CANDI SIPAMUTUNG

A relaxing place

A partially lost Buddhist temple

One of my favorite temples in the old Padang region. the temple has been restored. very cool and awesome. This temple can be a tourist attraction for the region, but access to the temple is still lacking. local government must immediately renew the access road to the temple.

The sipamutung temple is still manicured and there are still about 3 more carved stones left.nOne of the stones is taken to a museum in Medan.nThe access road is quite destroyed, because the asphalt road has been destroyed to form a large puddle, the cement road has also been destroyed to the limit of gravel.nIf you want to ride a car, access is only up to the bridge, the rest is followed by riding a motorcycle or can walk about 200 meters more from the bridge.nThere is no levy charge (we were on an ordinary day yesterday, don't know if it's a holiday huh).nHopefully this temple will be considered by the local government.nHopefully this article is useful

Sipamutung Temple is located in Ginduang Batu, Central Barumun, Padang Lawas Regency, North Sumatra 22755.nnSipamutung Temple, or also known as Biaro Sipamutung, is one of the Buddhist-style temples left behind by the Pannai Kingdom in the Padanglawas Temple Complex. Sipamutung Temple is the largest temple in this Complex and is generally made of brick and has a land area of ​​6000 square meters and an area of ​​74 x 74 meters surrounded by brick walls.nnThe Sipamutung Temple complex consists of 1 main building and 6 ancillary temples and 16 stupas. The main building has an area of ​​11 x 11 meters and a height of 13 meters which consists of the legs, body, and roof. Perwara temples around the main temple are in the shape of a mandapa with a rectangular shape measuring 10.25 X 9.9 meters and 1.15 meters high.nnAs one of the Cultural Heritage Buildings in Indonesia, Sipamutung Temple needs to get conservation attention. The first preservation effort was carried out by Dee Han in 1926. This effort was motivated by the large amount of damage to the temple as a result of being used as farm land. After Indonesia's independence, restoration efforts were carried out in the Padanglawas Bathing Complex. Finally, preservation efforts were carried out in 2013, namely the manufacture of concrete castings on the roof of the entrance to the Sipamutung Temple to prevent the collapse of the section.nnThe Padanglawas Bathing Complex was investigated by Dutch scientists in the late 19th and 20th centuries, such as Schnitger, Van Den Bosch, Franz Junghun, von Rosenberg, Kerkhoff and van Stein Callenfels. Most of their research results were published by Oudheidkundig Verslag. The most complete publication was obtained from the results of Schnitger's research in 1936. One of his writings is interesting to note that in the courtyard of the Sipamutung temple found a statue which is an indicator of Vajrayana. This relates to a crocodile statue depicted with a scary face, and two statues of relaxation in the anjalimudra attitude namely the attitude of the palms and fingers that worship.nnAccording to Schnitger, temples in Padanglawas were built in conjunction with stupas at Muara Takus, which was around the 12th century AD. Previously, von Rosenberg found in 1854 several fragments of statues, one of which is a Buddhist statue which is now stored in the National Museum of Indonesia. In 1930, Bosch wrote about Padanglawas and put forward a theory that the people who supported the temples in Padanglawas during the Pannai Kingdom were Buddhists of the Wajrayana school. This theory certainly supports the opinion of Schnitger.nnAfter Indonesia's independence, research was continued by the Antiquities Office under the leadership of Satyawati Suleiman in 1953. Subsequent research was conducted in 1973 and 1975 by a team from the National Archeology and Heritage Institute (now the National Archaeological Research Center) in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Museum. Subsequent research in 1993 and 1994 emphasized more on environmental aspects, the background of choosing the location of the construction of the temple complex and the non-situ collection of cultural heritage objects. Until now, research has been intensified by authorized institutions such as the Medan Archeology Center (Balar Medan) with a variety of more complete studies and deeper interpretations.