karnataka @ 1930m)

Trekking : The trek continues mainly through the grass lands for abt 2-3 more hrs. There are about 3-4 intermediate small hills before reaching the top. On the hill, just before Mullayanagiri, one has to take the path to the left, along the hill and the path becomes rocky here. Avoid the temptation to continue straight ahead at this point and find a way along the shola forest and then had to climb up a reasonably steep part of the hill to get to the top.

Temple : There is a small temple on top of the hill, where we camped. This is a small hillock in the temple compound, which is the highest point in Karnataka. U r not supposed to wear footwears inside the compound and be careful abt that. The priests stay in the temple compound and they may even make coffee / tea. One more thing to note is that, there is not water source all the way till the hilltop and be sure u have enuf water with you.

Website : http://www.indiareviewsblog.com/2007/06/27/very-scenic-mullayanagiri-to-baba-budangiri-hills-trek-karnataka/

Baba Budan Giri

Name : BABA BUDAN

Location : North Of Chikmagalur, Karnataka

Highest Point : Mullaiyanagari

Altitude : 1926 m Above Sea Level

Description : To the north of Chikmaglur town is the Baba Budan Range or Chandra Drona Parvatha as it was known in the ancient times, which has one of the highest mountain peaks between the Himalayas and the Nilgiris.

The loftiest point of the range is Mullaiyanagari, which is 1926 m above sea level. A beacon lighted here during Deepavali can be seen at Chikmagalur.

The peak takes its name from the Muslim saint, Baba Budan, who resided here more than 150 years ago and reared coffee from the seeds he had secured from Yemen.
Bababudangiri mountain boasts of the Dattatreya peeta (a Hindu temple) and a Muslim dargah in the same premises. They are present side-by-side in the same underground cave.

Caves : Three large caves here said to have been sanctified by 3 siddhas contain their icons and gaddiges (tomb) and an annual 'jatra' is held here in their honour.

The enthralling scenery around makes this a much frequented pilgrim centre. Seethala contains a 'matha' and the dual shrine temple of 'Seethala-Mallikarjuna'.

Waterfalls : A short distance from here are the three waterfalls with epic associations, namely Gada Theertha, Nallikayi Theertha and Kamana Theertha.

Gada Theertha, according to a myth was created by the pandava prince, Bheema with his 'gada', the club, to quench the thirst of his mother during their exile.

The Ritual : Pilgrims who bathe here in the Nellikayi Theertha formed by Manikya Dhara waterfall, leave behind one item of their clothing as per a local belief.