Dieng Plateau: Abode of Hindu Gods

Located some 2000 metres above sea level, the Dieng Plateau in Central Java, epitomises the spread of Hinduism to South East Asia from the 8th to the 13th Century.

The plateau named after the Sanskirt words Di Hyang which means abode of the Gods

Some 400 small Hindu shrines of which 8 only is left standing are dedicated to Lord Shiva and these remain the oldest standing stones in Indonesia.

Many of the candi (shrine) are named after the heroes of Javanese mythology, such as Gatutkaca.

These shrines stand on the crater floor of a complex volcano system of which 3 craters are still geothermally active.

As the muslim call for prayer echoes across the plateau, one is quickly reminded that overtime empires fade only to be replaced by another.

Yet this has not deterred the predominantly muslim population of Indonesia from preserving these hindu shrines as part of the national heritage alongside greater monuments like Borobudur and Prambanan, both, which are found within 100 km from Dieng Plateau

Video by KSTan, Citizen Journalist