A temple in the hills

One of the side trips on our visit to Bogor last weekend was to a pretty Hindu temple at Ciapus, a tiny village in the neighbouring hinterland.

At the entrance was a lovely statue of Ganesh, one of the most charming deities in the Hindu pantheon.

Believe it or not, the mouse is actually Ganesh's mount!

Despite its ancient appearance, the temple was built in 1995. It is a similar style to many of the temples I visited in Bali. The stone is very porous, which makes it easy to carve. It is also absorbent and 'mosses up'  quickly to give it an aged appearance, especially in a moist environment like Bogor, which is said to experience thunderstorms on 322 days of the year.

We were allowed to the lower terrace once we had tied a borrowed sash around our waists, and the guys wearing shorts were lent sarongs, as well as sashes. After purification prayers, the faithful then progress upwards to the temple proper with their offerings.

The road to the temple was bordered by a row of yellow irises,

and who could resist wandering along a path like this to see where it led.

The adjoining house served refreshments and had a photographic record of the history of the temple, as well as the prettiest garden and its own shrine.

All in all, a delightful retreat from the noise of the city and a wonderful place to reflect.