The Grace of Banyunibo Temple, Yogyakarta
Banyuniba Temple is located at southern side of Cepit hamlet, Bokoharjo village, Sleman sub-district. It is around 200 m from Barong temple and about 1 km to the southwest of Yogya-Solo highway. This Buddhist temple faces west and stands alone within a plantation area. About 15 m in front of the Banyuniba temple, there is a small river.
Banyuniba Temple was discovered in a ruined condition. The first investigation and reconstruction of the temple were done in 1940. According to the research, it is estimated that Banyuniba Temple consists of three main temples which face to the west and surrounded by lines of ancillary shrines arranged in three rows to the south and three rows to the east. At present only the main temple that has been successfully restored and none of ancillary temples remain. At the back yard of the Banyuniba temple there is a hole in the ground, like a well.
Banyuniba Temple is relatively small, only 11 m high and around 15 m long. The body of the temple stands on a 2.5 m high stone platform and is laid out in the middle of neatly arranged andesite stones. The difference in size between the platform and the temple’s body forms a walkway, which is wide enough for one person to pass through.
The wall of the temple and the upper edge of the platform are full of decorations in the patterns of creeping plants and leaves rambling out of a jar. There are decorations like Kala head called 'jaladwara’ in every corner of the temple’s base. These decorations function as a gutter of rain water. The roof of the temple has a dome (dagoba) shape with a stupa on top.
At the front porch lies a 1.2 m wide staircase as an access to the walkway at the temple platform. The top of the staircase is decorated with a couple of dragon head with open wide mouth.
The entrance door has a porch with curved-roof projecting around 1 m from the body of the temple. The front side of the porch is full of creeping plant decorations. A Kalamakara without its lower jaw is carved above the door frame.
At the inner side of the wall above the door frame there is relief depicting Hariti sitting in sedentarily position flanked by two peacocks and surrounded by children. A relief of Kuwera or Avataka in sitting position is carved on the southern wall of the porch. To his left and slightly to the back, a servant sits with right hand on the thigh.
On each of the four walls of the temple there are windows, through which the temple’s interior can be seen. Above the frame of each window there is an ornament of Kalamakara, whereas to its left and right side there is a niche containing carved figures of the divinity such as kinara and kinari, hapsara and hapsari, also Hariti and Avataka. Hidden between kalamakara and the window frame, there is a carving of man in sitting position.
There is no statue at the chamber of the temple, but the entire wall is decorated with relief of child and male figures in various positions, such as a child hanging on a branch of tree, people sitting and hugging each others, and etc. A statue of cow in sitting position is placed in the temple’s court. It remains uncertain whether the statue is still on its original location or has been moved.
