CHICAGO: Members of the Indian community at large in USA have welcomed the move initiated by the Indonesian government to renovate its unique and fascinating 15th century Sukuh Hindu Temple in Central Java.
Nand Kapur, former president of the Association of Indian Americans, said that “this is not the Hindu temple that is being restored. It is rather the heritage of the society that is being now preserved. Giving it Hindu color could give it a sectarian look and diminish the importance of the move.”
Rajan Zed, president of the Universal Society of Hinduism in a statement from Nevada termed it as “step in the positive direction, which was urgently needed.
According to reports the restoration work on collapsing pyramid of Sukuh in Berjo Village (Argoyoso district) on Mount Lawu slopes, by the Central Java Heritage Conservation Agency would start in March and will be completed by 2016. The agency will work with a team of archeologists.
Sukuh Hindu Temple is part of the “Tentative List” of UNESCO in order to qualify for inclusion in its “World Heritage List”. This temple, a trapezium with three terraces, built around 1437, contains images of Ganesh, Arjun, Bhim, Narad and Vishnu’s avatar Kurma (Tortoise), besides others.
Sohan Joshi, president of the National Federation of Indian Associations in a note of thanks to the Indonesian government observed that by taking care of its heritage temple Indonesia displayed religious pluralism and showed the way that culture is beyond religious borders.
Indonesia has the largest Muslim population than any other country in the world; where Muslims form about 88% of the population and Hindus about 3%.
Madhu Patel
