Jambi, May 15 (Antara) - The Muarojambi Temple Complex in Muarojambi District, Jambi, is offering jungle trekking tours around its ancient Buddhist temple site.
Acting Head of Muarojambi District Kaliani revealed that the unique jungle trekking tour aims to explore nature and holds immense potential.
"I think this is what we need to promote and build as a tourism object, which has its own market segment. We need to cooperate with all stakeholders to develop its competitive edge and market it," Kaliani noted here on Sunday.
The local people are expected to serve as guides for the jungle trekking tour. There are local people who possess good skills and are well trained.
Several of them have undergone various training programs, both as guides and as human resources for small industries.
"Yet, limitations are also encountered with regard to the legal management aspects. This is because the authority lies in the hands of the Ministry of Education and Culture, particularly the directorate general of culture. Hence, we cannot expand our activities more broadly in the tourism sector," he explained.
Jambi Province's Acting Regional Government Secretary Erwan Malik remarked that the jungle trekking tours around the Muarojambi Temple Complex, Muarojambi District, need to be further promoted and improved.
"We admit that the jungle trekking site has not been promoted optimally and needs to be developed further. I am certain that if it is developed and promoted well, it will become a good tourism attraction," Malik remarked in Jambi on Sunday.
According to Malik, the jungle trek around the Muarojambi Temple Complex has huge appeal, yet public awareness about it is low.
"Hence, serious attention and promotion is necessary, so that the people of Indonesia and also the world can know and enjoy its natural beauty," he emphasized.
Besides intensive promotion, the area also needs to be developed further while maintaining the originality and its natural beauty.
The jungle trekking route starts and passes through a rubber plantation of the local people and a forest area in the village of Lake Lamo. It stretches along a river bank and passes over a wooden bridge, followed by a boat ride on the ancient canal of the Medak River.
Trekkers in the jungle tour can get off the boat and head to the area of the Koto Mahligai Temple from where they can later continue their journey aboard a boat through another ancient canal to the Kedaton Temple where the trek ends.
Malik said the efforts of the provincial and district governments to support the development of the jungle tourism site included coordination and cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency to prepare the supporting facilities and infrastructure.
"I am certain that from year to year, the Muarojambi Temple will preserve the cultural area to be developed further. I hope the people around the temple would work together to maintain security and order, so that anyone who visits it will feel comfortable and safe. This is the most important aspect," he added.
The Moarojambi Temple has just completed its annual festival which was held from May 11 to May 14, 2017. The four-day festival presented various local cultures, traditional arts and creative economic products. The ancient temples in Muarajambi keep alive very important cultural values that need to be preserved. The local government is now trying to get recognition from UNESCO.
The temple complex has 82 ancient structures, of which eight have been preserved and opened to the public. Located at the Batanghari riverside, the Muarojambi temple complex is about 40 kilometers from Jambi city. It represents the heritage of the ancient Malay Kingdom during the Hindu-Buddhist era that lasted between the 7th and 13th centuries.
The eight temples that have been opened to the public and have been preserved are the Gumpung, Tinggi I, Tinggi II, Kembar Batu, Candi Astano, Gedong I, Gedong II and Kedaton
Before the advent of Islam, Buddhism was flourishing in Indonesia, which continues to display numerous historical heritages, such as relics, artefacts and glorious temples.
The most popular Buddhist Temple in Indonesia is the 9th century Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java, which was once included in the seven wonders of the world.
The Jambi temple also bears historical importance, yet is not known well globally. Though little known, this temple complex is a link with the history of Tibet.
According to a noted monk, the Buddhist teaching of morality now developing in Tibet was basically born at the Muarojambi Temple in the 11th century.
It was adopted from the teaching of Grand Buddhist teacher Atisha, who spent years studying Buddhism at the Muarojambi temple, before he returned to Tibet to spread the teaching.
The Great Guru Atisha of Tibet lived and studied morality in the Muarojambi Temple complex for 11 years, from about 1011 to 1023 AD.***4***(a014/INE)EDITED BY INE/H-YH
(T.A014/B/BESSR/A/Yosep) 15-05-2017 16:53:1 |
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