Religious Bathing Monuments with Female Deity Statues in Indonesia - An Archaeological Perspective

Takashi Sakai

This study aims to understand the development of Java-Balinese religious bathing monuments/petirtaan of the Classical Period (7th-15th C.) from the point of view of comparative archaeology in focusing the structural changes of the fountain system with female deity statues. Firstly, I have divided the major 22 monuments into two categories based on the condition of the spout; sculptural or simple functional. Next, each category was respectively classified into five types according to the basic structural condition of monument; number, form and position of pools. In particular, I recognized the largest type with sculptural spouts, which was suddenly appeared in the 10th century and flourished until 14th century in East Java such as the Jolotundo, had something relation with temple tanks or the Kunda type wells in South India also the West Mebon temple of Angkor, therefore this type was created under influence of South Indian water architectural technique with thought. Although the female deity statues as fountain spouts, almost no finding in South Asia, is found in the Simbatan monument, but not a proper element of this type of monument as seen in the Belahan of another type. If note the statue fountain system of Vishnu of West Mebon is only one in Angkor, we should consider this monument as the original creation and development in Java stand on the belief of Amrita, the Hindu elixir.