Ancient Ganeshas in Indonesia

The elephant god is popular even outside India, especially in south east Asia. Indonesia alone has umpteen temples and monuments dedicated to the Ganesha. Decrepit remnants of more than 300 years (some are more than 1000 years) many of these temples are still intact. There are also many prominent Ganesha statues, some preserved in museum while some others stand at the spot where they were placed more than one hundred decades ago.

Below are a few prominent Ganesha sites.

1. Bara Temple, Tuliskaiyo village, Blitar Regency, East Java. Built in 1239. An immense statue of three meters high.

2. Ratu Boko, few kilometers from Prambanan Temple. There is an unfinished statue of Ganesha built in 9th Century.

3. Lorojongrang or Prambanan Temple. This magnificent Shaivite temple derives it name from the village where it is located. Locally known as the Loro Jongrang Temple, or the Temple of the "Slender Virgin", it is the biggest and most beautiful Hindu temple in Indonesia built in 9th Century.

4. Penataran Temple. In the cellar there is a statue of Ganesha. Earliest inscription reveals year 1197 (12th Century).

5. Balaputradewa Museum, Palembang, West Sumatera. One of its collections is a statue of Ganesha dating back to Sriwijaya Kingdom (7th - 13th Century)

6. Sambisari Temple - Jogyakarta. A statue of Ganesha is on the East side of the temple. Built in 9th Century.

7. Pura Luhur Uluwatu, Bali. Statue of Ganesha at the gate. Built in 15th Century.

8. Complex of tombs of the last Hindu and early Islamic Kings. 6th Century statue and relief of Ganesha are inside the complex.

9. Torongrejo village, Wukir Mt., Malang - East Java. Archeological excavation revealed Ganesha statue dating back to Singosari Kingdom (13th Century)

10. Ujung Kulon National Park, West Java; An early Hindu archaeological relic of a Ganesha statue from the first century AD founded in pulau Panaitan on the summit of Mt. Raksa.

11. Pura Blanjong, Sanur - Bali. Ganesh statue and Bali's oldest inscription dating 914 AD.

12. Gebang Temple, Jogyakarta. A blend of Buddha-Hindu temple. A Ganesh enchased on its architecture.

13. Gedongsongo Temple, Candi Village, Ungaran Mt., Semarang - Central Java. Nine small temples with Ganesh relief. 8th Century.

14. Sangiran Museum, Sragen, Central Java. It is a home to magnificent collection of thousand of years of fossils and early historical Indonesia. One of its collections is Ganesh statue.

15. Museum Nasional, Jakarta. One of its huge collections is Ganesh statue found in Banon Temple, Magelang, Central Java. 8th Century

One of the Indonesian currency notes carries the picture of Ganesh! While in India, Ganesha has many names like Ganapati, Vighnesvara, Gajanana, Gajadhipati, Lambkarn, Lambodar and Ekadant, in Indonesia the god is called "Gajah" which is most probably derived from the Sanskrit word "Gaja" or elephant.