SEAArch – The Southeast Asian Archaeology Newsblog

The Indonesian department of religious affairs will have a say over the management of its ancient temples such as the Hindu Prambanan and Buddhist Borobudur, which is currently managed by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. The change is the result of a call by local Hindu and Buddhist leaders to recognise these temples, tourist sites in a predominantly Muslim country, as sacred spaces still used for pilgrimage by their local communities.

photo credit: hildo trazo

Religious Affairs Ministry to Help Manage Historic Temples
Jakarta Globe, 16 March 2010
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Indonesia’s most famous ancient monument is to be visited by the president of the United States when he makes his visit to Indonesia next month. This will be an important moment as political figures like the POTUS are some of the most important in the world, and we await the exciting flights made by Air Force One as it brings him in to visit the monument soon.

photo credit: likeyesterday

Borobudur on the menu for Obama visit
Jakarta Post, 12 February 2010
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Readers planning to visit the ancient temples of Java like Borobudur and Prambanan will soon have to observe a dress code, or at least not be clad in skimpy miniskirts. The management company overseeing the sites are enforcing a dress code so as to preserve a sense of respect on what are, after all, sacred sites. It’s nice to see such a sense of respect for Buddhist and Hindu temples in such a predominantly Muslim country.

photo credit: hildo trazo

More temples plan to ban mini skirts, shorts
Jakarta Post, 05 February 2010
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More funding is being allocated to set up tourist villages in a bid to increase tourism at Borobudur.

photo credit: hildo trazo

Borobudur to Woo Visitors With New Tourist Villages
Jakarta Globe, 20 January 2010
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The Asian Civilisations Museum hosts a public lecture by Hiram Woodward about Borobudur and the hypothesis of a Javanese Monk who was behind the construction.

photo credit: F H Mira

Bian-hong: Mastermind of Borobudur?
Date: 2 Sep 2009
Time: 7:00 – 8:45pm
Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore
Limited seating. Register by emailing nhb_acm_rpu@nhb.gov.sg
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Malaysia’s Star takes us on a tour of the 10 most beautiful temples in the world – all notably Asian, and half of them from Southeast Asia.

photo credit: Master 心道

When faith takes form
The Star, 24 January 2009
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And now, your weekly dose of archaeological snippets taken from the blogosphere.

photo credit: zhaffsky Read the rest of this entry »