Values and Beliefs: Religious Architecture of Indonesia Lower Secondary Arts Unit Studies of Asia Learning Emphases Developing concepts of Asia World contributions by the people of Asia Specific Indonesia focus: Define terms that relate to Islamic, Buddhist, early Indonesian Hindu and Balinese Hindu religious architecture. Make representations of religious sculptures, carvings and temples. Students explore the main architectural features of some of the religious buildings of Indonesia. Background An Architectural Wordbank Indonesian Religious Sites A Souvenir from an Indonesian Religious Site Further Research Activity Sheet Teaching and Learning Activities Background Explain to students that the main religions in Indonesia are: Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. This unit will focus on the religious architecture of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism. For a thorough introduction to the history of religion in the Indonesian archipelago, see the Lower Secondary SOSE Unit Early Civilisations on this website. It is important to realise that the Indonesian forms of the above religions have been adapted to accommodate pre-existing Indonesian beliefs and customs and that this is evident in the religious architecture found in Indonesia today. An Architectural Wordbank Religious architecture has its own language. Students search for the definitions and associated religion for the following terms and record their findings on a class wall chart. Typical answers are provided below. Terms Definition Religion Buddha 'The Enlightened One' Buddhism dome a large round roof Islam stupa a bell-shaped structure which marks a sacred spot Buddhism meru a multi-tiered roof Balinese Hinduism Shiva/Siva 'The Destroyer', one of the three divinities Hinduism minaret a high tower from which the muezzin calls people to prayer Islam temple gates the entrance to a temple complex Balinese Hinduism bas-reliefs carvings in which the figures protrude only slightly from the stone Buddhism and Hinduism Indonesian Religious Sites Students visit the following sites in order to complete the activities that follow: Sacred Sites of Bali http://sacredsites.com/2nd56/330.html Borobudur Temple http://www.borobudurpark.com/borobudur.php Indonesia Interactive: Baiturrahman Grand Mosque http://www.i-2.co.id/travel/place_template.asp?ID=1&kode_prop=1 Architecture in Bali http://www.baliarchitecture.com Pictures of Borobudur Temple http://www.bali-paradise.com/beyondbali/yogyakarta/images/borobudur1.jpg http://www.bali-paradise.com/beyondbali/yogyakarta/images/borobudur2.jpg http://www.bali-paradise.com/beyondbali/yogyakarta/images/borobudur3.jpg Prambanan Temple http://www.borobudurpark.com/prambanan.php Temples in Central Java: Borobudur Temple ('Bird's eye view') http://discover-indo.tierranet.com/borobod.htm Besakih Temple http://www.indotips.net/english/attractions/bali_while10.html Students identify, sketch and describe each of the following: Prambanan (also known as Loro Jonggrang complex) - an example of early Indonesian Hindu architecture Borobudur - an example of early Indonesian Buddhist architecture Pura Besakih - an example of Balinese Hindu architecture Baiturrahman Mosque - an example of Indonesian Islamic architecture. They should pay particular attention to: roofing materials wall construction materials overall shape decorative features. They then present an oral report with illustrations of architectural details. A Souvenir from an Indonesian Religious Site Students visit the following addresses to examine closely the sculptures and carvings of Borobudur and Prambanan temples: Prambanan http://www.eastjava.com/books/glorious/html/prambanan.html Borobudur Stupa, Java, Indonesia http://sacredsites.com/1st30/borobudu.html As a guided creative response, students draw, paint or model in clay one sculpture and one bas-relief which they particularly like from either Borobudur or Prambanan temples, ensuring they remain faithful to the original. Further Research Students use the Internet to search for information about the restoration projects at Borobudur and Prambanan temples and Borobudur's listing as a World Heritage Site. They record details of each restoration project, such as the funding agencies; length of restoration period; the restoration process; the function of these sites as modern tourist attractions and their continued use as religious sites. Students might like to compare these with religious sites in other parts of the world. Activity Sheet Students complete the Indonesian Religious Architecture Activity Sheet.   Note: The student activity sheets are available in PDF format and require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in to view and print them out. The Acrobat Reader plug-in can be downloaded from the Adobe website.   Classroom Resources | Curriculum Guides | Resources | Go Indonesia! | Home | Access Asia Lesson Plans  Commonwealth of Australia and Curriculum Corporation