Blenduk Church
Architecture
and layout
Blenduk Church, at 32 Letjen Suprapto Street in the old
town of Semarang, Central Java, is located in a small courtyard
between former office buildings. The
Jiwasraya building is located to the south, across the street, while the Kerta
Niaga offices are to its west.
The octagonal church, built on a stone foundation and with
single-layer brick walls, has its ground floor at street level. It
is topped by a large, copper-skinned dome, from which it gets its common name; the Javanese word mblenduk means dome. The dome is supported by
32 steel beams, 8 large and 24 small. Two
towers, square at the base and slowly rounding until topped with a small dome,
are located on either side of the main entrance, while a cornice consisting
of horizontal lines runs around the building; Roman-style porticoes covered in
saddle-shaped roofs are located on its eastern, southern and western faces. Blenduk also featuresetched and stained glass windows, as well as wood-panel double
doors at the south-facing entrance.
The wooden pews inside Blenduk have rattan seats,
while the pulpit is completely made of wood and located on an octagonal platform
made of teak. A nonfunctional Baroque pipe
organ from the 1700s is also located inside. The floor is covered in
black, yellow, and white tiles. In
the northern part of the interior is a spiral staircase, etched with name of
its manufacturer, Pletterij den haag (Rolling Mill, The Hague), which leads to the second
floor.
History
Blenduk was established in 1753; the initial building had
a joglo-style. Although
meant for Protestants, Catholics also used it until the first Catholic church
in the city, in Gedangan, was built.
The church was later rebuilt in 1787. Another
re-imagining, spearheaded by H.P.A. de Wilde and W. Westmas, began work in
1894. During this renovation, the dome and two towers were added.
Another series of renovations began in the early 2000s. As of 2004, the church has 200
families in its congregation and holds regular Sunday services; it
is also a tourist attraction.
Sam Poo Kong
History
The foundations
of Sam Poo Kong were set when Chinese Muslim explorer Admiral Zheng He arrived
in the western part of what is now Semarang via
the Garang River; the year is
disputed, with suggestions ranging from 1400 to 1416. After disembarking from his ships,
Zheng found a cave in a rocky hillside and used it for prayer. He established a small temple before
leaving Java, but having grown fond of the area his deputy Wang Jing and
several crewmen remained behind. A
statuette of Zheng was installed in the cave.
The original
temple was reportedly destroyed in 1704, collapsing under a landslide. In October 1724 the temple was
completely renovated. A new cave
was also made, located next to the old one.
In the middle of
the 1800s Sam Poo Kong was owned by a Mr. Johanes, a landlord of Jewish
descent, who charged devotees for the right to pray at the temple. Unable to pay individual fees, the
Chinese community spent 2000 gulden yearly
to keep the temple open; this was later reduced to 500 gulden after worshipers
complained of the expense. As
this was still a heavy burden, devotees abandoned Sam Poo Kong and found a
statue of Zheng He to bring to Tay Kak Sie temple, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi)
away, where they could pray freely.
In 1879, Oei
Tjie Sing, a prominent local businessman, bought the Sam Poo Kong complex and
made its use free of charge; in response, local Chinese celebrated by holding a
carnival and began returning to Sam Poo Kong. The
temple's ownership was transferred to the recently founded Sam Poo Kong
foundation in 1924.
The temple
received another full renovation in 1937. After the Japanese
invasion of the Indies, the Japanese command installed electricity
and provided the temple with a framed written appraisal for Zeng He. During five years of revolution after the Japanese left the newly
independent Indonesia, the temple was poorly maintained and fell into
disrepair.
In 1950, Sam Poo
Kong was again renovated. However, beginning in the 1960s increased political
instability led to its being neglected again. From 2002 to 2005 it underwent another major renovation.
Layout
The Sam Poo Kong
temple complex includes five temples in a mixed Chinese and Javanese architectural style. The
temples are Sam Poo Kong (the oldest), Tho Tee Kong, Kyai Juru Mudi Temple,
Kyai Jangkar Temple, and Kyai Cundrik Bumi Temple. An additional worship site,
Mbah Kyai Tumpeng, is also located within the complex. The buildings are spread over 3.2
hectares (7.9 acres).
Tho Tee Kong
(also known as Dewa Bumi Temple), is located just within the large gate at the
northern end of the complex; it is used by those who seek the blessings of the
earth god Tu Di Gong. Next to Tho Tee Kong is Kyai Juru
Mudi Temple, the burial site of Wang Jing Hong, one of Zheng He's deputies. It
is often frequented by people looking for success in business.
The main temple
is built directly in front of the cave, located south of Kyai Juru Mudi. In the
cave itself are an altar, fortune-telling equipment, and a small statue of
Zheng He; underneath the altar is a well that is said to never go dry and to be
capable of healing various ailments. Before
the 2002 renovations, the temple measured 16 by 16 metres (52 by 52 ft);
it now measures 34 by 34 metres (112 by 112 ft).
Further south is
the Kyai Jankar Temple, named after a sacred anchor used by Zheng He held
inside. The temple also contains an altar to those of Zheng's crewmen who died
while fulfilling their duties. The southernmost temple is Kyai Cundrik Bumi,
which is used to worship a weapon used by Zheng. Nearby is Mbah Kyai Tumpeng, a
prayer site used by people wishing for their well-being.
Carnival
Every lunar year
on the 30th day of the sixth month, the anniversary of Zheng He's arrival in
Semarang, Chinese Indonesians parade statues of Zheng He, Lauw In,
and Thio Kefrom Tay Kak
Sie to Sam Poo Kong. Started after Sam Poo Kong again
became free to use, the carnival is meant to show respect to the explorers.
Great Mosque of Central Java
The Great Mosque of Central Java (Indonesian: Masjid Agung Jawa Tengah) is a mosque in the city of Semarang, Central Java.
Layout
The mosque
complex covers 10 hectares (25 acres). There are three central buildings
arranged in the shape of a U, with the domed mosque at the centre; all
buildings have pitched, tiled roofs, while the central mosque has four
minarets. The central roof resembles the roof of a "joglo",
the traditional Javanese house, and symbolises the rising steps toward heaven
or to gain God's blessing. The long buildings forming the arms of the U house a
library and auditorium respectively; the
auditorium can hold up to 2,000 people.
In the central
courtyard are six large hydraulically operated umbrellas, inspired by the ones
at Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, which are used to protect worshipers; the six umbrellas represent the six
tenets of iman. More
than 15,000 worshippers can fit in the 7,669-square-metre
(82,550 sq ft) prayer area. At
the open end of the U is a series of Arabic-style arches, with Arabic
calligraphs of 99 attributes of
Allah, stood on 25 pillars, each representing one of thenamed prophets in Islam. Beyond the arches is an inscription on
a 3.2-metre (10 ft) tall, 7.8 ton stone from Mount Merapi, designed by Nyoman M. Alim.
Nearby is the
99-metre (325 ft) tall Asmaul Husna Tower, designed to resemble the minaret of a mosque in Kudus;
the height represents the 99 attributes of
Allah. Used for calling
Muslims to prayer, the tower also houses a radio station for dakwah and
museum at its base and restaurant and observation deck near its summit. The upper levels are accessible by
lift. On premises there is also a
23-room hotel.
History
Preparations for
the mosque's construction began on 6 June 2001, when the governor of Central
Java formed the Coordination Team for the Construction of the Great Mosque (Tim Koordinasi Pembangunan Masjid Agung) which consisted of state bodies
such as the provincial and city governments as well as private bodies such as
the Indonesian Ulema
Council (MUI). Of the waqf land once under the purview of the
Kauman Mosque of Semarang, only the site at Jl. Gajah was deemed large enough.
In September 2001 the team published a proposed construction schedule. Funding came from the provincial
government.
Construction
began on 6 September 2002, when minister of religion Said Agil Husin al-Munawar, head of MUI Sahal Mahfudz, and governor of Central Java Mardiyanto laid
the first stake. While the mosque was still under construction, Chabib Thoha
led Friday prayers on 19 March 2004. The mosque was dedicated on 14
November 2006 by President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono and his wife.
In October 2008,
a rotating restaurant opened on the eighteenth floor of the Asmaul Husna Tower;
at the time of its opening, it was the furthest off the ground in Indonesia and
could seat twenty diners. The
mosque is also a tourist attraction, with buses and trams available to
transport visitors around the grounds.
Vihara
Buddhagaya Watugong
Vihara
is managed ridden for about 8 years now but bounced back under construction
Sangha Theravada Indonesia. The beauty of the temple tower plus the unique
ornaments and exterior building attracts many tourists as well as pilgrims to
visit her.
The
plan of the temple will later be built as high as 36 meters rupang Buddha made of
bronze.
Watugong
name fame is not confined to a stone which is still available and protected.
Watugong usually associated with the name of the temple at the Vihara
Avalokitesvara standing Buddhagaya off Watugong physical evidence. Vihara is a
7-storey high-rise and inaugurated in 2006. A Buddhist donors named Po Sun Kok initiated
the development of the temple is 45 meters high from the originally a small
temple.
Museum
MURI fix this temple as the highest temple in Indonesia.
Remarkably,
some of the temple accidentally imported from China, such as stone staircase
railing, stone pillars with carvings of two charming, and even tiles imported
from China. The rest comes from local sources. YM 1955 Bhante Ashin Narada and
Bhante inaugurate this temple.
Building
the temple is shaped octahedron with levels 2 to 6 show the statue of Goddess
Kwan Im, welas Asih goddess, worshiped in this temple. It just is not there in
the temple stairs to the top of the temple.
Dewi
Kwan Im facing the 4 corners of the eyes are placed in order to transmit wind
affection to all corners of the compass heading. Intended, that the Goddess is
always spread love can keep Semarang from all directions. In addition there are
at least 20 Kwan Im statue installed here.
Watugong
Buddhagaya Vihara was the first temple in Indonesia after the fall of the
Majapahit.
On the
top floor, the statue Amitaba, teacher of gods and men placed as a symbol that
is increased to 7, the purity achieved. At the top of the temple there is a
stupa which stores details of pearls coming out of the Buddha.
Other
buildings that are not less important is building Vihara Avalokitesvara or
Dharmasala. Large room with a statue of Buddha in it that is used to display
the teachings and values of Dharma. This place has stood since 1955, and the
important thing is that it was here the first time all Buddhist associations
gathered.
A monk
named Naradha from Sri Lanka came to this place in 1955 with two seeds Bodhi
tree where the Buddha get enlightenment while sitting beneath. Watugong tree
planted near the temple and flourish. Under this tree will be recovered statue
of Buddha seated in mudra position. A more trees planted near Borobudur Temple
but it took away because it was considered ruined temples.
One of
the relics of the old temple in Watugong is sleeping Buddha statue under Sala
tree. History records that the Buddha was born under Sala tree, and so even
when the death of the Buddha breathed his last in between two Sala trees. The
tree fragrant flowers spread per second are nearby. In addition, known also
from the fruit that falls to the ground and ripped to remove offensive odor. It
seems there is the philosophy contained in this tree.
The
surroundings are tastefully decorated and asri temple with many trees planted
to create a shady atmosphere for you to relax or unwind.
Contact Person :
Email : adi_saputro@hotmail.co.id
Skype : antonie.adam
YM : antonie_adam
Tlp : +6285743563167
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