Kelenteng Gondomanan, quiet and peaceful!

The red colored building in Yogyakarta on a street that follows the name of that building, the Street of Gondomanan. There is an ancient and historic building there and still maintained as a heritage building by the local government of Yogyakarta. Now the building is used as a place of worship for the followers of the Confucian beliefs.

The street name has now turned into Brigjen Katamso Street although residents still call it the Street of Gondomanan Yogyakarta.

Kelenteng (place of worship for adherents of Confucianism) was built during the reign of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta under the leadership of Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII in the past, the building is located in the region belong to the sultanate. In the year of 1845 the Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII donated all the development processes and management of the building as the place of worship for the Chinese community with their leaders at that time, Maj. Yap Ong Sing.

After gaining the trust of the Sultan of Yogyakarta, Yap Ping Lim took the initiative to invite the people of China who living there to build places of worship, first in 1900 they built a shrine, Vihara Bio Hok Tik or place of worship for Hok Tik Sin Cing, the God of Earth.

After the monastery Bio Hok Tik then they built a new shrine, Kelenteng Gondomanan.The shrine is prepared as a worship to the God's Blessings and Long Age, Hok Ting Sing Sien, Kelenteng Poncowinatan as a place of worship for the god Kwan Kong believed to be a God of Justice.

Vihara Bio Hok Tik building is a worship for followers of Buddhism and Confucianism. This monastery in the present time has been renamed to be the Buddhist Vihara Prabha, because in the past (until the year of 2000) the government of Indonesia only recognizes the existence of Buddhism, so that Confucian using the monastery as a place to worship as well.

Visiting this complex of worship of the two religions, Buddhism and Confucianism will be very entertained. The atmosphere is so quiet and peaceful.

The beauty of the atmosphere in the complex, beautifully carved with various Buddhist ornaments. A shrine to the Buddha, Dhyani Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, Maitreya Prajnaparamita in the middle of the room, increased the solemn atmosphere of this place.

If want to go there, please arrange the visit in the early years, when the celebration of the Chinese Imlek (Chinese New Year) or Cap Go Meh, looks like we return to the atmosphere in the country China mainland, so crowded with various Chinese arts attractions, Barongsay, dances of ancient China and be prepared fascinated with sound of a thousands firecrackers to ward off evil spirits!
Thrilling!

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(Source aunt Prima Widi Hatmi /Image Prima Widi Hatmi)