Muara Takus Temple is a Hindu and Buddhist temple site from the Sriwijaya Kingdom.
The location is in Muara Takus Village, XIII Koto District, Kampar Regency. It is 122 Km from the city of Pekanbaru, and takes about 3 hours.
The name of Muara Takus Temple comes from the words “Muara” and “Takus”.
Muara which means the end of a river in the sea.
Meanwhile, Takus comes from Chinese words, ie Ta, Ku, Se:
Ta which means big,
Ku which means old,
Se which means temple.
So, the meaning of the Muara Takus is the magnificent old temple at the mouth of a river.
The history and existence of Muara Takus Temple are still a mystery and have not been completely resolved until now. The existence of this temple is still being debated by archaeologists and historians alike. However, this temple is estimated to have been built during the Srivijaya Empire around the 4th century to the 11th century AD.
Muara Takus Temple has a different shape and architecture from other temples in Indonesia.
If other temples are black or dark gray and made of andesite stone, but Muara Takus Temple is made of river stones, sandstone, and red bricks.
As well as clay is taken from a village called Pongkai. The shape of this temple is similar to the Buddhist stupas in Myanmar, Vietnam, and India during the Ashoka period.
Inside the Muara Takus Temple complex, there are four buildings, namely the Tua Temple, the Bungsu Temple, the Mahligai Temple, and the Palangka Temple.
The Old Temple
The old temple is the largest building among the temples in the complex. The building which is also called the Sulung Temple has three parts, namely the legs, body, and roof.
The legs are divided into two parts. The first section is 2.37 meters high, the second is 1.98 meters high. On the eastern side of the temple, there are stairs that are 4 meters wide, while the western part of the temple is 3.08 meters wide.
And there are two lion statues on the two stairs. In addition, in this temple building, there is no empty space at all.
The Bungsu Temple
The shape of the youngest temple is almost the same as the oldest temple, except that the roof of the Bungsu temple is rectangular. This temple measures 13.20 x 16.20 square meters and has 20 sides to its foundation. While the top is in the form of a plane and there is a lotus above.
The Mahligai Temple
The Mahligai temple or the Mahligai stupa is considered the most intact in form of the other temples at the Muara Takus site. Mahligai has three parts, namely legs, body, and roof. The foundation is rectangular and in the center is a cylindrical tower. However, the roof is circular.
The Palangka Temple
The Palangka Temple is located on the east side of the Mahligai stupa, measuring 5.10 x 5.70 square meters and a height of two meters.
The temple, which was built using brick material, is thought to have been used as an altar in ancient times. The location of the entrance to the temple itself is on the north side of the temple.
How to get there?
If you depart from the city of Pekan Baru, it is advisable to leave after dawn, because besides the atmosphere is still fresh, you will also get a good moment to be immortalized on your camera.
