Indonesie
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Sojiwan temple

Sojiwan temple

Explore Sojiwan Temple: a temple with a story

The Sojiwan Temple dates back to the year 850 and is believed to have been built during the reign of the Mataram Kingdom. The temple was named after a queen. Her name is found in an old inscription in the temple.  The temple is one of the few temples dedicated to the teachings of Buddhism.

Practical Tips for Your Visit

  • Getting there: You can find the temple east of Yogyakarta, at 18 km (a drive of 40 minutes) from the city center
  • Best Time to Visit: Early morning or late afternoon is ideal for cooler temperatures and beautiful lighting for photographs. Weekdays tend to be less crowded, allowing for a more personal experience.
  • Combine your experienc: After visiting Sojiwan, consider exploring nearby attractions like Prambanan, Ratu Boko temple, Plaosan, Tebing Breksi, Ijo or Sambisari temple
  • Dont forget: The temple is closed on Monday

Architectural Beauty

The temple showcases beautiful stone reliefs. The temple was in ruins for centuries, but reconstructed starting under the Dutch in 1813, and the reconstruction was finally finished in 2011.

The base

On the base of the temple there are 14 reliefs with stories which give moral advice. Most of these stories area about animals. Can you find the following story in the reliefs?

The Race Between the Garuda (Eagle) and the Turtle

Once, a strong Garuda hunted turtles whenever he wanted. One day, the king of the turtles decided to challenge the Garuda to a race. If the Garuda would win, he could keep hunting the turtles. But if the turtle king won, the Garuda had to stop.

Before the race, the turtle king told all the turtles to bury themselves in the sand along the beach. When the Garuda ran along the beach, one by one the turtles would pop up. This made it look like the turtle king was always ahead. In the end, the turtle king popped up and won the race.
The Gaurda never hunted turtles again.

The elephant and the goat

The elephant and the goat
The elephant and the goat (Wikimedia Meursault)

The elephant and the goat were very good friends and every day they went out to search for food. One day they walk far a way and became hungry and thirsty. The saw a pond and started to drink. next to the pond was a fruit tree. The goat asked the elephant to shake the tree so fruit would fall out. But when the elephant did, not only the fruit, but also a birds nest with young birds fell out the tree. The goat and the elephant directly jumped into the water to save the baby birds.

What is the lesson to learn from this story?
Love and friendship are very important, and we should others treat well. Everybody can make a mistake, but if you do, try to correct your mistake immediatly.

Tranquil Setting

The Sojiwan Temple offers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of Yogyakarta. The tranquil atmosphere and the surrounding landscape enhances the beauty of the temple, providing picturesque views for photography enthusiasts.