Thursday, November 18, 2010

MUARA TAKUS TEMPLE (CANDI MUARA TAKUS) - RIAU

Candi Muara Takus is a Buddhist temple complex, thought to belong to the Sriwijaya empire. It is situated in Kampar Regency in Riau province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Its surviving temples and other archaeological remains are thought to date to the eleventh and twelfth century AD. It is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient temple complexes in Sumatra.

Candi Muara Takus was constructed by the maritime-based Sriwijaya Empire in the eleventh century. The architecture and design of the temples clearly indicates that they are of Mahayana Buddhist origin. It has been suggested by Schnitger that the major temples at Muara Takus may have undergone major renovations in the twelfth century. It is thought that the area was used as both a religious and trade centre by Sriwijaya.


The site was abandoned for many centuries before it was re-discovered by Cornet De Groot in 1860. The site was explored and surveyed by W.P Groenveld in 1880 and excavations have been conducted periodically since. The site is now protected as a national monument.

The temple complex of Candi Muara Takus is surrounded by a 1 metre tall stone perimeter wall that measures 74 x 74 metres. The outer wall is penetrated by a gateway on the northern side. Within the walls are the remains of four substantial Buddhist temples (candi).

The most unusual of these is Candi Mahligai. This lotus-shaped Buddhist stupa is unique in Indonesia though there are numerous similar ancient structures in Thailand and Myanmar. This structure founded on an octagonal base and reaches a height of 14.30 metres. The uppermost level of the stupa is decorated with lion figures that are barely discernible from below.

On the east side of Candi Mahligai is the base of Candi Palangka. It is constructed from red stone and now only reaches a height of 1.45 metres. It was reportedly much taller at the time of the earliest colonial expeditions to the site but the upper terraces have long since collapsed. A third structure within the complex is Candi Bungsu.

The most striking thing about this temple is that it was built from two very different kinds of stone. One part is built from red stone and the other section from sandstone. This temple now reaches a height of 6.20 metres. The largest structure at Candi Muara Takus is Candi Tua. Its base measures 32.80 metres x 21.80 metres and it reaches a height of 8.50 metres. This temple is terraced and it bears some resemblance in its design to the much larger stupa, Candi Borobodur, in Java. Like all the temples at Candi Muara Takus, Candi Tua features only minimal decoration. The most notable decorative feature are the seated lion figures on the upper terraces.


From Wikipedia

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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Life Insurance: The Perfect Holiday Gift

Term Life Insurance may be the perfect holiday gift for you to give to your family this year. Why? Because it provides what we all want—throughout the entire year, but most of all at the holiday season: peace of mind.

Put simply, a term life policy gives your family financial stability if you die. That stability gives your spouse and children (and, of course, you) the comfort of knowing that their future is protected. Term life insurance coverage can help make sure that, even if your income suddenly disappears, there’s still enough money for your spouse to pay for your children’s college education…enough to cover your mortgage enough to pay off your debts, even enough to pay for your funeral expenses.

Term life insurance provides protection for a specific period of time (or term). This ability to obtain temporary coverage—for a set number of years—gives you the power to make sure that your family can maintain the lifestyle you have worked so hard to create for them, even after you’re gone.


The holiday season is fast approaching. Give the gift of peace of mind. It’s affordable and easy—now, you can even buy life insurancewithout a medical examination

Go online right now. Get a free quote from several reputable online life insurance companies. Pick one that fits your budget.

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Friday, November 5, 2010

PULAU JEMUR (JEMUR ISLAND) - RIAU


Pulau Jemur (Jemur Island) (area : 250 ha) is an Indonesia's island which is located at the Strait of Malacca, near the border with Malaysia.




The island is located in the district of Pasir Limau Kapas, Rokan Hilir, Riau Province. It's approximately 72.4 km away from Bagansiapiapi, the capital city of Rokan Hilir Regency and 64.3 km away from Port Klang in Malaysia.

This island is the largest island of the Arwah Islands, the group of nine islands, among others are Pulau Jemur, Tokong Emas, Tokong Simbang and Labuhan Bilik.

Jemur Island is famous for its natural scenery such as white sand beaches and as the habitat for green turtles. The sea arounds the island is famous as a fish-producing areas.

Jemur Island is an uninhabited island and only been a haven for fishermen who are fishing. A postal of Indonesia's navy was established on the island for observation and navigation purpose.

This island had been subjected to anti-Malaysian sentiment in Indonesia, after a number of Indonesian media in August 2009 reported that Malaysia intends to manage Jemur Island as a tourist destination through the site of traveljournals.net. Indonesia's claim as the legal ownership of Jemur Island (and the group of Arwah Islands) is based on the certificate of land owned by the Sultan of Siak. These tensions have eased upon discovery of an island called Pulau Jemor as part of the Sultanate of Selangor.

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