1 - Hermitages in 15th-century Java as Agents of Knowledge Transmission

One of the primary institutions of learning and knowledge transmission in Kawi Culture were hermitages. This paper aims to provide an overview of hermitages and their environments in 15th-century Java based on contemporary Javanese and Sundanese travelogue poems, such as Kiduṅ Surajaya, Gita Sinaṅsaya, Kiduṅ Mudasara, and Bujaṅga Manik. These sources offer a distinctive panorama from the perspective of hermitage settings in mountainous regions. This paper will primarily focus on landscape aspects, learning practices, and the transmission of knowledge in mandala or karesian regions, including the agents that sustained the religious communities in these environments. Additionally, this paper will also explore the recurring motifs within these travelogue narratives, offering insights into the knowledge-seeking practices of pilgrims at significant hermitage locations in Java.