Metaphor and Meaning in the Temples of East Java - the Hermeneutic Phenomenology of textual and visual interpretation

Metaphor and meaning in the temples of East Java -  the hermeneutic phenomenology of textual and visual interpretation

The Hindu temples of East Java form a fascinating group of monuments bearing narrative reliefs that reflect the tales of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. However, in their own unique way they also reflect Javanese history and its unique flora and fauna, drawing upon the landscape and its distinctive characteristics.

These temples are only some of the many historic places of worship in East Javanese communities - combining religion, superstition and traditional folklore in a unique and personal manner. The temples of East Java, similar to those in predominantly Hindu Bali, are places of ritual and worship, and pilgrims still place offerings there and bathe in the waters where possible, believing in the sense of renewal and purification these locations could provide. The age-old practice of pilgrimage and the placing of offerings is common here as in many other countries. But how do these practices reflect religious belief and the cross-pollination of traditional concepts of religious exclusivity?

In this paper I will focus on a number of locations in the Malang area where there are Hindu temples  and bathing places connected to the stories of ancient dynastic families. I will explore some of these case studies in order to demonstrate how some narratives that have been handed down have been bound to local mythologies and the Hindu texts adapted to incorporate these myths.