Indonesia

Candi Selogriyo is an ancient Hindu temple. It stands on the west hillside of Mount Sumbing near the village ofCampurrejo in Windusari district. The 30km route from Borobudur to Selogriyo offers awesome lush green landscapes. Besides its interesting structure, the temple and its surroundings disclose a very rich historical and cultural past.

History

According to historians, Selogriyo temple was built at the end of the 9th century during the Mataram era. The site was destroyed by an important landslide in 1998. The reconstruction finished in 2005.

Selogriyo temple today

Selogriyo temple is 15 meters tall and occupies a surface of approximately 300 m2. Its name means “stone house”.

This cultural and architectural treasure serves as a relic of the Hindu period in Java.

The construction faces the east and the roof structure resembles a fruit locally called amakala. It is a common feature on classic buildings of Indianized Indonesia.

On the four sides of the temple we find 5 niches with statues of Hindu deities: north is the statue of Durga, west isGanesha, south is Agastya and east is Nandiswara and Mahakala .

At 740m on the top of Mt Sumbing the temple is surrounded by Giyanti, Condong and Malang mountains. Composed of terraced paddy fields and luxuriant forests, the landscape emanates peace and serenity. No wonder visitors feel deeply impressed by the 2km walk up to the small temple courtyard.

How to get there?

The fastest way to reach Selogriyo is to take the road Magelang-Bandongan to Windusari district. At the junction of the town a road sign indicates the way to Selogriyo. After passing a village specialized in tobacco production you need to go uphill. Because the road is steep and winding it is better to go by foot or by motorcycle.